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Paul Simon

Paul Simon is a renowned American singer-songwriter known for his profound impact on music through both his collaborative work with Art Garfunkel and his successful solo career. Born in 1941 in Newark, New Jersey, Simon was raised in a Jewish household and began creating music in his youth, teaming up with Garfunkel while still in high school. Their duo achieved fame with hits like "The Sound of Silence" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water," which showcased their harmonious blend of folk and rock influences. Following their split in the 1970s, Simon embarked on a solo journey that produced critically acclaimed albums, including the Grammy-winning "Graceland," which integrated diverse musical styles and themes. Simon's artistic exploration continued throughout his career, incorporating elements of world music and collaborations with various artists. He has received numerous accolades, including twelve Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. Notably, Simon's musical legacy reflects a commitment to transcending cultural boundaries and expressing his personal journey through song, making him a significant figure in contemporary music. In 2023, Simon released "Seven Psalms," highlighting his ongoing creativity despite personal challenges, such as hearing loss.

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MUSICIAN

Simon is an American singer-songwriter who collaborated with Art Garfunkel before establishing a successful solo career. Throughout his career, he produced many songs of enduring popularity. Later, he expanded his repertoire to incorporate global influences, helping introduce elements of world music into mainstream popular culture.

AREA OF ACHIEVEMENT: Music

Early Life

Paul Simon was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1941, the older of two sons of Hungarian Jewish parents, Bella and Louis Simon. Bella taught elementary school, and Louis was a college professor, an accomplished bass player, and a dance bandleader. Simon’s brother, Eddie, was born when Simon was four years old. Their mother reared her sons in the Jewish faith and customs, regularly taking them to the synagogue. Simon’s father took him to Yankee Stadium to watch New York Yankee baseball players such as Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio. In later years, Simon would include DiMaggio’s name in his famous song “Mrs. Robinson.” After the release of the song, Simon met DiMaggio for the first time in an Italian restaurant.

While in school at Forest Hills High School, Simon wrote songs under the names Jerry Landis, True Taylor, and Paul Kane. In high school, he teamed up with Art Garfunkel, a fellow musician, to sing and perform for social and school functions. Under the names of Tom and Jerry, the two released a successful recording of “Hey, Schoolgirl” in 1957 while still in their teens. This record made the pop music hit charts at number forty-nine. As Landis, Simon also recorded “The Lone Teen Ranger,” which was listed at number ninety-nine on the pop music charts.

After high school, Simon began his college education at Queens College, The City University of New York, where he joined the Jewish fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi. He graduated with a degree in English literature and applied for graduate school at Brooklyn Law School. He was accepted and briefly attended before he decided to leave and to pursue a career in music in 1964.

Life’s Work

Simon wrote and recorded more than thirty songs from 1957 to 1964. During this time, he worked alone and in collaboration with several musicians, including Garfunkel. In the fall of 1964, Simon and Garfunkel recorded their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., but it met with little success. Simon moved to England to tour coffeehouses and clubs in 1965. While there, he recorded The Paul Simon Songbook for CBS Records. Meanwhile, Tom Wilson at Columbia Records, the producer of Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., remixed and added drums, bass, and electric guitar to “The Sounds of Silence,” originally recorded with only acoustic guitar. Released as a single in late 1965, the song reached the top of the pop charts in early 1966. Simon returned to the United States, and in 1966, he and Garfunkel released the Sounds of Silence album, with hits such as “I Am a Rock” and “Richard Cory.” The fall of 1966 brought the duo another winner: the album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme, featuring popular songs such as “Homeward Bound” and “The Fifty-Ninth Street Bridge Song/Feeling Groovy.”

In 1967, Simon was asked to compose for a new film, The Graduate. “Mrs. Robinson” would serve as the theme song for this film and would be released on the album Bookends (1968). Simon and Garfunkel recorded Bridge over Troubled Water, their last album together, in 1970, before they decided to dissolve their musical partnership. The album was a hit, staying at the top of the music charts for six weeks.

