PAUL sIMON

Biography

Paul Frederic Simon was born on October 13, 1941, in Newark, New Jersey, and raised in Queens, New York. He began his music career as a teenager, forming the duo Tom & Jerry with Art Garfunkel in 1956, releasing singles like 'Hey Schoolgirl' in 1957. Between 1957 and 1964, Simon wrote and recorded over 30 songs, often solo or with other musicians. As Simon & Garfunkel, they achieved folk-rock fame in the 1960s with albums like Sounds of Silence (1966), Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966), Bookends (1968), and Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970), blending introspective lyrics, folk, and pop influences.

After the duo disbanded in 1970, Simon launched a solo career with his self-titled debut in 1972, featuring hits like 'Mother and Child Reunion' and 'Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.' His style evolved to incorporate world music, peaking with Graceland (1986), which fused South African township music and became his most acclaimed work, including the hit 'You Can Call Me Al.' Subsequent albums like The Rhythm of the Saints (1990), You're the One (2000), and Seven Psalms (2023) showcased experimental rhythms, Latin influences, and personal introspection. Simon has won 16 Grammy Awards, including three for Album of the Year, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.

Simon's legacy endures through his innovative fusion of genres, literary songwriting, and global collaborations, earning honors like the Gershwin Prize (2007) and Kennedy Center Honors (2001). He co-founded the Children's Health Fund and ventured into theater with The Capeman (1998), continuing to release music into his 80s despite hearing loss.

Fun Facts

• Simon named 'Mother and Child Reunion' after a Chinese restaurant dish he saw in Jamaica, and he still doesn't know what he and Julio were doing 'down by the schoolyard' in his hit song.
• He owns the copyrights to his own recordings, a rare move inspired by the Bee Gees' lawsuit against their label.
• In 2023, after planning retirement, Simon released Seven Psalms and began work on duets with wife Edie Brickell despite losing most hearing in his left ear.
• Simon & Garfunkel's 1991 Concert in the Park drew about 500,000 attendees without Garfunkel present.

Associated Acts

• Simon & Garfunkel - eponymous, original
• Tico & The Triumphs
• The Cosines
• Tom & Jerry

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• English folk music - stylistic influence on early folk-pop sound (Simon & Garfunkel albums) [1960s]
• Andean mountain music and gospel - expanded pop vocal influences (solo albums like Still Crazy After All These Years) [1970s onward]

Key Collaborators

• Art Garfunkel - longtime duo partner in Simon & Garfunkel (Albums including Bridge Over Troubled Water, Sounds of Silence) [1956-1970, reunions in 1980s and 1990s]
• South African musicians (e.g., Ladysmith Black Mambazo) - township music collaborators (Graceland album) [1986]
• Bob Dylan - tour partner (Summer tour) [1999]
• Edie Brickell - wife and planned duet partner (upcoming duets album) [2023 onward]

Artists Influenced

• Various new generations - introduced to younger audiences through innovative albums (So Beautiful or So What, Stranger to Stranger) [2010s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #contemporary-folk, #folk, #folk-pop