Paul Simon

Lore & Background

Paul Simon was born in Newark, New Jersey, to Hungarian-Jewish parents. His father was a professor and double bass player; his mother was an elementary-school teacher. The family moved to Queens, New York City, in 1945. Simon met Art Garfunkel in elementary school in 1953, and they began singing together at age 13. In 1957, as teenagers, they recorded "Hey, Schoolgirl" under the name Tom & Jerry, which reached number 49 on the Billboard charts. Simon graduated from Queens College in 1963 and attended Brooklyn Law School for one semester.

After the duo's first album flopped, Simon moved to London in 1965, where he performed in folk clubs and learned finger-picking from Martin Carthy. He wrote "Homeward Bound" and "I Am a Rock" there. The success of the overdubbed single "The Sound of Silence" brought him back to the U.S. to reunite with Garfunkel. They recorded several albums and contributed to the film The Graduate. Their final album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970), is among the best-selling of all time.

As a solo artist, Simon released albums including Paul Simon (1972), There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973), and Still Crazy After All These Years (1975). In 1986, he released Graceland, his most successful and acclaimed album, which incorporated South African influences. He wrote a Broadway musical, The Capeman (1998), that was poorly received. His most recent album, Seven Psalms, was released in 2023.

Reader's Guide

Paul Simon's significance lies in his dual career as half of Simon & Garfunkel and as a solo artist who continually expanded his musical palette. With Garfunkel, he created a string of hits that defined the 1960s folk-rock sound, including "The Sound of Silence," "Mrs. Robinson," and "The Boxer." Their final album, Bridge over Troubled Water, remains one of the best-selling albums of all time. As a solo artist, Simon explored gospel, reggae, and soul, and his 1986 album Graceland, which incorporated South African influences, became his most successful and acclaimed work. Simon has won 16 Grammy Awards, including three for Album of the Year, and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. Two of his works—Sounds of Silence (as part of Simon & Garfunkel) and Graceland—were inducted into the National Recording Registry. He received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2001 and the Library of Congress's Gershwin Prize in 2007. He is also a co-founder of the Children's Health Fund, a nonprofit providing medical care to children.

Did You Know?

• Simon met Art Garfunkel in elementary school in 1953.
• His first song, 'The Girl for Me,' became the 'neighborhood hit' when he was 12 or 13.
• Simon used the pseudonyms 'Jerry Landis,' 'Paul Kane,' and 'True Taylor' for early recordings.
• He is a co-founder of the Children's Health Fund, a nonprofit that provides medical care to children.