Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of
folk rock
Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...
duo
Simon & Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, and their biggest hits—including the electric remix of ...
with
Art Garfunkel.
Simon was born in
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat, seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and the second largest city within the New Yo ...
, and grew up in the
borough of Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
in New York City. He began performing with his schoolfriend
Art Garfunkel in 1956 when they were still in their early teens. After limited success, the pair reunited after an electrified version of their song "
The Sound of Silence" became a hit in 1966. Simon & Garfunkel recorded five albums together featuring songs mostly written by Simon, including the hits "
Mrs. Robinson", "
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
", "
Bridge over Troubled Water" and "
The Boxer
"The Boxer" is a song written by Paul Simon and recorded by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth studio album, '' Bridge over Troubled Water'' (1970). Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, it was released as a standalone sing ...
".
After Simon & Garfunkel split in 1970, Simon recorded three acclaimed albums over the following five years,
all of which charted in the Top 5 on the
''Billboard'' 200. His
1972 self-titled album contained the hit songs "
Mother and Child Reunion" and "
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard". The 1975 album ''
Still Crazy After All These Years'', which featured guest vocals from Garfunkel, was his first number one solo album. It featured the number 1 hit single "
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover", among other Top 40 songs such as "
Still Crazy After All These Years", "
Gone at Last" and "
My Little Town".
Simon reunited with Garfunkel for a performance in
New York Central Park in 1981, drawing half a million spectators, followed by a world tour with Garfunkel. After a career slump, Simon released
''Graceland'' in 1986, an album inspired by
South African township music. It sold 14 million copies worldwide, and remains his most popular and acclaimed solo work. A number of hit singles were released from the album, including "
You Can Call Me Al
"You Can Call Me Al" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the lead single from his seventh studio album, ''Graceland'' (1986), released on Warner Bros. Records. Written by Simon, its lyrics follow an individual seemingly exp ...
", "
The Boy in the Bubble
"The Boy in the Bubble" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the third single from his seventh studio album, ''Graceland'' (1986), released on Warner Bros. Records. Written by Simon and Forere Motloheloa (an accordionist ...
" and "
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
"Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the fourth single from his seventh studio album, ''Graceland'' (1986), released on Warner Bros. Records. The song features guest vocals from the So ...
". It won the
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is presented by the The Recording Academy, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording ...
in 1987.
Simon continued to tour throughout the 1990s. He wrote a
Broadway musical, ''
The Capeman,'' and recorded a companion album, ''
Songs from The Capeman'', which was released in 1997. His 2000 album ''
You're the One'' was nominated again for Album of the Year honors. He followed that album with several years of touring, including another reunion tour with Garfunkel. He then released ''
Surprise'' (2006), his last album of the decade. In 2016, he released ''
Stranger to Stranger'', which debuted at number 3 on the
Billboard Album Chart
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists ...
and number 1 the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
. It marked his greatest commercial and critical success in thirty years. His most recent album is ''
In the Blue Light
''In the Blue Light'' is the fourteenth solo studio album by American folk rock singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Produced by Paul Simon and Roy Halee, it was released on September 7, 2018, through Legacy Recordings. The album consists of re-record ...
'' (2018), which contains re-arrangements of lesser-known songs from his prior albums.
Simon has earned sixteen
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
s for his solo and collaborative work, including three for Album of the Year (''Bridge Over Troubled Water'', ''Still Crazy After All These Years'' and ''Graceland''), and a Lifetime Achievement Award.
He is a two-time inductee into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...
: first in 1990 as a member of Simon & Garfunkel, and again in 2001 for his solo career.
In 2006 he was selected as one of the "100 People Who Shaped the World" by ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
''. In 2011, ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' named Simon one of the 100 greatest guitarists, and in 2015 he was ranked 8th in their list of the
100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time. Simon was the first recipient of the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...
's
Gershwin Prize for Popular Song
The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song is an award given to a composer or performer for their lifetime contributions to popular music. Created in 2007 by the United States Library of Congress, the prize is named after brothers Ge ...
in 2007.
Early life
Simon was born on October 13, 1941, in
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat, seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and the second largest city within the New Yo ...
, to
Hungarian-Jewish parents. His father, Louis (1916–1995), was a college professor,
double-bass player and dance bandleader who performed under the name Lee Sims. His mother, Belle (1910–2007), was an elementary-school teacher. In 1945, his family moved to the
Kew Gardens Hills section of
Flushing, Queens
Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial and retail area, and the i ...
, in New York City.
The musician
Donald Fagen
Donald Jay Fagen (born January 10, 1948) is an American musician best known as the co-founder, lead singer, co-songwriter, and keyboardist of the band Steely Dan, formed in the early 1970s with musical partner Walter Becker. In addition to his ...
described Simon's childhood as that of "a certain kind of
New York Jew, almost a stereotype really, to whom music and baseball are very important. I think it has to do with the parents. The parents are either immigrants or first-generation Americans who felt like outsiders, and assimilation was the key thought—they gravitated to black music and baseball looking for an alternative culture."
[Dawidoff, Nicholas.]
Paul Simons' Restless Journey
" ''Rolling Stone'', May 12, 2011, pp. 54–63 Simon, upon hearing Fagen's description, said it "isn't far from the truth".
Simon played baseball and
stickball as a child. He described his father as funny and smart, but said he worked late and did not see his children much.
Simon met
Art Garfunkel when they were both 11. They performed in a production of ''
Alice in Wonderland
''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...
'' for their sixth-grade graduation, and began singing together when they were 13, occasionally performing at school dances. Their idols were
the Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 193 ...
, whom they imitated in their use of close two-part harmony. Simon also developed an interest in jazz, folk and blues; especially in the music of
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspire ...
and
Lead Belly
Huddie William Ledbetter (; January 20, 1888 – December 6, 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals, virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the folk sta ...
.
At the age of 12 or 13 Simon wrote his first song, "The Girl for Me", for him and Art Garfunkel. According to Simon, it became the "neighborhood hit". His father wrote the words and chords on paper for the boys to use. That paper became the first officially copyrighted Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel song, and is now in the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...
. In 1957, in their mid-teens, they recorded the song "Hey, Schoolgirl" under the name "Tom & Jerry", a name that was given to them by their label Big Records. The single reached number 49 on the pop charts.
After graduating from
Forest Hills High School, Simon majored in English at
Queens College
Queens College (QC) is a public college in the Queens borough of New York City. It is part of the City University of New York system. Its 80-acre campus is primarily located in Flushing, Queens. It has a student body representing more than 170 ...
and graduated in 1963, while Garfunkel studied mathematics education at
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
.
Simon was a brother in the
Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, and went on to attend
Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School (BLS) is a private law school in New York City. Founded in 1901, it has approximately 1,100 students. Brooklyn Law School's faculty includes 60 full-time faculty, 15 emeriti faculty, and a number of adjunct faculty.
Brooklyn ...
for one semester in 1963.
Career
Between 1957 and 1964, Simon wrote, recorded and released more than 30 songs. He occasionally reunited with Garfunkel as Tom & Jerry for some singles, including "Our Song" and "That's My Story". Most of the songs Simon recorded during that time were performed alone or with musicians other than Garfunkel. They were released on minor record labels including Amy, Big, Hunt,
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...
, Tribute and Madison. He used several pseudonyms for these recordings, usually "Jerry Landis", but also "Paul Kane" and "True Taylor". By 1962, working as Jerry Landis, he was a frequent writer/producer for several Amy Records artists, overseeing material released by Dotty Daniels, The Vels and
Ritchie Cordell.
