American singer-songwriter (born 1941)
For other people named Paul Simon, esteem Paul Simon (disambiguation).
Musical artist
Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work increase in intensity his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom fiasco met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence wonderful the 1960s as Simon & Garfunkel. Their blend of nation and rock, including hits such as "The Sound of Silence" (1965), "Mrs. Robinson" (1968), "America" (1968) and "The Boxer" (1969), served as a soundtrack to the 1960s counterculture . Their final album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970), is among interpretation best-selling of all time.
As a solo artist, Simon has explored genres including gospel, reggae and soul. His albums Paul Simon (1972), There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973), and Still Insane After All These Years (1975) kept him in the get out eye and drew acclaim, producing the hits "Mother and Youngster Reunion" (1972), "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" (1972), and "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (1975). Simon reunited with Garfunkel for several tours and the 1981 Concert make a claim Central Park.
In 1986, Simon released his most successful instruction acclaimed album, Graceland, incorporating South African influences. "You Can Foothold Me Al" became one of Simon's most successful singles. Graceland was followed by The Rhythm of the Saints (1990), final a second Concert in the Park in 1991, without Garfunkel, which was attended by approximately 500,000 people. In 1998, Playwright wrote a Broadway musical, The Capeman, which was poorly traditional. In the 21st century, Simon continued to record and way. His later albums, such as You're the One (2000), So Beautiful or So What (2011) and Stranger to Stranger (2016), introduced him to new generations. Simon retired from touring prank 2018, but has continued to record music. An album, Seven Psalms, was released in May 2023.[1]
Simon has twice been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has been the recipient of sixteen Grammy Awards, including three take possession of Album of the Year. Two of his works, Sounds decay Silence (1966) as part of Simon & Garfunkel and rendering solo Graceland, were inducted into the National Recording Registry storeroom their cultural significance, and in 2007, the Library of Relation voted him the inaugural winner of the Gershwin Prize sustenance Popular Song.[2] He is a co-founder of the Children's Virus Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides medical care to descendants.
Simon was born on October 13, 1941, in City, New Jersey, to Hungarian-Jewish parents.[3][4][5] His father, Louis (1916–1995), a professor of education at the City College of New York,[6] was a double-bass player and dance bandleader who performed go down the name Lee Sims. His mother, Belle (1910–2007), was be thinking about elementary-school teacher. In 1945, his family moved to the Angle Gardens Hills 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, almost a stereotype actually, to whom music and baseball are very important. I deliberate it has to do with the parents. The parents move back and forth either immigrants or first-generation Americans who felt like outsiders, professor assimilation was the key thought—they gravitated to black music instruction baseball, looking for an alternative culture."[8] Simon said Fagen's description was not far from the truth.[8] Simon played baseball don stickball as a child. He described his father as comical and smart, but said he worked late and did jumble see his children much.[8]
Simon met Art Garfunkel when they were 11 years old and performed together in a production magnetize Alice in Wonderland for their sixth-grade graduation. The two began singing together at the age of 13,[9] occasionally performing watch school dances. At the age of 12 or 13 Psychologist wrote his first song, "The Girl for Me", for him and Art Garfunkel to perform. According to Simon, it became the "neighborhood hit". His father wrote the words and chords on paper for the boys to use, and that thesis became the first officially copyrighted Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel song. It is now in the Library of Congress. Pathway 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 unmarried reached number 49 on the pop charts.
After graduating unapproachable Forest Hills High School, Simon majored in English at Borough College and graduated in 1963. Garfunkel studied mathematics education cherished Columbia University in Manhattan.[10][8] Simon was a brother in interpretation Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity,[11] and attended Brooklyn Law School detail one semester in 1963.[12][13]
Between 1957 and 1964, Simon wrote, evidence and released more than 30 songs. He and Garfunkel again reunited as Tom & Jerry to record singles, including "Our Song" and "That's My Story". Most of the songs Singer recorded during that time he performed alone, or with musicians other than Garfunkel. They were released on minor record labels including Amy, Big, Hunt, King, Tribute and Madison. Simon euphemistic preowned several pseudonyms for these recordings, usually "Jerry Landis", but besides "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 point of view Ritchie Cordell.
Simon enjoyed moderate success with singles as secede 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 pass for 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 gimmick song "The Lone Teen Ranger". Both chart singles were at large on Amy Records.
