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 ...

Art Garfunkel Arthur Ira Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941) is an American singer, poet, and actor. He is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Highlights of Garfunkel's solo music career include one top-10 h ...

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.borough of Queens in New York City. He began performing with his schoolfriend

Art Garfunkel Arthur Ira Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941) is an American singer, poet, and actor. He is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Highlights of Garfunkel's solo music career include one top-10 h ...

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 "Mrs. Robinson" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fourth studio album, '' Bookends'' (1968). Written specifically for the 1967 film ''The Graduate'', the song was released as a single on April 5, 1968, by Columbia Re ...

", " America", " 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 si ...

". 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 "Mother and Child Reunion" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the lead single from his second studio album, ''Paul Simon'' (1972), released on Columbia Records. Background It was at the time one of the few songs by a ...

" and "

Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the second single from his second, self-titled studio album (1972), released on Columbia Records. Lyrical subject The song is about two boys ("Me ...

". The 1975 album ''

Still Crazy After All These Years ''Still Crazy After All These Years'' is the fourth solo studio album by Paul Simon. Recorded and released in 1975, the album produced four U.S. Top 40 hits: " 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (No. 1), " Gone at Last" (No. 23), " My Little Town" (No. ...

'', 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 "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the second single from his fourth studio album, '' Still Crazy After All These Years'' (1975), released on Columbia Records. Backing vocals on the singl ...

", among other Top 40 songs such as "

Still Crazy After All These Years ''Still Crazy After All These Years'' is the fourth solo studio album by Paul Simon. Recorded and released in 1975, the album produced four U.S. Top 40 hits: " 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (No. 1), " Gone at Last" (No. 23), " My Little Town" (No. ...

", "

Gone at Last "Gone at Last" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the lead single from his fourth studio album, '' Still Crazy After All These Years'' (1975), released on Columbia Records. Phoebe Snow and the Jessy Dixon Singers provid ...

" and "

My Little Town "My Little Town" is a 1975 song by the American duo Simon & Garfunkel. It was written by Paul Simon, who produced the track along with Art Garfunkel and Phil Ramone. The song was included on the 1975 solo releases from both Simon ('' Still Crazy ...

". Simon reunited with Garfunkel for a performance in

New York Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated 42 ...

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", " The Boy in the Bubble" and " Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes". It won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1987. Simon continued to tour throughout the 1990s. He wrote a

Broadway musical Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

, ''

The Capeman ''The Capeman'' is a musical play with music by Paul Simon and book and lyrics by Simon and Derek Walcott based on the life of convicted murderer Salvador Agrón. The play opened at the Marquis Theatre in 1998 to poor reviews and ran for 68 p ...

,'' and recorded a companion album, ''

Songs from The Capeman ''Songs from The Capeman'' is the ninth solo studio album by Paul Simon, released in 1997. His first new studio album of original materials in seven years, it contains Simon's own performances of songs from the Broadway musical he wrote and produc ...

'', 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 ''Stranger to Stranger'' is the thirteenth solo studio album by American folk rock singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Produced by Paul Simon and Roy Halee, it was released on June 3, 2016 through Concord Records. Simon wrote the material over a period ...

'', 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 art ...

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'' (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: 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 events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

''. 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 library ...

's Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2007.

Early life

Simon was born on October 13, 1941, in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Hungarian-Jewish The history of the Jews in Hungary dates back to at least the Kingdom of Hungary, with some records even predating the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin in 895 CE by over 600 years. Written sources prove that Jewish communities lived i ...

parents. His father, Louis (1916–1995), was a college professor,

double-bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

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 Kew Gardens Hills is a neighborhood in the middle of the New York City borough of Queens. The borders are Flushing Meadows-Corona Park to the west, the Long Island Expressway to the north, Union Turnpike to the south, and Parsons Boulevard to t ...

section of Flushing, Queens, in New York City. The musician Donald Fagen described Simon's childhood as that of "a certain kind of

New York Jew Jews in New York City comprise approximately 9 percent of the New York City, city's population, making the Jewish community the largest in the world outside of Israel. , 1.6 million Jews lived in the five boroughs of New York City, boroughs of ...

, 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 Stickball is a street game similar to baseball, usually formed as a pick-up game played in large cities in the Northeastern United States, especially New York City and Philadelphia. The equipment consists of a broom handle and a rubber ball, ...