Simon enjoyed moderate success with singles as part of the group Tico and the Triumphs, including "Motorcycle", which reached number 99 on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
'' charts in 1962. Tico and the Triumphs released four 45s. Marty Cooper, known as Tico, sang lead on several of these releases, but "Motorcycle" featured Simon's vocal. Also in 1962, Simon reached number 97 on the pop charts as Jerry Landis, with the
novelty song "The Lone Teen Ranger". Both chart singles were released on
Amy Records.
1960s: Simon & Garfunkel
In early 1964, Simon and Garfunkel auditioned for
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...
, whose executive
Clive Davis
Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer, in 2000.
From 1967 to 19 ...
signed them to produce an album. Columbia decided that the two would be called Simon & Garfunkel instead of Tom & Jerry; according to Simon, this was the first time artists' surnames had been used in pop music without their first names. Simon and Garfunkel's first LP, ''
Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.'', was released on October 19, 1964. It consisted of 12 songs, five of which were written by Simon. The album initially flopped.
After the album release, Simon moved to England and performed in folk clubs. Simon enjoyed his time there. He said in 1970, "I had a lot of friends there and a girlfriend there. I could play music there. There was no place to play in New York City. They wouldn’t have me."
In England, he produced
Jackson C. Frank
Jackson Carey Frank (March 2, 1943 – March 3, 1999) was an American folk musician. He released his first and only album in 1965, produced by Paul Simon. After the release of the record, Frank was plagued by a series of personal issues, a ...
's first and only album and co-wrote several songs with
Bruce Woodley
Bruce William Woodley (born 25 July 1942) is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. He was a founding member of the successful folk-pop group The Seekers, and co-composer of the songs " I Am Australian," " Red Rubber Ball," and Simon & ...
of the Australian pop group
the Seekers
The Seekers were an Australian folk music, folk-influenced pop music, pop quartet, originally formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the Un ...
, including "I Wish You Could Be Here", "Cloudy" and "
Red Rubber Ball
"Red Rubber Ball" is a pop song written by Paul Simon of Simon & Garfunkel and Bruce Woodley of The Seekers and recorded by The Cyrkle, whose version reached 2 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and in South Africa and New Zealand. In Canada, th ...
". Woodley's co-author credit was omitted from "Cloudy" on the ''
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme'' album. The American group
the Cyrkle
The Cyrkle was an American rock band active in the early and mid-1960s. The group charted two Top 40 hits, "Red Rubber Ball" and " Turn-Down Day".
Career
The band was formed by guitarists and lead singers Don Dannemann and Tom Dawes (who also p ...
recorded a version of "Red Rubber Ball" that reached number 2 in the U.S. Simon also contributed to the Seekers' catalog with "Someday One Day", which was released in March 1966, charting around the same time as Simon and Garfunkel's "
Homeward Bound". The song was a Top 10 hit from their ''second'' UK album, ''
Sounds of Silence'', and later included on their third U.S. album ''
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme''.
Back on the American East Coast, radio stations began receiving requests for the ''Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.'' track "
The Sound of Silence". Simon & Garfunkel's producer,
Tom Wilson, overdubbed the track with electric guitar, bass guitar and drums. It was released as a single, eventually reaching number 1 on the US pop charts.
Wilson did not inform the duo of his plan, and Simon was "horrified" when he first heard it.
The success drew Simon back to the US to reunite with Garfunkel, and they recorded the albums ''
Sounds of Silence'' (1966), ''
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme'' (1966) and ''
Bookends'' (1968). Their final album, ''
Bridge over Troubled Water'' (1970), became at that time
the bestselling album of all time.
Simon & Garfunkel also contributed to the soundtrack of the
Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...
film, ''
The Graduate'' (1967), starring
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...
and
Anne Bancroft. While writing "
Mrs. Robinson", Simon toyed with the title "Mrs. Roosevelt". When Garfunkel reported this indecision over the song's name to the director, Nichols replied, "Don't be ridiculous! We're making a movie here! It's Mrs. Robinson!" Simon and Garfunkel returned to the UK in the fall of 1968 and made a church concert appearance at Kraft Hall, which was broadcast on the BBC, and also featured Paul's brother Ed on a performance of the instrumental "Anji".
Simon and Garfunkel's relationship became strained, and they split in 1970. At the urging of his wife, Peggy Harper, Simon called Davis to confirm the duo's breakup. For the next several years, they spoke only two or three times a year.
1970–1976: Solo and ''Still Crazy After All These Years''
In 1970, Simon taught songwriting at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
. He said he had wanted to teach for a while, and hoped to help people avoid some of the mistakes he had made: "You can teach somebody about writing songs. You can't teach someone how to write a song, I don't think ... I'd go to a course if the Beatles would talk about how they made records because I'm sure I could learn something."
Simon pursued solo projects, reuniting occasionally with Garfunkel for various projects. Actor
Warren Beatty
Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...
brought Simon into a solo performance at the
Cleveland Arena in April 1972, a benefit concert for the
George McGovern 1972 presidential campaign. After that, Beatty obtained the duo's agreement to reunite in mid-June at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...
, another political concert called
Together for McGovern
Together for McGovern was a political benefit concert held on June 14, 1972, produced by actor Warren Beatty to assist the 1972 presidential campaign of George McGovern, running as the anti-war candidate, against the Vietnam War. Also known as To ...
. Garfunkel joined Simon again on the 1975 Top 10 single "
My Little Town". Simon wrote it for Garfunkel, whose solo output Simon felt lacked "bite". The song was included on Simon's album ''
Still Crazy After All These Years'' and Garfunkel's album ''
Breakaway''. Contrary to popular belief, the song is not autobiographical of Simon's early life in New York City. Simon also provided guitar on Garfunkel's 1973 album ''
Angel Clare
''Angel Clare'', the debut solo studio album by Art Garfunkel, released on September 11, 1973, is his highest-charting solo album, peaking at No. 5. It includes his only Top 10 hit in the US as a solo artist, " All I Know", which peaked at No. ...
'', and added backing vocals to the song "
Down in the Willow Garden "Down in the Willow Garden", also known as "Rose Connelly" is a traditional Appalachian murder ballad about a man facing the gallows for the murder of his lover: he gave her poisoned wine, stabbed her, and threw her in a river. It originated in the ...
".
Simon's album ''
Paul Simon'' was released in January 1972, preceded by his first experiment with
world music, the Jamaican-inspired "
Mother and Child Reunion". It reached both the American and British Top 5. The album received universal acclaim, with critics praising the variety of styles and the confessional lyrics, reaching number 4 in the U.S. and number 1 in the UK and Japan. It later spawned another Top 30 hit with "
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard".
Simon's next project was the pop-folk album, ''
There Goes Rhymin' Simon'', released in May 1973. It contained some of his most popular and polished recordings. The lead single, "
Kodachrome", was a number 2 hit in America. The follow-up, the gospel-flavored "
Loves Me Like a Rock
"Loves Me Like a Rock" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the second single from his third studio album, ''There Goes Rhymin' Simon'' (1973), released on Columbia Records. It features background vocals from the Dixie H ...
" was even bigger, topping the ''
Cashbox'' charts. Other songs like the weary "
American Tune
"American Tune" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the third single from his third studio album, ''There Goes Rhymin' Simon'' (1973), released on Columbia Records. The song, a meditation on the American experience, is ...
", or the melancholic "Something So Right" (a tribute to Simon's first wife Peggy), became standards in the musician's catalog. Critical and commercial reception for this second album was even stronger than for his debut. At the time, reviewers noted how the songs were fresh and unworried on the surface, while still exploring socially and politically conscious themes on a deeper level. The album reached number 1 on the ''Cashbox'' album charts. As a souvenir for the tour that came next, it was released as a live album, titled ''
Live Rhymin''' (1974). The album was moderately successful and displayed some changes in Simon's music style, adopting world and religious music.