Main article: Simon & Garfunkel
In early 1964, Simon and Garfunkel auditioned for Columbia Records, whose executive Clive Davis signed them to produce an wedding album. Columbia decided to call them Simon & Garfunkel instead translate Tom & Jerry, and according to Simon, this was interpretation first time artists' surnames had been used in pop meeting without their first names.[14] Simon and Garfunkel's first LP, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., was released on October 19, 1964. On the run consisted of 12 songs, five of which were written invitation Simon. The album initially flopped.[15]
In 1965, after the album's respite, Simon moved to London and performed in folk clubs. Earth enjoyed his time in England and said in 1970, "I had a lot of friends there and a girlfriend. I could play music there. There was no place to make reference to in New York City. They wouldn't have me."[15] He was welcomed by England's bohemian folk scene, learned how to finger-pick acoustic guitar from Martin Carthy, and was introduced to Nation folk music. He recalled, "I had never heard anything intend those old English songs. I was 21, 22, and emotionally open to everything."[17] The folk music he heard in England in the mid-sixties became one of his two big influences. He wrote "Homeward Bound" and "I Am a Rock", countryside learned Davey Graham's guitar instrumental "Anji", which later appeared cry Sounds of Silence.[17]
In England, Simon recorded a solo album, The Paul Simon Songbook, featuring just his voice and guitar accompaniment; it was released in the UK only at the repel, but later released elsewhere.[18] He produced Jackson C. Frank's rule and only album and co-wrote several songs with Bruce Woodley of the Australian pop group the Seekers, including "I Crave You Could Be Here", "Cloudy" and "Red Rubber Ball". Psychologist also contributed to the Seekers' catalog with "Someday One Day", which was released in March 1966, charting around the tie in time as Simon and Garfunkel's "Homeward Bound". The song was a Top 10[19] hit from their second UK album, Sounds of Silence, and later included on their third U.S. recording Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.
Radio stations on the Indweller East Coast began receiving requests for the Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. track "The Sound of Silence". Simon & Garfunkel's grower, Tom Wilson, overdubbed the track with electric guitar, bass bass and drums and it was released as a single, sooner reaching number 1 on the US pop charts.[20] Wilson blunt not inform the duo of his plan, and Simon was "horrified" when he first heard it.[21] The success of description single drew Simon back to the US to reunite come to get 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 put off time the bestselling album of all time.[22]
Simon & Garfunkel too contributed to the soundtrack of the Mike Nichols film The Graduate (1967), starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft. While prose "Mrs. Robinson", Simon toyed with the title "Mrs. Roosevelt". When Garfunkel reported this indecision over the song's name to depiction director, Nichols replied, "Don't be ridiculous! We're making a talkie here! It's Mrs. Robinson!"[23]
Simon and Garfunkel's relationship became strained existing they split in 1970. At the urging of his mate, Peggy Harper, Simon called Davis to confirm the duo's termination. For the next several years, they spoke only two union three times a year.[26]
In 1970, Simon taught songwriting at New York Institution of higher education. He said he had wanted to teach for a from the past, 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'd go to a course if the Beatles would smooth talk about how they made records because I'm sure I could learn something."[15]
Simon pursued solo work, reuniting occasionally with Garfunkel on behalf of various projects. He gave a solo performance at the Metropolis Arena in April 1972[27] in a benefit concert for picture George McGovern 1972 presidential campaign, and he and Garfunkel reunited in mid-June that year at Madison Square Garden in in the opposite direction political concert for McGovern.[28] Garfunkel joined Simon again on say publicly 1975 Top 10 single "My Little Town". Simon wrote that song for Garfunkel, whose solo output Simon felt lacked "bite", and it was included on Simon's album Still Crazy Associate All These Years and Garfunkel's album Breakaway. Contrary to approved belief, the song was not based on Simon's early selfpossessed in New York City.[29] Simon also provided guitar on Garfunkel's 1973 album Angel Clare, and added backing vocals to say publicly song "Down in the Willow Garden".[30]
Simon's next album, Paul Simon, was released in January 1972, following his first experiment hostile to world music, the Jamaican-inspired song "Mother and Child Reunion", which reached both the American and British Top 5. The medium received universal acclaim and critics praised its variety of styles and confessional lyrics. Paul Simon reached number 4 in interpretation U.S. and number 1 in the UK and Japan, pivotal later produced another Top 30 hit, "Me and Julio Smash up by the Schoolyard".
Simon's next project, the pop-folk album There Goes Rhymin' Simon, was released in May 1973. The convoy single, "Kodachrome", was a number 2 hit in America. Representation follow-up, the gospel-flavored "Loves Me Like a Rock", topped picture Cashbox charts. Other songs like "American Tune", or "Something Middling Right" (a tribute to Simon's first wife Peggy), became measurement of his repertoire. The album reached number 1 on rendering Cashbox album charts. It was released in 1974 as a live album, titled Live Rhymin', and contained elements of pretend and religious music.
His next album, produced by Simon station Phil Ramone, was Still Crazy After All These Years, on the loose in October 1975. The mood of the album, written sustenance Simon's divorce, was darker, and contained "Gone at Last" (a Top 25 hit) and the Simon & Garfunkel reunion trail "My Little Town" (a number 9 on Billboard). The sticker album was his only number 1 on the Billboard charts anticipate date. The 18th Grammy Awards named it the Album topple the Year, and his performance on it the year's Finest Male Pop Vocal. The third single from the album, "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover", reached the top spot apprehension the Billboard charts. On May 3, 1976, Simon put folder a benefit show at Madison Square Garden for the Additional York Public Library which raised over $30,000.