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 Arthur Ira Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941) is an American singer, poet, and actor. He is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Highlights of Garfunkel's solo music career include one top-10 h ...

when they were both 11. They performed in a production of '' Alice in Wonderland'' 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 inspired ...

and Lead Belly. 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 library ...

. 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 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 Alpha Epsilon Pi (), commonly known as AEPi, is a college fraternity founded at New York University in 1913 by Charles C. Moskowitz and ten other men. The fraternity has more than 150 active chapters across the United States, Canada, United K ...

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. Brookly ...

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, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

, 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 Ritchie Cordell (born Richard Joel Rosenblatt; March 10, 1943 – April 13, 2004) was an American songwriter, singer and record producer. He wrote and produced several hits for Tommy James and The Shondells, including "I Think We're Alone No ...

. Simon enjoyed moderate success with singles as part of the group Tico and the Triumphs, including "Motorcycle", which reached number 99 on the '' Billboard'' 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 A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and wit ...

"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, whose executive Clive Davis 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. ''Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.'' is the debut studio album by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Following their early gig as "Tom and Jerry", Columbia Records signed the two in late 1963. It was produced by Tom Wilson and engineered by Roy ...

'', was released on October 19, 1964. It consisted of 12 songs, five of which were written by Simon. The album initially flopped. SimonandGarfunkel

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's first and only album and co-wrote several songs with Bruce Woodley of the Australian pop group

the Seekers The Seekers were an Australian folk-influenced 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 United States. They were ...

, including "I Wish You Could Be Here", "Cloudy" and " Red Rubber Ball". Woodley's co-author credit was omitted from "Cloudy" on the ''

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme ''Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme'' is the third studio album by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel. Produced by Bob Johnston, the album was released on October 24, 1966, in the United States by Columbia Records. Following the success of the ...

'' 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 ''Sounds of Silence'' is the second studio album by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, released on January 17, 1966. The album's title is a slight modification of the title of the duo's first major hit, " The Sound of Silence", which orig ...

'', and later included on their third U.S. album ''

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme ''Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme'' is the third studio album by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel. Produced by Bob Johnston, the album was released on October 24, 1966, in the United States by Columbia Records. Following the success of the ...

''. 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 ''Sounds of Silence'' is the second studio album by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, released on January 17, 1966. The album's title is a slight modification of the title of the duo's first major hit, " The Sound of Silence", which orig ...

'' (1966), ''

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme ''Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme'' is the third studio album by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel. Produced by Bob Johnston, the album was released on October 24, 1966, in the United States by Columbia Records. Following the success of the ...

'' (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 ''The Graduate'' is a 1967 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols and written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from W ...

'' (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 ...

and

Anne Bancroft Anne Bancroft (born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano; September 17, 1931 – June 6, 2005) was an American actress. Respected for her acting prowess and versatility, Bancroft received an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two ...

. While writing "

Mrs. Robinson "Mrs. Robinson" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fourth studio album, '' Bookends'' (1968). Written specifically for the 1967 film ''The Graduate'', the song was released as a single on April 5, 1968, by Columbia Re ...

", 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 Cleveland Arena was an arena in Cleveland, Ohio. It was built and privately financed by local businessman Albert C. Sutphin during the height of the Great Depression in 1937 as a playing site for Sutphin's AHL team, the Cleveland Barons. The aren ...

in April 1972, a benefit concert for the

George McGovern 1972 presidential campaign The George McGovern 1972 presidential campaign began when United States Senator George McGovern from South Dakota launched his second candidacy for the Presidency of the United States in an ultimately unsuccessful bid to win the 1972 presidenti ...

. After that, Beatty obtained the duo's agreement to reunite in mid-June at Madison Square Garden, another political concert called Together for McGovern. Garfunkel joined Simon again on the 1975 Top 10 single "

My Little Town "My Little Town" is a 1975 song by the American duo Simon & Garfunkel. It was written by Paul Simon, who produced the track along with Art Garfunkel and Phil Ramone. The song was included on the 1975 solo releases from both Simon ('' Still Crazy ...

". 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 ''Still Crazy After All These Years'' is the fourth solo studio album by Paul Simon. Recorded and released in 1975, the album produced four U.S. Top 40 hits: " 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (No. 1), " Gone at Last" (No. 23), " My Little Town" (No. ...