Highly anticipated, ''
Still Crazy After All These Years'' was his next album. Released in October 1975, and produced by Simon and
Phil Ramone
Philip Ramone (né Rabinowitz, January 5, 1934March 30, 2013) was a South African-born American recording engineer, record producer, violinist and composer, who in 1958 co-founded A & R Recording, Inc., a recording studio with business ...
, it marked another departure. The mood of the album was darker, as he wrote and recorded it in the wake of his divorce. Preceded by the feel-good duet with
Phoebe Snow, "Gone at Last" (a Top 25 hit) and the Simon & Garfunkel reunion track "My Little Town" (a number 9 on ''Billboard''), the album was his only number 1 on the ''Billboard'' charts to date. The
18th Grammy Awards
The 18th Annual Grammy Awards were held February 28, 1976, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1975.
Award winners
*Record of the Year
**"Love Will Keep Us Together" - Capt ...
named it the
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to:
Awards
* ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia
* Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK
* Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US
* Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA
* Lati ...
, and Simon's performance the year's
Best Male Pop Vocal. With Simon in the forefront of popular music, the third single from the album, "
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" reached the top spot of the ''Billboard'' charts, his only single to reach number 1 on this list. Simon put together a benefit show at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...
to raise money for the
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress) ...
on May 3, 1976. Phoebe Snow,
Jimmy Cliff
James Chambers OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, t ...
and the Brecker Brothers also performed. The concert produced over $30,000 for the Library.
1977–1985: ''One-Trick Pony'' and ''Hearts and Bones''
After three successful studio albums, Simon became less productive during the second half of the 1970s. He dabbled in various projects, including writing music for the film ''
Shampoo
Shampoo () is a hair care product, typically in the form of a viscous liquid, that is used for cleaning hair. Less commonly, shampoo is available in solid bar format. Shampoo is used by applying it to wet hair, massaging the product into the ...
'', which became the music for the song "Silent Eyes" on the ''Still Crazy'' album, and acting (he was cast as Tony Lacey in
Woody Allen
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
's film ''
Annie Hall''). He achieved another hit in this decade, with the lead single of his 1977 compilation ''
Greatest Hits, Etc.'', called "
Slip Slidin' Away" (which reached number 5 in the United States).
In 1980, Simon released ''
One-Trick Pony'', his debut album with
Warner Bros. Records and his first in almost five years. It was paired with the
motion picture of the same name, which Simon wrote and starred in. Although it produced his last Top 10 hit with the upbeat "Late in the Evening" (also a number 1 hit on the
Radio & Records
''Radio & Records'' (''R&R'') was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It started as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006 and became a relaunched sister ...
American charts), the album did not sell well.
Simon & Garfunkel included eight songs from Simon's solo career on the set list for their
September 19, 1981, concert in Central Park. Five of those were rearranged as duets. Simon performed the other three songs solo. The resulting live album, TV special and videocassette (later DVD) releases were all major hits. It was followed by a world tour and an aborted reunion album, to have been entitled ''Think Too Much'', which was eventually released (without Garfunkel) as ''
Hearts and Bones''.
Simon released ''
Hearts and Bones'' in 1983. This was a polished and confessional album that was eventually viewed as one of his best works, but achieved the lowest sales of Simon's career. ''Hearts and Bones'' included "
The Late Great Johnny Ace", a song partly about
Johnny Ace, an American
R&B singer, and partly about slain
Beatle
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the development ...
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
. In January 1985, Simon lent his talent to
USA for Africa
United Support of Artists for Africa (USA for Africa) was the name under which 47 predominantly U.S. artists, led by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, recorded the hit single "We Are the World" in 1985. The song was a U.S. and UK number one for ...
, and performed on the
relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
fundraising single "
We Are the World".
1986–1992: ''Graceland'' and ''The Rhythm of the Saints''
In 1986, Simon was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...
, where he has served on the board of trustees.
After Simon was given a
bootlegged tape of ''
mbaqanga'', South African street music,
he decided to record an album of South African music. Simon traveled to
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...
where he recorded with African musicians in early 1986. Additional sessions were held in April in New York.
The sessions featured many South African acts, particularly
Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Simon also collaborated with several American artists, singing a duet with
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...
in "Under African Skies", and playing with
Los Lobos
Los Lobos (, Spanish for "the Wolves") are an American rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, zydeco, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional music such as cu ...
in "All Around the World or The Myth of Fingerprints".
Before leaving for Johannesburg, Simon contributed to "
We Are the World", a
charity single benefiting African famine relief.
''Graceland'' became Simon's most successful studio album and his highest-charting album in over a decade. It is estimated to have sold more than 16 million copies worldwide.
''Graceland'' won the
1987 Grammy for
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to:
Awards
* ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia
* Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK
* Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US
* Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA
* Lati ...
. In 2006, the album was added to the United States'
National Recording Registry
The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservat ...
as "culturally, historically or aesthetically important".
Following the success, Simon faced accusations that he had broken the
cultural boycott imposed by the rest of the world against the
apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
regime in South Africa
by organizations such as
Artists United Against Apartheid,
anti-apartheid musicians (including
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic themes. His music i ...
,
Paul Weller and
Jerry Dammers),
as well as
James Victor Gbeho
James Victor Gbeho (born 12 January 1935, in Keta, Ghana) is a Ghanaian lawyer and diplomat who was President of the ECOWAS Commission from 2010 to 2012, to which position he was unanimously elected at the 37th Summit of the Authority of Heads ...
(then
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Tog ...
ian
Ambassador to the United Nations), Simon denied that he had gone to South Africa to "take money out of the country", noting that he paid the black artists and split royalties with them, and was not paid to play to a white audience.
The United Nations Anti-Apartheid Committee supported ''Graceland'', as it showcased black South African musicians and offered no support to the South African government, but the
African National Congress
The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...
protested it as a violation of the boycott.
The Congress voted to ban Simon from South Africa, and he was also added to the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
blacklist. He was removed from the blacklist in January 1987.
Dion's song "Written on the Subway Wall"/"Little Star" from ''
Yo Frankie
''Yo Frankie!'' is an open source video game made by the Blender Institute, part of the Blender Foundation, originally scheduled for release in August 2008. It is based on the universe and characters of the free film produced earlier in 2008 ...
'' (1989), featuring Simon, peaked at number 97 in October 1990.
After ''Graceland'', Simon extended his roots with the
Brazilian music-flavored ''
The Rhythm of the Saints''. Sessions for the album began in December 1989, and took place in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
and New York. It featured guitarist
J. J. Cale, as well as many Brazilian and African musicians. The tone of the album was more introspective and relatively low-key, compared to the mostly upbeat numbers of ''Graceland''. Released in October 1990, the album received excellent critical reviews and achieved very respectable sales, peaking at number 4 in the U.S. and number 1 in the UK. The lead single, "The Obvious Child" (featuring the Grupo Cultural
Olodum), became his last Top 20 hit in the UK and appeared near the bottom of the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. Although not as successful as ''Graceland'', ''The Rhythm of the Saints'' was received as a competent successor and consistent complement on Simon's attempts to explore (and popularize) world music, and also received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.
Simon's ex-wife
Carrie Fisher said in her autobiography ''
Wishful Drinking'', that the song "
She Moves On" is about her. It's one of several she claimed, followed by the line, "If you can get Paul Simon to write a song about you, do it. Because he is so brilliant at it."