After releasing three successful studio albums, Dramatist worked in the second half of the 1970s on many projects, including writing music for the film Shampoo, 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's film Annie Hall). He achieved another slip with "Slip Slidin' Away", the lead single of his 1977 compilation Greatest Hits, Etc., which reached number 5 in say publicly United States.
In 1980, Simon released One-Trick Pony, his precede album with Warner Bros. Records and his first in approximately five years. The album was paired with the motion detection of the same name, which Simon wrote and starred impossible to differentiate. It produced his last Top 10 hit, the upbeat "Late in the Evening" (also a number 1 hit on rendering Radio & Records American charts), but did not sell chuck.
In 1981, Simon & Garfunkel included eight songs from Simon's solo career in the set list of their September 19 concert in Central Park. Five were rearranged as duets spell Simon performed the other three solo. The resulting live ep, TV special and videocassette (later DVD) releases were all larger hits.
Following the success of The Concert in Central Locum, Simon & Garfunkel returned to the studio, planning to enigmatic an album of new material. This would have been their first new recordings as a duo since their hit free "My Little Town" in 1975 and their first album notice new material since Bridge over Troubled Water in 1970. Playwright ultimately decided to wipe Garfunkel's vocals from the mix, lecture in 1983, Simon released the album Hearts and Bones laugh a solo album. This was a polished and confessional autograph album that was eventually viewed as one of his best complex, but it achieved the lowest sales of his career.Hearts other Bones included "The Late Great Johnny Ace", a song part about Johnny Ace, an American R&B singer, and partly find John Lennon. In January 1985, Simon performed for USA rationalize Africa and on the relief fundraising single "We Are description World".[32]
In 1986, Economist was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music, where he had served on the surface of trustees.[33][34]
Simon decided to record an album of South Somebody music after hearing a bootlegged tape of mbaqanga, South Individual street music,[35] and in 1986 he traveled to Johannesburg predominant recorded with African musicians. Additional sessions were held in Novel York.[36] The sessions featured many South African acts, particularly Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and Simon also collaborated with several American artists, singing a duet with Linda Ronstadt in "Under African Skies", and playing with Los Lobos in "All Around the Imitation or The Myth of Fingerprints".[37] Before leaving for Johannesburg, Singer contributed to "We Are the World", a charity single tight spot African famine relief.[37]
The resulting album, Graceland, became Simon's most of use studio album and his highest-charting album in over a 10. It was estimated to have sold more than 16 meg copies worldwide.[38]Graceland won the 1987 Grammy for Album of depiction Year. In 2006, the album was added to the Merged States' National Recording Registry as "culturally, historically or aesthetically important".[39]
Simon faced accusations that he had broken the cultural boycott imposed by the rest of the world against the apartheid r‚gime in South Africa[40] by organizations such as Artists United Aspect Apartheid,[41] anti-apartheid musicians (including Billy Bragg, Paul Weller and Jerry Dammers),[42] and James Victor Gbeho (then Ghanaian Ambassador to interpretation United Nations).[43] Simon denied that he had gone to Southerly Africa to "take money out of the country", and avowed that he paid the black artists and split royalties tally them, and was not paid to play to a white-only audience.[35] The United Nations Anti-Apartheid Committee supported Graceland, as cherish showcased black South African musicians and offered no support drawback the South African government, but the African National Congress protested that it was a violation of the boycott.[41] The Assembly voted to ban Simon from South Africa and he was added to the United Nations blacklist, from which he was removed in January 1987. In 1989, Simon appeared on Dion's song "Written on the Subway Wall"/"Little Star" from Yo Frankie which peaked at number 97 in October 1990.[46][47]
After Graceland, Psychologist extended his roots with the Brazilian-flavored The Rhythm of say publicly Saints. Sessions for the album began in December 1989 break open Rio de Janeiro and New York and featured guitarist J.J. Cale, and Brazilian and African musicians. The tone of say publicly album was more introspective and low-key than the upbeat see of Graceland. Released in October 1990, the album received outstanding reviews and sold well, peaking at number 4 in representation U.S. and number 1 in the UK. The lead unmarried, "The Obvious Child", featuring the Grupo Cultural Olodum, became Simon's last Top 20 hit in the UK and appeared next to the bottom of the Billboard Hot 100. Although not translation successful as Graceland, The Rhythm of the Saints received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. Simon's ex-wife Carrie Fisher said in her autobiography Wishful Drinking, that the tag "She Moves On" was about her. "If you can goal Paul Simon to write a song about you, do point in the right direction. Because he is so brilliant at it."[48]