'' 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'', 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 "Mother and Child Reunion" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the lead single from his second studio album, ''Paul Simon'' (1972), released on Columbia Records. Background It was at the time one of the few songs by a ...

". 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 "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the second single from his second, self-titled studio album (1972), released on Columbia Records. Lyrical subject The song is about two boys ("Me ...

". Simon's next project was the pop-folk album, ''

There Goes Rhymin' Simon ''There Goes Rhymin' Simon'' is the third solo studio album by American musician Paul Simon released on May 5, 1973. It contains songs spanning several styles and genres, such as gospel (" Loves Me Like a Rock") and Dixieland (" Take Me to the ...

'', released in May 1973. It contained some of his most popular and polished recordings. The lead single, "

Kodachrome Kodachrome is the brand name for a color reversal film introduced by Eastman Kodak in 1935. It was one of the first successful color materials and was used for both cinematography and still photography. For many years Kodachrome was widely used ...

", 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 ...

" 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, ...

", 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 ''Still Crazy After All These Years'' is the fourth solo studio album by Paul Simon. Recorded and released in 1975, the album produced four U.S. Top 40 hits: " 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (No. 1), " Gone at Last" (No. 23), " My Little Town" (No. ...

'' 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 pa ...

, 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 Phoebe Snow (born Phoebe Ann Laub; July 17, 1950 – April 26, 2011) was an American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her hit 1974 and 1975 songs " San Francisco Bay Blues", " Poetry Man", "Harpo's Blues", and her credited ...

, "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, 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 "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the second single from his fourth studio album, '' Still Crazy After All These Years'' (1975), released on Columbia Records. Backing vocals on the singl ...

" 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 to raise money for the New York Public Library on May 3, 1976. Phoebe Snow, Jimmy Cliff 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 Viscosity, 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 ...

'', 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 ''Annie Hall'' is a 1977 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay written by him and Marshall Brickman, and produced by Allen's manager, Charles H. Joffe. The film stars Allen as Alvy Singer, w ...

''). He achieved another hit in this decade, with the lead single of his 1977 compilation '' Greatest Hits, Etc.'', called "

Slip Slidin' Away "Slip Slidin' Away" is a 1977 song written and recorded by Paul Simon which appears on his compilation album '' Greatest Hits, Etc.'' It was one of two new songs to appear on the album, the other being "Stranded in a Limousine". Backing vocals ...

" (which reached number 5 in the United States). In 1980, Simon released '' One-Trick Pony'', his debut album with

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

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 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 "The Late Great Johnny Ace" is a song by Paul Simon, which appears on his 1983 '' Hearts and Bones'' album. History The song initially sings of the rhythm and blues singer Johnny Ace, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot injury in 1954. Folklore ...

", a song partly about

Johnny Ace John Marshall Alexander Jr. (June 9, 1929 – December 25, 1954), known by the stage name Johnny Ace, was an American rhythm-and-blues singer. He had a string of hit singles in the mid 1950s. Alexander died of an accidental self-inflicted guns ...

, an American R&B singer, and partly about slain Beatle

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. 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 locat ...

, 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 "We Are the World" is a charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album '' We Are the World''. Wi ...

".

1986–1992: ''Graceland'' and ''The Rhythm of the Saints''

Miriam Makeba and Paul Simon, musicians gtfy

In 1986, Simon was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music, where he has served on the board of trustees. After Simon was given a bootlegged tape of ''

mbaqanga Mbaqanga () is a style of South African music with rural Zulu roots that continues to influence musicians worldwide today. The style originated in the early 1960s. History Historically, laws such as the Land Act of 1913 to the Group Areas Ac ...

'', South African street music, he decided to record an album of South African music. Simon traveled to

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; 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, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...

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 Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a South African male choral group singing in the local vocal styles of '' isicathamiya'' and '' mbube''. They became known internationally after singing with Paul Simon on his 1986 album '' Graceland'', and have won ...

. 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 in "All Around the World or The Myth of Fingerprints". Before leaving for Johannesburg, Simon contributed to "

We Are the World "We Are the World" is a charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album '' We Are the World''. Wi ...

", a

charity single A charity record or charity single is a song released by musicians with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity. George Harrison's "Bangla Desh" single in 1971 is commonly acknowledged as the first ever purpose-made ...