The success of both albums allowed Simon to stage another New York concert. On August 15, 1991, almost a decade after his concert with Garfunkel, Simon staged a second concert in Central Park with African and South American bands. The success of the concert surpassed all expectations, and reportedly over 750,000 people attended one of the largest concert audiences in history. He later remembered the concert as "the most memorable moment in my career." The success of the show led to both a live album and an
Emmy
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
-winning TV special. In the middle, Simon embarked on the successful ''Born at the Right Time Tour'', and promoted the album with further singles, including "Proof" (accompanied with a humorous video that featured
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of '' Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
and
Steve Martin). On March 4, 1992, he appeared on his own episode of ''
MTV Unplugged'', offering renditions of many of his most famous compositions. Broadcast in June, the show was a success, though it did not receive an album release. Simon and Garfunkel were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...
in 1990.
1993–1998: ''Paul Simon 1964/1993'' and ''The Capeman''
After ''Unplugged'', Simon's place in the forefront of popular music dropped notably. A Simon & Garfunkel reunion took place in September 1993, and in another attempt to capitalize on the occasion, Columbia released ''
Paul Simon 1964/1993'' in September. A three-disc compilation, it received a reduced version on the two-disc album ''
The Paul Simon Anthology'' one month later. In 1995, he made news for appearing on ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...
'', where he performed the song "Ten Years", which he composed specially for the tenth anniversary of the show. Also that year, he was featured on the
Annie Lennox
Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician Dave Stewart w ...
version of his 1973 song "Something So Right", which appeared briefly on the UK Top 50 once it was released as a single in November.
Since the early stages of the 1990s, Simon was fully involved in ''
The Capeman'', a musical that eventually opened on January 29, 1998. Simon worked enthusiastically on the project for many years and described it as "a New York Puerto Rican story based on events that happened in 1959—events that I remembered." The musical tells the story of real-life Puerto Rican youth
Salvador Agron, who wore a cape while committing two murders in 1959 New York, and went on to become a writer in prison. Featuring
Marc Anthony
Marco Antonio Muñiz Rivera (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. A three-time Grammy Award and six-time Latin Gr ...
as the young Agron, and
Rubén Blades as the older Agron, the play received terrible reviews and very poor box office receipts from the very beginning. It closed on March 28, after just 68 performances, a failure that reportedly cost Simon 11 million dollars.
Simon recorded an album of songs from the show, which was released in November 1997. It was received with very mixed reviews, though many critics praised the combination of
doo-wop
Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...
,
rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and b ...
and
Caribbean music that the album reflected. In commercial terms, ''
Songs from The Capeman'' was a failure. Simon missed the Top 40 of the ''Billboard'' charts for the first time in his career. The cast album was never released on CD but eventually became available online.
1999–2007: ''You're the One'' and ''Surprise''
After ''The Capeman'', Simon's career was again in an unexpected crisis. However, entering the new millennium, he maintained a respectable reputation, offering critically acclaimed new material and receiving commercial attention. Simon embarked on a North American tour with
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
in 1999, with each alternating as the headline act with a "middle section" where they performed together, starting on the first of June and ending September 18. The collaboration was generally well-received, with just one critic, Seth Rogovoy from the ''Berkshire Eagle'', questioning the collaboration.
In an attempt to return successfully to the music market, Simon wrote and recorded a new album very quickly, with ''
You're the One'' arriving in October 2000. The album consisted mostly of folk-pop writing combined with foreign musical sounds, particularly grooves from North Africa. While not reaching the commercial heights of previous albums, it managed to reach both the British and American Top 20. It received favorable reviews, and received a Grammy nomination for
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to:
Awards
* ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia
* Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK
* Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US
* Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA
* Lati ...
. He toured extensively for the album, and one performance in Paris was released to home video.
In the aftermath of the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
, Simon sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" on ''
America: A Tribute to Heroes'', a multi-network broadcast to benefit the September 11 Telethon Fund and performed "The Boxer" at the opening of the first episode of ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' after September 11. In 2002, he wrote and recorded "
Father and Daughter", the theme song for the animated family film ''
The Wild Thornberrys Movie''. The track was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Song.
In 2003, Simon and Garfunkel reunited once again when they received a
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award that is awarded by The Recording Academy
The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of ...
. This reunion led to a US tour—the acclaimed "Old Friends" concert series, followed by a 2004 international encore that culminated in a free concert at the
Colosseum
The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world ...
in Rome that drew 600,000 people. In 2005, the pair sang "Mrs. Robinson" and "Homeward Bound", plus "Bridge Over Troubled Water" with
Aaron Neville, in the benefit concert ''From the Big Apple to The Big Easy – The Concert for New Orleans'' (eventually released as a DVD) for
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
victims.
In 2004, Simon's studio albums were re-released both individually and together in a limited-edition nine-CD boxed set, ''Paul Simon: The Studio Recordings 1972–2000''. At the time, Simon was already working on a new album with
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop a ...
called ''
Surprise'', which was released in May 2006. Most of the album was inspired by the
September 11 terrorist attacks, the
Iraq invasion and the war that followed. In personal terms, Simon was also inspired by turning 60 in 2001, which he humorously referred to on "Old" from ''You're the One''. ''Surprise'' was a commercial hit, reaching number 14 on the
''Billboard'' 200 and number 4 in the UK. Most critics also praised the album, and many of them called it a
comeback
Comeback, The Comeback or Come Back may refer to:
General
* Comeback (publicity), a return to prominence by a well-known person
* Comeback (retort), a witty response to an insult or criticism
* Comeback (sports), an event where an athlete or team ...
.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, oc ...
from
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
wrote that "Simon doesn't achieve his comeback by reconnecting with the sound and spirit of his classic work; he has achieved it by being as restless and ambitious as he was at his popular and creative peak, which makes ''Surprise'' all the more remarkable." The album was supported with the successful
Surprise Tour from May to November 2006.
In March 2004, Walter Yetnikoff published a book called ''Howling at the Moon'', in which he criticized Simon personally and for his tenuous business partnership with
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...
in the past.
In 2007 Simon was the inaugural recipient of the
Gershwin Prize
The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song is an award given to a composer or performer for their lifetime contributions to popular music. Created in 2007 by the United States Library of Congress, the prize is named after brothers ...
for Popular Song, awarded by the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...
, and later performed as part of a gala of his work.
2008–2013: ''So Beautiful or So What'' and touring
After living in
Montauk, New York
Montauk ( ) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York, on the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. As of the 2020 United States census, the CDP's population was 4,318.
The ...
, for many years, Simon relocated to
New Canaan, Connecticut.
Simon is one of a small number of performers who are named as the
copyright
A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, educatio ...
owner on their recordings (most records have the recording company as the named owner of the recording). This noteworthy development was spearheaded by the
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...
after their successful $200 million lawsuit against
RSO Records, which remains the largest successful lawsuit against a record company by an artist or group. All of Simon's solo recordings, including those originally issued by
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...
, are currently distributed by
Sony Records
Sony Records was a record label founded by R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner in 1963. It was not affiliated with Sony Group Corporation.
Ike Turner produced singles by members of the Kings of Rhythm and the Ikettes on Sony Records. Records on the ...
'
Legacy Recordings
Legacy Recordings is an American record label that is a division of Sony Music. Formed in 1990 after Sony's acquisition of CBS Records, Legacy originally handled the archives of Sony Music-owned labels Columbia Records and Epic Records. In 2 ...
unit. His albums were issued by
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and th ...
until mid-2010. In mid-2010, Simon moved his catalog of solo work from
Warner Bros. Records to
Sony/Columbia Records where Simon & Garfunkel's catalog is. Simon's back catalog of solo recordings would be marketed by Sony Music's
Legacy Recordings
Legacy Recordings is an American record label that is a division of Sony Music. Formed in 1990 after Sony's acquisition of CBS Records, Legacy originally handled the archives of Sony Music-owned labels Columbia Records and Epic Records. In 2 ...
unit.