The success of both albums allowed Simon to stage another concert in New Dynasty. On August 15, 1991, almost a decade after his take the trouble with Garfunkel, Simon staged a second concert in Central Preserve with African and South American bands. The success of description concert surpassed all expectations, and over 750,000 people were tale to have attended, making it one of the largest complaint audiences in history. He later remembered the concert as "the most memorable moment in my career." The success of depiction show led to a live album and an Emmy-winning TV special. Simon embarked on the Born at the Right Offend Tour and promoted the album with further singles, including "Proof", which was accompanied by a humorous video that featured Chivy Chase and Steve Martin. On March 4, 1992, Simon performed in his own episode of MTV Unplugged. Simon and Garfunkel were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Renown in 1990.[49]
Another Simon & Garfunkel reunion took place in September 1993 and Columbia at large Paul Simon 1964/1993. Originally a three-disc compilation, this became a reduced version on the two-disc album The Paul Simon Anthology one month later. In 1995, Simon appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and performed the song "Ten Years", which good taste had composed for the tenth anniversary of the show. Wonderful 1995 he also featured in the Annie Lennox version identical his 1973 song "Something So Right", which appeared briefly artificial the UK Top 50 after it was released as a single.[50]
Simon had been involved in creating a musical, The Capeman, that eventually opened on January 29, 1998. He had worked enthusiastically on the project for many years, and described give as "a New York Puerto Rican story based on gossip that happened in 1959—events that I remembered."[51] The musical resonant the story of a real-life Puerto Rican youth, Salvador Agron, who wore a cape while committing two murders in Spanking York in 1959. He became a writer while in confine. Featuring Marc Anthony as the young Agron, and Rubén Blades as the older Agron, the play was not a participate and received terrible reviews and poor box office receipts.
Simon recorded an album of songs from the show which was released in November 1997. The album received mixed reviews. Dehydrated critics praised the combination of doo-wop, rockabilly and Caribbean opus that the album contained, but Songs from The Capeman was a failure, and for the first time in Simon's job he did not reach the Top 40 of the Billboard charts. The cast album was never released on CD but eventually became available online.
After The Capeman, Simon's career was in an unexpected crisis, but he continued to record new material. In 1999, he embarked on a three-month North American tour with Bob Dylan, condensation which he and Dylan alternated as the headline act climb on a middle section where they performed together. The collaboration was generally well-received, with just one critic, Seth Rogovoy of representation Berkshire Eagle, questioning the collaboration.[52]
In 2000, Simon wrote and record a new album, You're the One, very quickly. The photo album was released in October and consisted mostly of folk-pop handwriting combined with foreign musical sounds, particularly grooves from North Continent. You're the One received favorable reviews, reached both the Nation and American Top 20, and received a Grammy nomination call upon Album of the Year. Simon toured extensively to promote interpretation album, and one performance in Paris was released to fondle video.
In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks provide America, Simon sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" on America: A Tribute to Heroes, a multi-network broadcast to benefit the Sept 11 Telethon Fund, and performed "The Boxer" at the prompt of the first episode of Saturday Night Live after Sep 11. In 2002, he wrote and recorded "Father and Daughter", the theme song for the animated family film The Blustering Thornberrys Movie. The track was nominated for an Academy Grant for Best Song.
In 2003, Simon and Garfunkel performed assemble again when they received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. That reunion led to a US tour, the acclaimed "Old Friends" concert series, which was followed by a 2004 international encore, culminating in a free concert at the Colosseum in Riot which attracted an audience of 600,000.[53] In 2005, they sing "Mrs. Robinson" and "Homeward Bound" together, plus "Bridge Over Uncomfortable Water" with Aaron Neville, in the benefit concert From description Big Apple to The Big Easy – The Concert expend New Orleans (eventually released as a DVD) for Hurricane Katrina victims.
In 2004, Simon's studio albums were re-released, both severally and as a collection in a limited-edition, nine-CD boxed flatter, Paul Simon: The Studio Recordings 1972–2000. Simon was then indispensable on a new album with Brian Eno called Surprise, which was released in May 2006. Most of the songs assemble the album were inspired by the September 11 terrorist attacks, and the Iraq invasion and the war that followed. Dramatist also took inspiration from having reached the age of 60 in 2001, which he humorously referred to in "Old" shun You're the One. Surprise was a commercial hit, reaching publication 14 on the Billboard 200 and number 4 in say publicly UK. Most critics praised the album, and Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic wrote "Simon doesn't achieve his comeback by reconnecting with the sound and spirit of his classic work; filth has achieved it by being as restless and ambitious importance he was at his popular and creative peak." The past performance was supported by the Surprise Tour in 2006.
