Paul Simon

Vocation

Notable

Family

American singer, song-writer who teamed up with Art Garfunkel to become folk-rock music icons of the 60's with songs such as "The Sounds of Silence," Homeward Bound," "America," "The Boxer" and "Scarborough Fair." The troubled duo broke up in 1970 after winning six Grammy awards for their album "Bridge Over Troubled Water." After a slump in the early '80s Simon came back in 1986 to win several Grammy's for "Graceland." Simon's parents, Louis and Belle, were a happily married couple who produced a secure home environment for him and his brother. Simon's first love was sports, particularly baseball, and he claims it gave him confidence and a certain male image. He began writing songs at 13 while growing up in Queens, NY, listening to Gospel and rock 'n' roll. In sixth grade Simon met Art Garfunkel, also a pretty good ballplayer, who later became the other half of the singing duo. At 15 they recorded "Hey Schoolgirl" under the name of Tom and Jerry and when it was released in 1957 it became a top-50 hit. After two more records flopped Simon went on to Queens College and Garfunkel to Columbia University. Later an accidental meeting would find them auditioning for and being signed up with Columbia Records. In 1964 they released the album "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M." but got nowhere. When Columbia saw the success of Bob Dylan's folk-rock records, Columbia took a song from the "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M." album, over-dubbed the acoustic version with electric guitar, drums and bass and re-released "The Sound of Silence," 1964. It became a No. 1 single which Simon calls a turning point in his life. The duo continued to create hits including "The Boxer," "America," and "Mrs. Robinson," which was in the soundtrack of the movie "The Graduate" starring Dustin Hoffman. Simon and Garfunkel had a turbulent relationship and in 1970, after winning six Grammy's for the album "Bridge Over Troubled Water," they spit up. They had a reunion concert in New York's Central Park in 1981. Different styles of music have always influenced Simon's song writing. In the early '60s, while living in England, he was drawn to folk ballads from the north country where he learned "Scarbourough Fair," and the Bolivian group, Los Incas, influenced "El Condor Pasa." Ska, the bouncy two-beat Jamaican style that preceded reggae strongly influenced his 1972 hit "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard." A downward trend in the early 80's brought him several flops including an autobiographical film he starred in, "One-Trick Pony," 1980, and the LP "Hearts and Bones," 1983, was a disappointment. After retreating for three years he reemerged with the critically acclaimed LP, "Graceland," inspired by the music of South Africa. In the early 90's he released "The Rhythm of the Saints," a mélange of Brazilian drums, West African guitars and American pop. In 1987 Simon co-founded the Children's Health Fund, a program that uses mobile medical units to provide health care for the homeless kids of New York City with pediatrician Irwin Redlener. His first marriage to Peggy Harper produced a son, Harper James. After years of living with his significant other, novelist, screenwriter and actress Carrie Fisher, their relationship fell apart in three months after they married in 1983. In 1992 he married, Edie Brickell, the lead singer of New Bohemians and had a son, Adrian. Edward, born on 12/28/1992, New York City. Simon and Garfunkel have reunited for a tour, beginning with a performance in Wilkes-Barre, PA on October 16, 2003. This is only the second time they’ve officially toured together since their break up in 1970; their subsequent tour in 1983 ended badly. They’ve since publicly performed together only a few times in the intervening years: at the 1990 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony when they were inducted; in 1993 at some of Simon’s shows in New York and at some charity events that year; and at the Grammy Awards in February 2003 where they were given a lifetime achievement award. The current tour is aptly entitled, "Old Friends in Concert." Link to Wikipedia biography