In February 2009, Simon performed back-to-back shows in New York City at the
Beacon Theatre, which had recently been renovated. Simon was reunited with Art Garfunkel at the first show as well as with the cast of ''The Capeman''. Also playing in the band was ''Graceland'' bassist
Bakithi Kumalo. In May 2009, Simon toured with Garfunkel in Australia, New Zealand and Japan. In October 2009, they appeared together at the 25th anniversary of the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...
concert at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...
in New York City. The pair performed four of their most popular songs: "
The Sound of Silence", "
The Boxer
"The Boxer" is a song written by Paul Simon and recorded by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth studio album, '' Bridge over Troubled Water'' (1970). Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, it was released as a standalone sing ...
", "
Cecilia" and "
Bridge Over Troubled Water".
In October 2009,
Dion performed "
The Wanderer" with Simon at the
25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert.
In April 2010, Simon & Garfunkel performed again in New Orleans at the
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Simon released a new song called "Getting Ready for Christmas Day" on November 10, 2010. It premiered on
National Public Radio
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...
, and was included on the album ''
So Beautiful or So What
''So Beautiful or So What'' is the twelfth solo studio album by American folk rock singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was released on April 8, 2011, by Hear Music.
The album found Simon reuniting with former collaborator and record producer Phil ...
''. The song samples a 1941 sermon by
the Rev. J. M. Gates, also entitled "Getting Ready for Christmas Day". Simon performed the song live on ''
The Colbert Report
''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show fo ...
'' on December 16, 2010. The first video featured J. M. Gates giving the sermon, and his church in 2010 with its display board showing many of Simon's lyrics. The second video illustrates the song with cartoon images.
In the premiere show of the final season of ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...
'' on September 10, 2010, Simon surprised
Oprah and the audience with a song dedicated to her show lasting 25 years (an update of a song he did for her show's 10th anniversary).
Simon's album ''
So Beautiful or So What
''So Beautiful or So What'' is the twelfth solo studio album by American folk rock singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was released on April 8, 2011, by Hear Music.
The album found Simon reuniting with former collaborator and record producer Phil ...
'' was released on the
Concord Music Group
Concord Music Group was an American independent music company based in Beverly Hills, California, with worldwide (including the U.S.) distribution through Universal Music Group. The company specialized in recordings ( Fearless Records, Concord ...
label on April 12, 2011. The album received high marks from the artist: "It's the best work I've done in 20 years". It was reported that Simon attempted to have
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
featured on the album.
Rounding off his 2011 World Tour (which included the United States, the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany), Simon appeared at
Ramat Gan Stadium in Israel in July 2011, making his first concert appearance in Israel since 1983. On the 10th anniversary of the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
(September 11, 2011), Paul Simon performed "
The Sound of Silence" at the
National September 11 Memorial & Museum
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum (also known as the 9/11 Memorial & Museum) is a memorial and museum in New York City commemorating the September 11 attacks of 2001, which killed 2,977 people, and the 1993 World Trade Center bom ...
, site of the
World Trade Center.
On February 26, 2012, Simon paid tribute to fellow musicians
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...
and
Leonard Cohen, who were the recipients of the first annual PEN Awards for songwriting excellence at the
JFK Presidential Library in Boston, Massachusetts.
Simon released a 25th anniversary box set of ''Graceland'' on June 5, 2012. It included a remastered edition of the original album, the 2012 documentary film ''Under African Skies'' the original 1987 "African Concert" from
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...
, an audio narrative ''The Story of Graceland'' told by Paul Simon, as well as other interviews and paraphernalia. He played a few concerts in Europe with the original musicians to commemorate the anniversary.
On December 19, 2012, Simon performed at the funeral of
Victoria Leigh Soto
Victoria Leigh Soto (November 4, 1985 – December 14, 2012) was an American teacher who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. After the gunman, Adam Lanza entered the school, she hid her students; when the students later ran ...
, a teacher killed in the
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, United States, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people. Twenty of the victims were children between six and seven years old, and t ...
.
On June 14, 2013, at
Sting
Sting may refer to:
* Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger
* Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself
Fictional characters and entities
* Sting (Middle-earth ...
's
Back to Bass Tour
The Back to Bass Tour was a concert tour by English musician and singer-songwriter Sting. The tour's start coincided with the release of ''25 Years'' and ''The Best of 25 Years'', two compilation albums that commemorated the 25th anniversary of ...
, Simon performed his song "
The Boxer
"The Boxer" is a song written by Paul Simon and recorded by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth studio album, '' Bridge over Troubled Water'' (1970). Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, it was released as a standalone sing ...
" and Sting's "
Fields of Gold" with Sting.
In September 2013, Simon delivered the Richard Ellmann Lecture in Modern Literature at
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...
.
2014–2021: ''Stranger to Stranger'' and ''In the Blue Light''
In February 2014, Simon embarked on a joint concert tour titled
On Stage Together with English musician
Sting
Sting may refer to:
* Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger
* Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself
Fictional characters and entities
* Sting (Middle-earth ...
, playing 21 concerts in North America.
The tour continued in early 2015, with ten shows in Australia and New Zealand,
and 23 concerts in Europe,
ending on April 18, 2015.
Simon appeared during the premiere week of ''
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second ...
'' on September 11, 2015. Simon, who performed "
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" with Colbert for his surprise appearance, had been promoted prior to the show as "Simon & Garfunkel Tribute Band Troubled Waters". Simon's additional performance of "An American Tune" was posted as a bonus on the show's YouTube channel.
In 2015,
Dion released the single "
New York Is My Home" with Simon.
Simon also wrote and performed the theme song for the comedian
Louis C.K.'s show ''
Horace and Pete
''Horace and Pete'' is an American web series created, written, and directed by Louis C.K., who describes it as a tragedy. In addition to C.K., the series stars Alan Alda, Steve Buscemi, Edie Falco and Jessica Lange. Dealing with the themes of ab ...
'', which debuted January 30, 2016. The song, which can be heard during the show's opening, intermission and closing credits, features only Simon's voice and an acoustic guitar. Simon made a cameo appearance onscreen in the tenth and final episode of the series.
On June 3, 2016, Simon released his thirteenth solo studio album, ''
Stranger to Stranger'' via Concord Records''.''
He began writing new material shortly after releasing his twelfth studio album, ''
So Beautiful or So What
''So Beautiful or So What'' is the twelfth solo studio album by American folk rock singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was released on April 8, 2011, by Hear Music.
The album found Simon reuniting with former collaborator and record producer Phil ...
'', in April 2011.
Simon collaborated with the Italian
electronic dance music artist
Clap! Clap! on three songs: "The Werewolf", "Street Angel" and "
Wristband". Simon was introduced to him by his son, Adrian, who was a fan of his work. The two met up in July 2011 when Simon was touring behind ''So Beautiful or So What'' in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
, Italy. He and Clap! Clap! worked together via email over the course of making the album. Simon also worked with longtime friend
Roy Halee
Roy Decker Halee (born 1934) is an American record producer and engineer, best known for working with Simon & Garfunkel, both as a group and for their solo projects.
Early life
He grew up on Long Island, New York. His father, also named Roy Ha ...
, who is listed as co-producer on the album. "I always liked working with him more than anyone else," Simon noted. Following the release of the album, Simon noted that "showbiz doesn't hold any interest for me" and discussed future retirement, stating: "I am going to see what happens if I let go".
Simon performed "
Bridge over Troubled Water" at the
2016 Democratic National Convention on July 25, 2016. He debuted a new version of "Questions for the Angels" with jazz guitarist
Bill Frisell on ''
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second ...
'' on May 24, 2017.