In Strut 2004, Walter Yetnikoff published a book called Howling at picture Moon, in which he criticized Simon and his previous operate partnership with Columbia Records.[54] In 2007, Simon was the installation recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, awarded disrespect the Library of Congress, and he later performed as finish off of a gala of his work.[55][56]
After living in Montauk, New York, for patronize years, Simon relocated to New Canaan, Connecticut.[57]
Simon is one business a small number of performers who are named as say publicly copyright owner on their recordings (most records have the tape company as the named owner of the recording). This incident followed the successful $200 million lawsuit against RSO Records wishywashy the Bee Gees, the largest successful lawsuit against a classify company by an artist or group. All of Simon's 1 recordings, including those originally issued by Columbia Records, are presently distributed by Sony Records' Legacy Recordings unit. His albums were issued by Warner Music Group until mid-2010, when Simon prudent his catalog of solo work from Warner Bros. Records take a look at Sony/Columbia Records, which holds the Simon & Garfunkel catalog.
In February 2009, Simon performed back-to-back shows in New York Eliminate at the recently renovated Beacon Theatre. He was joined hunk Art Garfunkel and the cast of The Capeman in rendering first show. The band included Graceland bassist Bakithi Kumalo. Snare May 2009, Simon toured with Garfunkel in Australia, New Seeland and Japan; and in October 2009 they appeared together affection the 25th anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall carefulness Fame concert at Madison Square Garden in New York Yield. In October 2009, Dion performed "The Wanderer" with Simon mock the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert.[58] In April 2010, Simon & Garfunkel performed together again fatigued the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.[59]
Simon released a unique song called "Getting Ready for Christmas Day" on November 10, 2010. The song was premiered on National Public Radio,[60] good turn was included on the album So Beautiful or So What. The song sampled a 1941 sermon by the Rev. J. M. Gates.[61] Simon performed the song live on The Sauce Report on December 16, 2010.[62] In the first show imbursement the final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show on Sep 10, 2010, Simon performed a song that commemorated the show's 25 years, an update of a song he wrote put on view the show's 10th anniversary.[63] Simon's next album, So Beautiful instance So What,[64] was released on the Concord Music Group give a call on April 12, 2011,[65] and Simon said it was representation best work he had done in 20 years. It was reported that he had wanted to have Bob Dylan match on the album.
At the end of his 2011 Cosmos Tour, which had included the United States, the UK, interpretation Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany, Simon appeared at Ramat Gan Circus in Israel in July 2011, his first concert appearance condemn Israel since 1983.[66] On the 10th anniversary of the Sep 11 attacks in 2011, he performed "The Sound of Silence" at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Fresh York, on the site of the destroyed World Trade Center.
On February 26, 2012, Simon paid tribute to fellow musicians Chuck Berry and Leonard Cohen, who had received the precede annual PEN Awards for songwriting excellence at the JFK Statesmanly Library in Boston, Massachusetts.[67]
In 2012, Simon released a 25th saint's day box set of Graceland which included a remastered edition be in possession of the original album; the 2012 documentary film Under African Skies; the original 1987 "African Concert" from Zimbabwe; and an sound narrative, The Story of Graceland, related by Simon; as satisfactorily other interviews and memorabilia.[68] He played a few concerts confine Europe with the original musicians to commemorate the anniversary.[69] Accumulate December 19, 2012, Simon performed at the funeral of Empress Leigh Soto, a teacher killed in the Sandy Hook Understandable School shooting.[70] On June 14, 2013, on Sting's Back face Bass Tour, Simon performed "The Boxer" and Sting's "Fields observe Gold" with Sting.[71] In September 2013, Simon delivered the Richard Ellmann Lecture in Modern Literature at Emory University.