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. 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 Preservati ...

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 Artists United Against Apartheid was a 1985 protest group founded by activist and performer Steven Van Zandt and record producer Arthur Baker to protest against apartheid in South Africa. The group produced the song " Sun City" and the album ' ...

, anti-apartheid musicians (including Billy Bragg,

Paul Weller Paul John Weller (born John William Weller; 25 May 1958) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Weller achieved fame with the punk rock/ new wave/mod revival band the Jam (1972–1982). He had further success with the blue-eyed soul mu ...

and Jerry Dammers), as well as James Victor Gbeho (then Ghanaian 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 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 blacklist. He was removed from the blacklist in January 1987. Dion DiMucci, Dion's song "Written on the Subway Wall"/"Little Star" from ''Yo Frankie (album), Yo Frankie'' (1989), featuring Simon, peaked at number 97 in October 1990. After ''Graceland'', Simon extended his roots with the Culture of Brazil, Brazilian music-flavored ''The Rhythm of the Saints''. Sessions for the album began in December 1989, and took place in Rio de Janeiro 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, ''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-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 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 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'', 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 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 ''The Capeman'' is a musical play with music by Paul Simon and book and lyrics by Simon and Derek Walcott based on the life of convicted murderer Salvador Agrón. The play opened at the Marquis Theatre in 1998 to poor reviews and ran for 68 p ...

'', 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 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, rockabilly and Caribbean music that the album reflected. In commercial terms, ''

Songs from The Capeman ''Songs from The Capeman'' is the ninth solo studio album by Paul Simon, released in 1997. His first new studio album of original materials in seven years, it contains Simon's own performances of songs from the Broadway musical he wrote and produc ...

'' 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 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. He toured extensively for the album, and one performance in Paris was released to home video. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, 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'' 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. 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 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 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 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 (publicity), comeback. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic 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 (Paul Simon album)#The Surprise Tour, 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 in the past. In 2007 Simon was the inaugural recipient of the Gershwin Prize 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 library ...

, 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, for many years, Simon relocated to New Canaan, Connecticut, New Canaan, Connecticut. Simon is one of a small number of performers who are named as the copyright 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 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, are currently distributed by Sony Records' Legacy Recordings unit. His albums were issued by Warner Music Group until mid-2010. In mid-2010, Simon moved his catalog of solo work from

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

to Sony Records, 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 unit. In February 2009, Simon performed back-to-back shows in New York City at the Beacon Theatre, New York, 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 concert at Madison Square Garden 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 si ...

", "Cecilia (Simon & Garfunkel song), Cecilia" and "Bridge over Troubled Water (song), Bridge Over Troubled Water". In October 2009, Dion DiMucci, Dion performed "The Wanderer (Dion song), The Wanderer" with Simon at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame#25th anniversary concert, 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, and was included on the album ''So Beautiful or So What''. The song samples a 1941 sermon by J. M. Gates, the Rev. J. M. Gates, also entitled "Getting Ready for Christmas Day". Simon performed the song live on ''The Colbert Report'' 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'' on September 10, 2010, Simon surprised Oprah Winfrey, 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'' was released on the Concord Music Group 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 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 (September 11, 2011), Paul Simon performed " The Sound of Silence" at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, site of the World Trade Center site, World Trade Center. Paul Simon in 2012 (cropped)

On February 26, 2012, Simon paid tribute to fellow musicians Chuck Berry and Leonard Cohen, who were the recipients of the first annual PEN Awards for songwriting excellence at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, 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, 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, a teacher killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. On June 14, 2013, at Sting (musician), Sting's Back to Bass Tour, 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 si ...

" and Sting's "Fields of Gold" with Sting. In September 2013, Simon delivered the Richard Ellmann Lecture in Modern Literature at Emory University.

2014–2021: ''Stranger to Stranger'' and ''In the Blue Light''

In February 2014, Simon embarked on a joint concert tour titled On Stage Together Tour, On Stage Together with English musician Sting (musician), Sting, 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'' on September 11, 2015. Simon, who performed "

Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the second single from his second, self-titled studio album (1972), released on Columbia Records. Lyrical subject The song is about two boys ("Me ...

" 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 DiMucci, Dion released the single "Stranger to Stranger#Track listing, 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'', 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 ''Stranger to Stranger'' is the thirteenth solo studio album by American folk rock singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Produced by Paul Simon and Roy Halee, it was released on June 3, 2016 through Concord Records. Simon wrote the material over a period ...