On February 5, 2018, Simon announced his retirement from touring in a letter to fans, citing time away from family and the death of longtime guitarist
Vincent Nguini
Vincent Nguini (July 1952 – December 8, 2017) was a Cameroonian musician and guitarist. Nguini was best known for his work with American singer-songwriter Paul Simon, with whom he recorded and toured for 30 years.
Biography
Nguini was born in ...
as key factors. However, he did not rule out performing live altogether. At the same time, it was announced that he would embark on his farewell concert tour on May 16 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, at Rogers Arena. Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour encompassed shows across North America and Europe, and Simon played his final concert in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, New York, on September 22, 2018.
On September 7, 2018, Simon released his fourteenth solo studio album, ''
In the Blue Light
''In the Blue Light'' is the fourteenth solo studio album by American folk rock singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Produced by Paul Simon and Roy Halee, it was released on September 7, 2018, through Legacy Recordings. The album consists of re-record ...
'', consisting of re-recordings of selected lesser-known songs from his catalog (often altering their original arrangements, harmonic structures and lyrics).
Simon announced his return to the live stage to close San Francisco's ''Outside Lands'' festival on August 11, 2019. With an appearance at the Golden Gate Park event, he planned to donate his net proceeds to local environmental non-profit organization(s).
''
American Songwriter'' magazine honored Dion's "
Song for Sam Cooke (Here in America)", featuring Simon, as the "Greatest of the Great 2020 Songs".
Simon sold his music publishing catalog to
Sony Music Publishing
Sony Music Publishing (formerly Sony/ATV Music Publishing) is the largest music publisher in the world, with over five million songs owned or administered as of end March 2021. US-based, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is itself owned ...
on March 31, 2021. Simon was previously signed to
Universal Music Publishing Group
Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) is a North American music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group. It was formerly known as MCA Music Publishing until it merged with PolyGram.
Universal Music Publishing is the worl ...
.
Songwriting
In an in-depth interview reprinted in ''
American Songwriter'', Simon discusses the craft of songwriting with music journalist Tom Moon. In the interview, Simon explains the basic themes in his songwriting: love, family and social commentary (as well as the overarching messages of religion, spirituality and God in his lyrics). Simon explains the process of how he goes about writing songs in the interview: "The music always precedes the words. The words often come from the sound of the music and eventually evolve into coherent thoughts. Or incoherent thoughts. Rhythm plays a crucial part in the lyric-making as well. It's like a puzzle to find the right words to express what the music is saying."
Projects
Music for Broadway
In the late 1990s, Simon wrote and produced a
Broadway musical called ''
The Capeman'', which lost $11 million during its 1998 run. In April 2008, the Brooklyn Academy of Music celebrated Paul Simon's works, and dedicated a week to ''Songs From the Capeman'' with a good portion of the show's songs performed by a cast of singers and the
Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Simon himself appeared during the
BAM shows, performing "Trailways Bus" and "
Late in the Evening". In August 2010, ''The Capeman'' was staged for three nights in the
Delacorte Theatre
The Delacorte Theater is a 1,800-seat open-air theater in Central Park, in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is home to the Public Theater's free Shakespeare in the Park productions.
Over five million people have attended more than ...
in New York's Central Park. The production was directed by
Diane Paulus and produced in conjunction with
the Public Theater.
Film and television
Simon has also dabbled in acting. He played music producer Tony Lacey, a supporting character, in the 1977
Woody Allen
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
feature film ''
Annie Hall''. He wrote and starred in 1980's ''
One Trick Pony'' as Jonah Levin, a journeyman rock and roller. Simon also wrote all the songs in the film. He also appeared on ''
The Muppet Show
''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as ...
'' (the only episode to use the songs of one songwriter). In 1990, he played the character of Simple Simon on the
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Comp ...
TV movie, ''
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme''.
In 1978, Simon made a cameo appearance in the movie, ''
The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash''.
He has been the subject of two films by
Jeremy Marre, the first on ''Graceland'', the second on ''The Capeman''.
Simon was a guest on ''
The Colbert Report
''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show fo ...
'' promoting his book ''Lyrics 1964–2008'' on November 18, 2008. After an interview with
Stephen Colbert, Simon performed "American Tune".
Simon performed a
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...
song at
The White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 180 ...
in 2009, at an event honoring Wonder's musical career and contributions.
In May 2009, ''The Library of Congress: Paul Simon and Friends Live Concert'' was released on DVD, via
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an American home video and music company founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases include previously released feature films, classic and contemporary television series, animation, live music, and comedy ...
. The
PBS concert was recorded in 2007.
Simon appeared at the
Glastonbury Festival 2011
The 2011 Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts was held from 22–26 June 2011. Tickets for the festival went on sale from 9 am on Sunday 3 October 2010, over 37 weeks before the festival was set to begin, with a deposit of £50 b ...
in England.
''Saturday Night Live''
Simon has appeared on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' 14 times, both as host and musical guest. He was the host for the second episode, which aired on October 18, 1975, following
George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American comedian, actor, author, and social critic. Regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercul ...
, who hosted the first episode. Carlin was a close friend of ''SNL'' producer
Lorne Michaels, who produced the 1977 TV show ''The Paul Simon Special'', as well as the Simon & Garfunkel concert in Central Park four years later. He was also a friend of former ''SNL'' star
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of '' Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
, who appeared in his video for "
You Can Call Me Al
"You Can Call Me Al" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the lead single from his seventh studio album, ''Graceland'' (1986), released on Warner Bros. Records. Written by Simon, its lyrics follow an individual seemingly exp ...
"
lip syncing the song while Simon looks disgruntled and mimes backing vocals, with the playing of various instruments beside him. (Chase also appeared in Simon's 1991 video for the song "Proof", with
Steve Martin.)
Simon appeared alongside
George Harrison
George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
as musical guest on the
Thanksgiving Day episode of ''SNL'' on November 20, 1976. The two performed "
Here Comes the Sun" and "
Homeward Bound" together, while Simon performed "
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" solo earlier in the show. On that episode, Simon opened the show performing "Still Crazy After All These Years" in a turkey outfit, since Thanksgiving was the following week. About halfway through the song, Simon tells the band to stop playing because of his embarrassment. After giving a frustrated speech to the audience, he leaves the stage, backed by applause.
Lorne Michaels greets him positively backstage, but Simon is still upset, yelling at him because of the humiliating turkey outfit. This is one of ''SNL''s most played sketches.
In one ''SNL'' skit from 1986 (when he was promoting ''Graceland''), Simon plays himself, waiting in line with a friend to get into a movie. He amazes his friend by remembering intricate details about prior meetings with passers-by, but draws a complete blank when approached by
Art Garfunkel, despite the latter's numerous memory prompts.
On an appearance in the late 1980s, he worked with the politician who shared his name, Illinois Senator
Paul Simon.
On September 29, 2001, Simon made a special appearance on the first ''SNL'' to air after the
September 11, 2001, attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
. On that show, he performed "
The Boxer
"The Boxer" is a song written by Paul Simon and recorded by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth studio album, '' Bridge over Troubled Water'' (1970). Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, it was released as a standalone sing ...
" to the audience and the NYC firefighters and police officers.
Simon and Lorne Michaels were the subjects of a 2006 episode of the Sundance Channel documentary series, ''
Iconoclasts''.
Simon appeared on the March 9, 2013, episode hosted by
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
, as a member of the
Five-Timers Club.
Simon closed the 40th anniversary ''SNL'' show on February 15, 2015, with a performance of "Still Crazy After All These Years". Simon also played a snippet of "
I've Just Seen a Face
"I've Just Seen a Face" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released in August 1965 on their album ''Help!'', except in North America, where it appeared as the opening track on the December 1965 release ''Rubber Soul''. Writ ...