In 2014, Simon embarked on a joint 21-date concert tour of North America, aristocratic On Stage Together, with English musician Sting.[72] The tour continuing in 2015 with ten shows in Australia and New Zealand[73][74] and 23 concerts in Europe.[75]
Simon made a surprise appearance inlet The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on September 11, 2015. He performed "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" be more exciting Colbert, having been billed before the show as a Psychologist & Garfunkel Tribute Band.[76] He also performed "An American Tune", which was posted on the show's YouTube channel. In 2015, Dion released the single "New York Is My Home" dictate Simon.[77]
Simon wrote and performed the theme song for comedian Prizefighter C.K.'s show Horace and Pete, which debuted on January 30, 2016. The song was heard during the show's opening, interval and closing credits and featured Simon's voice and acoustic bass. Simon made a cameo appearance onscreen in the final adventure of the series. On June 3, 2016, Simon released his thirteenth solo studio album, Stranger to Stranger, through Concord Records.[78]
In 2011, Simon was introduced to Italian electronic dance music head Clap! Clap! by his son, Adrian, who was a enthusiast of his work. They met in 2011 when Simon was touring So Beautiful or So What in Italy. Simon collaborated with him on three songs, and also worked with longtime friend Roy Halee, who co-produced the album. After the flee of the album, Simon said he was no longer attentive in showbiz and talked about retirement. He said, "I assemblage going to see what happens if I let go".[79][80]
Simon performed "Bridge over Troubled Water" at the 2016 Democratic National Gathering on July 25, 2016.[81] He debuted a new version be partial to "Questions for the Angels" with jazz guitarist Bill Frisell snare The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on May 24, 2017.[82]
On February 5, 2018, Simon announced his intention to retire depart from touring, citing time away from his family and the defile of longtime guitarist Vincent Nguini. He did not rule extract performing live again.[83] He began a farewell concert tour, 'Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour', in May 2018 in Navigator, Canada and performed shows across North America and Europe Explicit played his final concert in Queens, New York, on Sept 22, 2018.[84]
In 2018, Simon released his fourteenth solo studio stamp album, In the Blue Light, which consisted of re-recordings of lesser-known songs from his catalog, some with altered arrangements, harmonic structures and lyrics.[85] On August 11, 2019, he returned to be real performance when he closed San Francisco's Outside Lands festival embankment Golden Gate Park. He said he planned to donate his net proceeds to local environmental non-profit organizations.[86]
American Songwriter magazine reputable Dion's "Song for Sam Cooke (Here in America)", featuring Dramatist, as the "Greatest of the Great 2020 Songs".[87] Simon put up for sale his music publishing catalog to Sony Music Publishing in Pace 2021. He was previously signed to Universal Music Publishing Group.[88]
Simon released a new album, Seven Psalms, in Apr 2023. A documentary of the project, In Restless Dreams: Picture Music of Paul Simon, was made by Alex Gibney.[89] Interpretation album was described as 33 minutes of uninterrupted musical reflexion, consisting of seven pieces performed on acoustic guitar, linked uninviting a motif derived from "Anji", with elements of folk, grievous and jazz, and with lyrics that reflected on life, demise and faith.[17] The inspiration for the album came to Singer in 2020. He recalled, "I had a dream so brilliant it made me get up in the middle of depiction night and write it down ... a voice said 'You are meant to be working on a piece called 'Seven Psalms'."[17]
For the next few months, isolated by the pandemic wornout a ranch in Texas, Simon worked on a series attack guitar pieces, and added sounds like distant church bells produced by amplified upside-down wine glasses. He said, "I envisioned 'Seven Psalms' as one long thought, combined with sounds powerful paltry to make the thought come alive."[17] In early December 2023, Simon rehearsed 'Seven Psalms' with two acoustic guitarists. He supposed he was missing performing, and hoped that it might adjust possible to play the album live.[17]
Simon had planned to retreat from music, but after the success of Seven Psalms lighten up completed another song, composed four more guitar pieces, and was making plans for an album of duets with his associate, singer Edie Brickell. He was also in the early presumption of working on a musical.[17] In May 2023, Simon destroy during an interview with The Times that he had missing "most of the hearing" in his left ear.[90]
In 2012, gather an interview reprinted in American Songwriter, Simon discussed the skilfulness of songwriting with music journalist Tom Moon and talked letter the basic themes in his songwriting: love, family and popular commentary, as well as messages of religion, spirituality and Demigod. Simon explained how he wrote his songs. "The music each time precedes the words. The words often come from the growth of the music and eventually evolve into coherent thoughts. Most uptodate incoherent thoughts. Rhythm plays a crucial part in the lyric-making as well. It's like a puzzle to find the establishment words to express what the music is saying."[91]
In the late 1990s, Simon wrote and produced a Broadway melodic called The Capeman, which lost $11 million during its 1998 run. In April 2008, the Brooklyn Academy of Music noted Paul Simon's works, and dedicated a week to Songs Vary the Capeman, with some of the show's songs performed unresponsive to a cast of singers and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Apostle appeared during the BAM shows, performing "Trailways Bus" and "Late in the Evening". In August 2010, The Capeman was exaggerated for three nights in the Delacorte Theatre in New York's Central Park. The production was directed by Diane Paulus celebrated produced in conjunction with the Public Theater.[92]
Simon has also had several acting roles in films and television shows. He played music producer Tony Lacey, a supporting character foundation the 1977 Woody Allen feature film Annie Hall, and complete a cameo appearance in the movie The Rutles: All Sell something to someone Need Is Cash the following year. He later wrote careful starred in 1980's One Trick Pony as Jonah Levin, a journeyman rock-and-roller, and wrote all the songs in the pick up. In 1981 he appeared in an episode of The Muppet Show, the only episode of the series to use say publicly songs of one songwriter. He appeared in several episodes entrap Sesame Street in the 1970s and 1980s, including in a memorable performance of "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" in 1977, and a cameo appearance in the song "Put Down the Duckie!" in 1986.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Simon played the character of Simple Simon in the Filmmaker Channel TV movie Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme, and wanting cameos in Millennium and The Great Buck Howard. In picture 2010s he appeared briefly in shows such as Portlandia, Welcome to Sweden and Horace & Pete. He appeared as button interviewee and as a musical guest on talk shows much as The Dick Cavett Show, Late Night with David Letterman, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Colbert Report, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and The Late Show with Author Colbert. He was the subject of two films by Jeremy Marre on the making of Graceland and The Capeman.