'' via Concord Records''.'' He began writing new material shortly after releasing his twelfth studio album, ''So Beautiful or So What'', in April 2011. Simon collaborated with the Italian electronic dance music artist Clap! Clap! on three songs: "The Werewolf", "Street Angel" and "Wristband (song), 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, Italy. He and Clap! Clap! worked together via email over the course of making the album. Simon also worked with longtime friend Roy Halee, 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'' 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 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'', 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 "Sam Cooke#Posthumous honors, 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 on March 31, 2021. Simon was previously signed to Universal Music Publishing Group.

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 Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

called ''

The Capeman ''The Capeman'' is a musical play with music by Paul Simon and book and lyrics by Simon and Derek Walcott based on the life of convicted murderer Salvador Agrón. The play opened at the Marquis Theatre in 1998 to poor reviews and ran for 68 p ...

'', 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 Brooklyn Academy of Music, BAM shows, performing "Trailways Bus" and "Late in the Evening". In August 2010, ''The Capeman'' was staged for three nights in the Delacorte Theatre 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 ''Annie Hall'' is a 1977 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay written by him and Marshall Brickman, and produced by Allen's manager, Charles H. Joffe. The film stars Allen as Alvy Singer, w ...

''. He wrote and starred in 1980's ''One-Trick Pony (film), 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 only episode to use the songs of one songwriter). In 1990, he played the character of Simple Simon on the Disney Channel 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'' 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 song at The White House 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. The PBS concert was recorded in 2007. Simon appeared at the Glastonbury Festival 2011 in England.

''Saturday Night Live''

Simon has appeared on ''Saturday Night Live'' 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, 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, who appeared in his video for " You Can Call Me Al" 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 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 "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the second single from his fourth studio album, '' Still Crazy After All These Years'' (1975), released on Columbia Records. Backing vocals on the singl ...

" 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 Arthur Ira Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941) is an American singer, poet, and actor. He is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Highlights of Garfunkel's solo music career include one top-10 h ...

, 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 (politician), Paul Simon. On September 29, 2001, Simon made a special appearance on the first ''SNL'' to air after the September 11, 2001, attacks. 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 si ...

" 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 (TV series), Iconoclasts''. Simon appeared on the March 9, 2013, episode hosted by Justin Timberlake, 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" with Sir Paul McCartney 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. He was the musical guest and it was his 77th birthday.

Awards and honors

Simon has won 12 Grammy Awards (one of them a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Lifetime Achievement Award) and five Album of the Year Grammy nominations (the most recent for '' You're the One'' in 2001). He is one of only six Grammy Award for Album of the Year, 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 Academy Award, Oscar nomination for Academy Award for Best Original Song, 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, as half of Simon & Garfunkel in 1990 and as a solo artist in 2001. ;Brit Awards , - , 1977 Brit Awards, 1977 , '' Bridge over Troubled Water'' , Brit Award for International Album, International Album , , - , 1987 Brit Awards, 1987 , rowspan="2" , Paul Simon , Brit Award for International Solo Artist, International Solo Artist , , - , 1991 Brit Awards, 1991 , Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist, International Male Solo Artist , ;Grammy Awards , - , rowspan="5" , 11th Annual Grammy Awards, 1969 , '' Bookends'' , Album of the Year , , - , rowspan="3" , "

Mrs. Robinson "Mrs. Robinson" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fourth studio album, '' Bookends'' (1968). Written specifically for the 1967 film ''The Graduate'', the song was released as a single on April 5, 1968, by Columbia Re ...

" , Grammy Award for Record of the Year, Record of the Year , , - , Grammy Award for Song of the Year, Song of the Year , , - , Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals , , - , ''The Graduate (soundtrack), The Graduate'' , Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media , , - , rowspan="6" , 13th Annual Grammy Awards, 1971 , 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 , , - , Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals, Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals , , - , Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Song, Best Contemporary Song , , - , rowspan="2" , 16th Annual Grammy Awards, 1974 , rowspan="2" , ''

There Goes Rhymin' Simon ''There Goes Rhymin' Simon'' is the third solo studio album by American musician Paul Simon released on May 5, 1973. It contains songs spanning several styles and genres, such as gospel (" Loves Me Like a Rock") and Dixieland (" Take Me to the ...