" with Sir
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
during the special's introductory sequence. Much of the Thanksgiving episode from 1976 was shown during the prime-time special.
His most recent ''SNL'' appearance was on the October 13, 2018, episode hosted by
Seth Meyers
Seth Adam Meyers (born December 28, 1973) is an American comedian, writer, producer, actor, and television host. He hosts ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'', a late-night talk show on NBC. Prior to that, he was a cast member and head writer for NB ...
. He was the musical guest and it was his 77th birthday.
Awards and honors
Simon has won 12
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
(one of them a
Lifetime Achievement Award) and five
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to:
Awards
* ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia
* Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK
* Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US
* Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA
* Lati ...
Grammy nominations (the most recent for ''
You're the One'' in 2001). He is one of only six
artists to have won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year more than once as the main credited artist. In 1998, he was entered in the
Grammy Hall of Fame for the Simon & Garfunkel album ''
Bridge over Troubled Water''. He received an
Oscar nomination for
Best Original Song for the song "Father and Daughter" in 2002. He is also a two-time inductee into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...
, as half of Simon & Garfunkel in 1990 and as a solo artist in 2001.
;Brit Awards
, -
,
1977
, ''
Bridge over Troubled Water''
,
International Album
,
, -
,
1987
, rowspan="2" , Paul Simon
,
International Solo Artist
,
, -
,
1991
,
International Male Solo Artist
,
;Grammy Awards
, -
, rowspan="5" ,
1969
This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon.
Events January
* January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco.
* January 5
**Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
, ''
Bookends''
,
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to:
Awards
* ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia
* Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK
* Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US
* Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA
* Lati ...
,
, -
, rowspan="3" , "
Mrs. Robinson"
,
Record of the Year
,
, -
,
Song of the Year
,
, -
,
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
,
, -
, ''
The Graduate''
,
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
,
, -
, rowspan="6" ,
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses ( February 10, and August 6).
The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history.
Events
J ...
, rowspan="2" , ''
Bridge over Troubled Water''
, Album of the Year
,
, -
, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
,
, -
, rowspan="4" , "
Bridge over Troubled Water"
, Record of the Year
,
, -
, Song of the Year
,
, -
,
Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals
,
, -
,
Best Contemporary Song
,
, -
, rowspan="2" ,
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
, rowspan="2" , ''
There Goes Rhymin' Simon''
, Album of the Year
,
, -
,
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a male in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The award wen ...
,
, -
, rowspan="3" ,
1976
, rowspan="2" , ''
Still Crazy After All These Years''
, Album of the Year
,
, -
, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
,
, -
, "
My Little Town"
, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
,
, -
,
1977
, "
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover"
, Record of the Year
,
, -
, rowspan="2" ,
1981
, "
Late in the Evening"
, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
,
, -
, ''
One-Trick Pony''
, Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
,
, -
, rowspan="4" ,
1987
, rowspan="2" , ''
Graceland''
, Album of the Year
,
, -
, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
,
, -
, Himself
,
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
,
, -
, rowspan="2" , "
Graceland"
, Song of the Year
,
, -
,
1988
, Record of the Year
,
, -
, rowspan="2" ,
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment building in Amsterdam after two of its engin ...
, ''
The Rhythm of the Saints''
, Album of the Year
,
, -
, Himself
, Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
,
, -
,
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...
, ''
You're the One''
, Album of the Year
,
In 2001, Simon was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year. The following year, he was one of the five recipients of the annual
Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in a gala celebrating five hono ...
, the nation's highest tribute to performing and cultural artists.
In 2005, Simon was saluted as a
BMI Icon at the 53rd Annual BMI Pop Awards. Simon's songwriting catalog has earned 39 BMI Awards including multiple citations for "Bridge over Troubled Water", "Mrs. Robinson", "Scarborough Fair" and "The Sound of Silence". As of 2005, he has amassed nearly 75 million broadcast airplays, according to BMI surveys.
In 2006, Simon was selected by ''
Time Magazine
''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Ma ...
'' as one of the "100 People Who Shaped the World".
In 2007, Simon received the first annual
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...
Gershwin Prize
The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song is an award given to a composer or performer for their lifetime contributions to popular music. Created in 2007 by the United States Library of Congress, the prize is named after brothers ...
for Popular Song. Named in honor of
George and
Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 2 ...
, this award recognizes the profound and positive effect of popular music on the world's culture. On being notified of the honor, Simon said, "I am grateful to be the recipient of the Gershwin Prize and doubly honored to be the first. I look forward to spending an evening in the company of artists I admire at the award ceremony in May. I can think of a few who have expressed my words and music far better than I. I'm excited at the prospect of that happening again. It's a songwriter's dream come true." Among the performers who paid tribute to Simon were Stevie Wonder,
Alison Krauss
Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass- country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed wit ...
,
Jerry Douglas,
Lyle Lovett
Lyle Pearce Lovett (born November 1, 1957)Lyle Lovett Pageat Allmusic – Lovett's Genre and Styles. Retrieved February 2, 2007 is an American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. Active since 1980, he has recorded 13 albums and releas ...
,
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-sell ...
,
Dianne Reeves,
Marc Anthony
Marco Antonio Muñiz Rivera (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. A three-time Grammy Award and six-time Latin Gr ...
,
Yolanda Adams
Yolanda Yvette Adams (born August 27, 1961) is an American gospel singer, actress, and host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. She is one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time, having sold over 10 million albums ...
and
Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The event was professionally filmed and broadcast and is now available as ''Paul Simon and Friends''.
In 2010, Simon received an honorary degree from
Brandeis University
, mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = NECHE
, president = Ronald D. Liebowitz
, p ...
, where he performed "The Boxer" at the main commencement ceremony.
In October 2011, Simon was inducted into the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...
. At the induction ceremony, he performed "
American Tune
"American Tune" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the third single from his third studio album, ''There Goes Rhymin' Simon'' (1973), released on Columbia Records. The song, a meditation on the American experience, is ...
".
In 2012, Simon was awarded the
Polar Music Prize.
Personal life
When Simon moved to England in 1964, he met Kathleen Mary "Kathy" Chitty (born 1947) on April 12 at the first English folk club he played, the Railway Inn Folk Club in
Brentwood, Essex
Brentwood is a town in the Borough of Brentwood, in the county of Essex in the East of England. It is in the London commuter belt, situated 20 miles (30 km) east-north-east of Charing Cross and close by the M25 motorway. In 2017, the p ...
(where Chitty worked part-time selling tickets). She was 16 and he was 22 when they began a relationship. Later that year, they visited the U.S. together, touring mainly by bus.
Kathy returned to England on her own, with Simon returning to her some weeks later. When Simon returned to the U.S. with the growing success of "The Sounds of Silence", Kathy, who was quite shy, wanted no part of the success and fame that awaited Simon so they ended their relationship.
[Jackson, Laura. ''Paul Simon: The Definitive Biography'', p. 95.] She is mentioned by name in at least two of his songs: "
Kathy's Song" and "
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
". She is also referred to in "
Homeward Bound" and "
The Late Great Johnny Ace". There is a photo of Simon and Kathy on the cover of Simon's 1965 album ''
The Paul Simon Songbook
''The Paul Simon Songbook'' is the debut solo studio album by Paul Simon. It was released in the UK in 1965. It was made available in the US as part of the LP box set ''Paul Simon: Collected Works'' (1981). The album was produced by Reginald Warbu ...
''.
Simon has been married three times, first to Peggy Harper in 1969. They had a son,
Harper Simon
Harper James Simon (born September 7, 1972) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. He is the son of Paul Simon and his first wife Peggy Harper. Simon's talents have appeared on several studio albums, and has been featured in ...