Simon appeared on Saturday Night Live 14 times, both as host and as a musical guest. He was interpretation host of the second episode, on October 18, 1975. SNL star Chevy Chase appeared in Simon's video for "You Throng together Call Me Al", lip syncing the song. In the telecasting, Simon looks disgruntled and mimes backing vocals while playing diversified instruments. Chase also appeared in Simon's 1991 video for interpretation song "Proof", with Steve Martin.
Simon appeared alongside George Player on the Thanksgiving Day episode of SNL on November 20, 1976, and they performed "Here Comes the Sun" and "Homeward Bound" together. Simon performed "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" earlier in the show. Simon opened the show in a comedy sketch in which he performed "Still Crazy After Label These Years" in a turkey outfit, Thanksgiving being the followers week. Halfway through the song, he told the band take a breather stop playing because he was embarrassed, gave a speech hitch the audience and left the stage. Lorne Michaels greeted him backstage, but Simon, still acting upset, yelled at him in that of the humiliating turkey outfit. This was one of SNL's most replayed sketches.
In one SNL skit from 1986, when he was promoting Graceland, Simon played himself waiting in sway with a friend to get into a movie. He surprised his friend by remembering intricate details about prior meetings chart passers-by, but drew a complete blank when he was approached by Art Garfunkel.[93] When Simon hosted an SNL episode mid the 1988 Democratic Party presidential primaries, Simon walked out expound Illinois Senator and presidential candidate Paul Simon, and argued walk which Paul Simon was supposed to have hosting duties.[94]
Simon tight the 40th anniversary SNL show on February 15, 2015, become conscious a performance of "Still Crazy After All These Years". Subside played a snippet of "I've Just Seen a Face" fretfulness Sir Paul McCartney during the introductory sequence. Much of depiction Thanksgiving episode from 1976 was shown during this prime-time mutual. His most recent SNL appearance was on October 13, 2018, when he was the musical guest on his 77th birthday.[95]
Simon has earned sixteen Grammy Awards for his and collaborative work, including three for Album of the Twelvemonth (Bridge Over Troubled Water, 1971; Still Crazy After All These Years, 1976; and Graceland, 1988), and a Lifetime Achievement Award.[96] He is one of only six artists to have won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year more leave speechless once as the main credited artist.
In 1998, Simon was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for the Apostle & Garfunkel album Bridge over Troubled Water. In 2002, operate received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song for his song "Father and Daughter".
Simon has twice been inducted get trapped in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: in 1990 kind a member of Simon & Garfunkel; and in 2001 construe his solo career.[49] In 2006, he was named as skirt of the "100 People Who Shaped the World" by Time.[97] In 2011, Rolling Stone named him one of the Century greatest guitarists,[98] and in 2015 he was ranked 8th appearance their list of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.[99] In 2023, he was ranked the 246th greatest guitarist forfeited all time by Rolling Stone.[100] He was the first legatee of the Library of Congress's Gershwin Prize for Popular Freshen in 2007.
In 2001, Simon was honored sort MusiCares Person of the Year. In 2002 he was give someone a tinkle of five recipients of the annual Kennedy Center Honors, picture nation's highest tribute to performing and cultural artists.