'' , Album of the Year , , - , Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance , , - , rowspan="3" , 18th Annual Grammy Awards, 1976 , rowspan="2" , ''

Still Crazy After All These Years ''Still Crazy After All These Years'' is the fourth solo studio album by Paul Simon. Recorded and released in 1975, the album produced four U.S. Top 40 hits: " 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (No. 1), " Gone at Last" (No. 23), " My Little Town" (No. ...

'' , Album of the Year , , - , Best Male Pop Vocal Performance , , - , "

My Little Town "My Little Town" is a 1975 song by the American duo Simon & Garfunkel. It was written by Paul Simon, who produced the track along with Art Garfunkel and Phil Ramone. The song was included on the 1975 solo releases from both Simon ('' Still Crazy ...

" , Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals , , - , 19th Annual Grammy Awards, 1977 , "

50 Ways to Leave Your Lover "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the second single from his fourth studio album, '' Still Crazy After All These Years'' (1975), released on Columbia Records. Backing vocals on the singl ...

" , Record of the Year , , - , rowspan="2" , 23rd Annual Grammy Awards, 1981 , "Late in the Evening" , Best Male Pop Vocal Performance , , - , '' One-Trick Pony'' , Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media , , - , rowspan="4" , 29th Annual Grammy Awards, 1987 , rowspan="2" , ''Graceland (album), Graceland'' , Album of the Year , , - , Best Male Pop Vocal Performance , , - , Himself , Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, Producer of the Year, Non-Classical , , - , rowspan="2" , "Graceland (song), Graceland" , Song of the Year , , - , 30th Annual Grammy Awards, 1988 , Record of the Year , , - , rowspan="2" , 34th Annual Grammy Awards, 1992 , ''The Rhythm of the Saints'' , Album of the Year , , - , Himself , Producer of the Year, Non-Classical , , - , 43rd Annual Grammy Awards, 2001 , '' You're the One'' , Album of the Year , Paul_Simon_2002

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 nation's highest tribute to performing and cultural artists. In 2005, Simon was saluted as a Broadcast Music, Inc., 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'' 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 library ...

Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Named in honor of George Gershwin, George and Ira Gershwin, 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, Jerry Douglas, Lyle Lovett, James Taylor, Dianne Reeves, Marc Anthony, Yolanda Adams and

Ladysmith Black Mambazo Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a South African male choral group singing in the local vocal styles of '' isicathamiya'' and '' mbube''. They became known internationally after singing with Paul Simon on his 1986 album '' Graceland'', and have won ...

. 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, where he performed "The Boxer" at the main commencement ceremony. In October 2011, Simon was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 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, ...

". 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 (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: "The Paul Simon Songbook, Kathy's Song" and " America". She is also referred to in " Homeward Bound" and "

The Late Great Johnny Ace "The Late Great Johnny Ace" is a song by Paul Simon, which appears on his 1983 '' Hearts and Bones'' album. History The song initially sings of the rhythm and blues singer Johnny Ace, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot injury in 1954. Folklore ...

". There is a photo of Simon and Kathy on the cover of Simon's 1965 album ''The Paul Simon Songbook''. Simon has been married three times, first to Peggy Harper in 1969. They had a son, Harper Simon, 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, 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'' 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 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 in New York City, sometime before 2002. Simon is an avid fan of the New York Rangers ice hockey team, the New York Knicks basketball team and the New York Yankees 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 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 The Roches, 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. During these sessions, Bob Dylan was downstairs recording the album ''Self Portrait (Bob Dylan album), Self-Portrait'', 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 si ...

". 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, 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 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, Simon donated his appearance fee to the San Francisco Parks Trust, 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 "Slip Slidin' Away" is a 1977 song written and recorded by Paul Simon which appears on his compilation album '' Greatest Hits, Etc.'' It was one of two new songs to appear on the album, the other being "Stranded in a Limousine". Backing vocals ...

" which appears only on the compilation albums ''Negotiations and Love Songs'' (1988) and '' Greatest Hits, Etc.'' (1977). Solo studio albums * ''The Paul Simon Songbook'' (1965) * '' Paul Simon'' (1972) * ''

There Goes Rhymin' Simon ''There Goes Rhymin' Simon'' is the third solo studio album by American musician Paul Simon released on May 5, 1973. It contains songs spanning several styles and genres, such as gospel (" Loves Me Like a Rock") and Dixieland (" Take Me to the ...