, in 1972, and divorced in 1975. Simon wrote about this relationship in the song "Train in the Distance" from his 1983 album ''
Hearts and Bones''.
Simon's 1972 song, "Run That Body Down", from his second solo album, casually mentions both himself and his then-wife ("Peg") by name. Paul and Peggy, misheard as Al and Betty by
Pierre Boulez
Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music.
Born in Mo ...
, are also referenced in Simon's 1986 hit single "You Can Call Me Al".
In the late 1970s, Simon lived in New York City next door to ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' creator
Lorne Michaels, who has been described as Simon's "best friend" during the period.
He and
Shelley Duvall lived together as a couple for two years until she introduced him to her friend
Carrie Fisher; Simon and Fisher then became a couple.
Simon's second marriage, from 1983 to 1984, was to Fisher. He proposed to her after a
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
game.
The song "
Hearts and Bones" was written about their time together, and the song "Graceland" is believed to be about seeking solace from the end of the relationship by taking a road trip.
A year after divorcing, Simon and Fisher resumed their relationship, which lasted for several years. The final song in the sequence of three about Fisher is "She Moves On". This song marks the end of the post-marriage relationship, and was a track on Simon's 1990 album ''The Rhythm of The Saints''.
Simon married singer
Edie Brickell on May 30, 1992. They have three children: Adrian, Lulu, and Gabriel.
Simon and his younger brother, Eddie Simon, founded the Guitar Study Center sometime before 1973. The Guitar Study Center became part of
The New School
The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...
in New York City, sometime before 2002.
Simon is an avid fan of the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...
ice hockey team, the
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
basketball team and the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
baseball team.
Philanthropy
Simon is a proponent of music education for children. In 1970, after recording his "Bridge Over Troubled Water", at the invitation of the NYU's
Tisch School of the Arts, Simon held auditions for a young songwriters' workshop. Advertised in ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the cr ...
'', the auditions brought hundreds of hopefuls to perform for Simon. Among the six teenage songwriters Simon selected for tutelage were
Melissa Manchester,
Tommy Mandel and rock/beat poet Joe Linus, with
Maggie and Terre Roche (the Roche Sisters), who later sang back-up for Simon, joining the workshop in progress through an impromptu appearance.
Simon invited the six teens to experience recording at Columbia studios with engineer
Roy Halee
Roy Decker Halee (born 1934) is an American record producer and engineer, best known for working with Simon & Garfunkel, both as a group and for their solo projects.
Early life
He grew up on Long Island, New York. His father, also named Roy Ha ...
. During these sessions,
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
was downstairs recording the album ''
Self-Portrait
A self-portrait is a representation of an artist that is drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by that artist. Although self-portraits have been made since the earliest times, it is not until the Early Renaissance in the mid-15th century tha ...
'', which included a version of Simon's "
The Boxer
"The Boxer" is a song written by Paul Simon and recorded by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth studio album, '' Bridge over Troubled Water'' (1970). Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, it was released as a standalone sing ...
". Violinist
Isaac Stern also visited the group with a
CBS film crew, speaking to the young musicians about lyrics and music after Joe Linus performed his song "Circus Lion" for Stern.
Manchester later paid homage to Simon with her recorded song "Ode to Paul". Other musicians Simon has mentored include
Nick Laird-Clowes, who co-founded the band
The Dream Academy. Laird-Clowes has credited Simon with helping to shape the band's biggest hit, "
Life in a Northern Town".
In 2003, Simon signed on as a supporter of
Little Kids Rock
Music Will, formerly known as Little Kids Rock (LKR), is a nonprofit charity based in Montclair, New Jersey, that encourages and enables children to play popular music. It provides free music instruction and instruments to public school districts ...
, a nonprofit organization that provides free musical instruments and free lessons to children in public schools in the U.S. He sits on the organization's board of directors as an honorary member.
Simon is also a major benefactor and one of the co-founders, with
Irwin Redlener, of the Children's Health Project and The Children's Health Fund which started by creating specially equipped "buses" to take medical care to children in medically under-served areas, urban and rural. Their first bus was in the impoverished
South Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of the Bronx. The area comprises neighborhoods in the southern part of the Bronx, such as Concourse, Mott Haven, Melrose, and Port Morris.
In the early 1900s, the South Bronx was orig ...
of New York City, but they now operate in 12 states including on the
Gulf Coast. It has expanded greatly, partnering with major hospitals, local public schools and medical schools and advocating policy for children's health and medical care.
In May 2012, Paul Simon performed at a benefit dinner for the Turkana Basin Institute in New York City, raising more than $2 million for
Richard Leakey's research institute in Africa.
For his 2019 performance at San Francisco's
Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival
The Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is a music festival held annually in San Francisco, California, at Golden Gate Park. The festival is produced by Another Planet Entertainment, Superfly Presents, and Starr Hill Presents. It is the l ...
, Simon donated his appearance fee to the
San Francisco Parks Alliance and
Friends of the Urban Forest.
Discography
This discography does not include compilation albums, concert albums or work with Simon & Garfunkel.
Simon's solo concert albums often have songs he originally recorded with Simon & Garfunkel, and many Simon & Garfunkel concert albums contain songs Simon first recorded on solo albums.
Simon has a few songs that appear on compilation albums and nowhere else, such as "
Slip Slidin' Away" which appears only on the compilation albums ''
Negotiations and Love Songs'' (1988) and ''
Greatest Hits, Etc.'' (1977).
Solo studio albums
* ''
The Paul Simon Songbook
''The Paul Simon Songbook'' is the debut solo studio album by Paul Simon. It was released in the UK in 1965. It was made available in the US as part of the LP box set ''Paul Simon: Collected Works'' (1981). The album was produced by Reginald Warbu ...
'' (1965)
* ''
Paul Simon'' (1972)
* ''
There Goes Rhymin' Simon'' (1973)
* ''
Still Crazy After All These Years'' (1975)
* ''
One-Trick Pony'' (1980)
* ''
Hearts and Bones'' (1983)
* ''
Graceland'' (1986)
* ''
The Rhythm of the Saints'' (1990)
* ''
Songs from The Capeman'' (1997)
* ''
You're the One'' (2000)
* ''
Surprise'' (2006)
* ''
So Beautiful or So What
''So Beautiful or So What'' is the twelfth solo studio album by American folk rock singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was released on April 8, 2011, by Hear Music.
The album found Simon reuniting with former collaborator and record producer Phil ...
'' (2011)
* ''
Stranger to Stranger'' (2016)
* ''
In the Blue Light
''In the Blue Light'' is the fourteenth solo studio album by American folk rock singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Produced by Paul Simon and Roy Halee, it was released on September 7, 2018, through Legacy Recordings. The album consists of re-record ...
'' (2018)
Filmography
Broadway
* ''Rock 'n Roll! The First 5,000 Years'' (1982) –
revue – featured songwriter for "
Mrs. Robinson"
* ''Asinamali!'' (1987) – play – co-producer
* ''
Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...
and
Elaine May
Elaine Iva May (née Berlin; born April 21, 1932) is an American comedian, filmmaker, playwright, and actress. She has received numerous awards including an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Grammy, and a Tony. She made her initial impact in the 1950s with he ...
: Together Again on Broadway'' (1992) – concert – performer
* ''
The Capeman'' (1998) – composer, co-lyricist and music arranger –
Tony Nomination for
Best Original Score
* ''
The Graduate'' (2002) – play – featured songwriter
Bibliography
*
*
See also
*
List of songs written by Paul Simon
References
External links
*
*
*
**
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simon, Paul
1941 births
20th-century American composers
20th-century American guitarists
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Living people
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Simon & Garfunkel
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