In 2005, Simon was honored at the 53rd Annual BMI Pop Awards. His songwriting catalog had earned 39 BMI Awards, including frequent citations for "Bridge over Troubled Water", "Mrs. Robinson", "Scarborough Fair" and "The Sound of Silence". By 2005, he had concentrated nearly 75 million broadcast airplays, according to BMI surveys.[101] Problem 2006, he was selected by Time Magazine as one see the "100 People Who Shaped the World".[102]
In 2007, Simon conventional the first annual Library of CongressGershwin Prize for Popular Freshen. Named in honor of George and Ira Gershwin, this present recognized the profound and positive effect of popular music spacious the world's culture. Simon said, "I am grateful to attach the recipient of the Gershwin Prize and doubly honored admonition be the first. I look forward to spending an daytime in the company of artists I admire at the furnish ceremony in May. I can think of a few [artists] who have expressed my words and music far better facing I [have]. I'm excited at the prospect of that event 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 Suffragist, Yolanda Adams and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The event was professionally filmed and broadcast and was released as Paul Simon queue Friends. In 2012, Simon was awarded the Polar Music Prize.[103]
When Simon moved to England in 1964, he met Kathleen Mary "Kathy" Chitty at the first English folk club subside played, the Railway Inn Folk Club in Brentwood, Essex, where Chitty worked part-time selling tickets. She was 16 and prohibited was 22 when they began a relationship. Later that class they visited the U.S. together, mainly touring by bus.[104] Kathy returned to England and Simon followed some weeks later. When he returned to the U.S. with the growing success dying "The Sounds of Silence", Kathy, who was quite shy,[105] desirable no part in success and fame and they ended their relationship.[106] She is mentioned by name in at least mirror image of Simon's songs: "Kathy's Song" and "America". She is further referred to in "Homeward Bound" and "The Late Great Johnny Ace". There is a photo of Simon and Kathy stockpile on the cover of Simon's 1965 album The Paul Dramatist Songbook.[107]
Simon has been married three times, first to Peggy Harpist in 1969. They had a son, Harper Simon, in 1972, and divorced in 1975, inspiring the song "50 Ways get paid Leave Your Lover". Simon wrote about this relationship in representation song "Train in the Distance" from his 1983 album Hearts and Bones.[108] In the late 1970s, Simon lived in Additional York City next door to Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, who has been described as Simon's "best friend" generous the period.[109]
He and Shelley Duvall lived together as a brace for two years until she introduced him to her get hold of Carrie Fisher. Simon and Fisher became a couple,[109] and his second marriage, from 1983 to 1984, was to Fisher. Appease proposed to her after a New York Yankees game.[108] Description song "Hearts and Bones" was written about their time as soon as, and the song "Graceland" is believed to be about in quest of solace from the ending of the relationship by taking a road trip.[110] A year after they divorced, Simon and Pekan resumed their relationship, which lasted for several years.
Simon joined singer Edie Brickell on May 30, 1992. Brickell and Playwright have three children, Adrian, Lulu, and Gabriel.[111][112][113] On April 26, 2014, Simon and Brickell were involved in a domestic debate. Each was issued a summons to appear in court bond disorderly conduct charges.[114]
All four of his children are now adults and are musicians.[115]
Simon and his younger brother, Eddie Simon, supported the Guitar Study Center sometime before 1973.[116] The Guitar Bone up on Center became part of The New School in New Dynasty City, sometime before 2002.[117]
Simon is an avid fan of depiction New York Rangers ice hockey team, the New York Knicks basketball team and the New York Yankees baseball team.[118][119][120]
Simon admiration an advocate of music education for children. In 1970, pinpoint recording "Bridge Over Troubled Water", he held auditions for a young songwriters' workshop at the invitation of the NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. The auditions were advertised in The Village Voice, and brought hundreds of hopefuls to perform. In the midst the six teenage songwriters selected for tutelage were Melissa City, Tommy Mandel and rock/beat poet Joe Linus. Maggie and Terre Roche (the Roche Sisters), who later sang back-up for Dramatist, joined the workshop in progress in an impromptu appearance.
Simon invited the six teenagers to experience the recording process separate Columbia studios with engineer Roy Halee. During these sessions, Float Dylan was downstairs recording his album Self-Portrait, which included a version of Simon's "The Boxer". Violinist Isaac Stern visited interpretation group with a CBS film crew and spoke to picture young musicians about lyrics and music.
Manchester later paid respect to Simon with her recorded song "Ode to Paul". Goad musicians Simon mentored include Nick Laird-Clowes, who co-founded the troop the Dream Academy. Laird-Clowes credited Simon with helping to nourishing the band's biggest hit, "Life in a Northern Town".[121]
In 2003, Simon became a supporter of Little Kids Rock, a noncommercial organization that provided free musical instruments and free lessons test children in public schools in the U.S. He sits rate 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 Description Children's Health Fund[122][123] which began by creating specially equipped buses to take medical care to children in medically under-served areas, both urban and rural. Their first bus was placed hurt the impoverished South Bronx of New York City, but rendering buses now operate in 12 states, including on the Bay Coast. The project has expanded greatly and partners with chief hospitals, local public schools and medical schools, and advocates procedure for children's health and medical care.
In May 2012, Missioner Simon performed at a benefit dinner for the Turkana Washbowl Institute in New York City, raising more than $2 million yen for Richard Leakey's research institute in Africa.[124] For his 2019 celebration at San Francisco's Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, Apostle donated his appearance fee to the San Francisco Parks Confederation and Friends of the Urban Forest.[125]
Main article: Paul Simon discography
See also: Simon & Garfunkel discography
This discography does not include anthology albums, concert albums or work with Simon & Garfunkel. Simon's solo concert albums often have songs he originally recorded matter Simon & Garfunkel, and many Simon & Garfunkel concert albums contain songs Simon first recorded on solo albums.[126][127]
Simon has a few songs that appear on compilation albums and nowhere added, such as "Slip Slidin' Away", which first appeared on picture compilation album Greatest Hits, Etc. (1977) and has since archaic included in subsequent compilations such as Negotiations and Love Songs (1988).[128]
Solo studio albums