'' (1973) * ''

Still Crazy After All These Years ''Still Crazy After All These Years'' is the fourth solo studio album by Paul Simon. Recorded and released in 1975, the album produced four U.S. Top 40 hits: " 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (No. 1), " Gone at Last" (No. 23), " My Little Town" (No. ...

'' (1975) * '' One-Trick Pony'' (1980) * '' Hearts and Bones'' (1983) * ''Graceland (album), Graceland'' (1986) * ''The Rhythm of the Saints'' (1990) * ''

Songs from The Capeman ''Songs from The Capeman'' is the ninth solo studio album by Paul Simon, released in 1997. His first new studio album of original materials in seven years, it contains Simon's own performances of songs from the Broadway musical he wrote and produc ...

'' (1997) * '' You're the One'' (2000) * '' Surprise'' (2006) * ''So Beautiful or So What'' (2011) * ''

Stranger to Stranger ''Stranger to Stranger'' is the thirteenth solo studio album by American folk rock singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Produced by Paul Simon and Roy Halee, it was released on June 3, 2016 through Concord Records. Simon wrote the material over a period ...

'' (2016) * '' In the Blue Light'' (2018)

Filmography

Broadway

* ''Rock 'n Roll! The First 5,000 Years'' (1982) – revue – featured songwriter for "

Mrs. Robinson "Mrs. Robinson" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fourth studio album, '' Bookends'' (1968). Written specifically for the 1967 film ''The Graduate'', the song was released as a single on April 5, 1968, by Columbia Re ...

" * ''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: Together Again on Broadway'' (1992) – concert – performer * ''

The Capeman ''The Capeman'' is a musical play with music by Paul Simon and book and lyrics by Simon and Derek Walcott based on the life of convicted murderer Salvador Agrón. The play opened at the Marquis Theatre in 1998 to poor reviews and ran for 68 p ...

'' (1998) – composer, co-lyricist and music arranger – Tony Award, Tony Nomination for Tony Award for Best Original Score, Best Original Score * ''

The Graduate ''The Graduate'' is a 1967 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols and written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from W ...

'' (2002) – play – featured songwriter

Bibliography

* *

References

External links

* * * ** {{DEFAULTSORT:Simon, Paul Paul Simon, 1941 births 20th-century American composers 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American singers 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American singers American acoustic guitarists American expatriates in the United Kingdom American folk guitarists American folk rock musicians American folk singers American folk-pop singers American male comedy actors American male composers American male guitarists American male pop singers American male singer-songwriters American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent American pop guitarists American rock guitarists American rock singers American rock songwriters American street performers American world music musicians Brit Award winners Brooklyn Law School alumni Columbia Records artists Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fingerstyle guitarists Forest Hills High School (New York) alumni Gershwin Prize recipients Grammy Award winners Guitarists from New Jersey Jewish American male actors Jewish American musicians Jewish American songwriters Jewish folk singers Jewish singers Kennedy Center honorees Living people Musicians from Newark, New Jersey Musicians from Queens, New York People from Kew Gardens, Queens People from Montauk, New York People from New Canaan, Connecticut Primetime Emmy Award winners Queens College, City University of New York alumni Record producers from New York (state) Simon & Garfunkel Singer-songwriters from New Jersey Singers from New York City Warner Records artists Singer-songwriters from New York (state) Singer-songwriters from Connecticut

Early life

Career

1960s: Simon & Garfunkel

1970–1976: Solo and ''Still Crazy After All These Years''

1977–1985: ''One-Trick Pony'' and ''Hearts and Bones''

1986–1992: ''Graceland'' and ''The Rhythm of the Saints''

1993–1998: ''Paul Simon 1964/1993'' and ''The Capeman''

1999–2007: ''You're the One'' and ''Surprise''

2008–2013: ''So Beautiful or So What'' and touring

2014–2021: ''Stranger to Stranger'' and ''In the Blue Light''

Songwriting

Projects

Music for Broadway

Film and television

''Saturday Night Live''

Awards and honors

Personal life

Philanthropy

Discography

Filmography

Broadway

Bibliography

See also

References

External links