Simon became a popular and successful singer-songwriter in his own right. In 1972, Simon released Paul Simon, featuring two successful tunes: “Mother and Child Reunion,” which reached number four on the charts, and “Me and Julio down by the Schoolyard,” which rose to number twenty-two. The following year, Simon successfully released his second solo album, There Goes Rhymin’ Simon (1973). Two songs from that album went to number two on the pop charts, “Kodachrome” and “Loves Me Like a Rock,” which included back-up voices by the Dixie Hummingbirds. “American Tune” was released as a single and rose to number thirty-five on the Billboard charts. In 1975, Simon’s solo album, Still Crazy After All These Years, brought him his biggest hit single, “Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover,” number one on the Billboard Top 100 for three weeks in early 1976. Simon made his acting debut with a cameo in the 1977 film Annie Hall. Simon married actor Carrie Fisher in 1983, but the couple divorced a year later. That loss gave rise to much of the content of the 1983 solo album Hearts and Bones.

Simon’s most successful solo work, Graceland, was released in 1986 and won album of the year at the Grammy Awards ceremony in 1987. This recording ranked third on the hit music charts in the United States and first in the United Kingdom. This award winner, recorded in South Africa in collaboration with South African musicians, offered a variety of music styles. Though somewhat politically controversial, Simon found a large audience willing to appreciate his music. Simon married singer Edie Brickell in 1992, and they had three children. He has one son from his first marriage to former business manager Peggy Harper from 1970 to 1975.

Simon next turned to Latin American music for inspiration, resulting in The Rhythm of the Saints (1990). Songs from The Capeman (1997) was born of a collaboration with Caribbean writer Derek Walcott on a musical about a gangster turned poet-activist, which was poorly received when first run on Broadway. You’re the One (2000) blended Simon’s earlier sound with the newer African and Latin influences. Simon’s 2006 album Surprise, produced by Brian Eno, brings a more modern sensibility and delves into themes of parenthood and post-September 11 life in America. So Beautiful or So What (2011) represents more of a return to Simon’s musical roots while retaining the contemporary feeling of his later recordings.

Simon rejoined Garfunkel for reunion performances every few years since their official split in the 1970s; Garfunkel, while expressing the wish to reform their duo, has accused Simon of having suppressed his creativity and blamed him for their disbanding. In 2024, Garfunkel said that he and Simon met for lunch and reconciled after years of estrangement. Simon also toured with other music legends, including Bob Dylan and Sting.

Simon released the album Seven Psalms in May 2023. The album consists of seven pieces performed on acoustic guitar. He worked on the album at his ranch in Wimberley, Texas, during the COVID-19 global pandemic after coming up with the idea in a vivid dream in 2019. Filmmaker Alex Gibney released a documentary about the project called In Restless Dreams in 2024. During filming, Simon lost most of his hearing in his left ear, which initially made extended live performances difficult. In 2025, he returned to live performance with the A Quiet Celebration tour, featuring the live debut of Seven Psalms.

Significance

Simon’s work as a collaborator, singer-songwriter, and solo artist has brought him much recognition. He has won sixteen Grammy Awards; Simon & Garfunkel received a Recording Academy Achievement Award in 2003, and numerous other honors. In 2007, Simon became the first recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Simon was inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once with Garfunkel (1990) and once as a solo musician (2001). Simon has also been credited for the highest number of appearances as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Simon’s work expanded beyond the borders of America, transcending cultures and countries. He accepted an invitation from South African leader Nelson Mandela to perform concerts in South Africa, becoming the first American musician to play there after the dissolution of apartheid. 

Simon exemplifies an artist who forsook a traditional career path to develop his innate artistic gifts and grow in his passion for music. No matter his age or stage in life, Simon has written and sung songs about his journey, maturing from novice to master musician. He demonstrates that growing older can mean getting better in your craft.


Bibliography

Beaumont-Thomas, Ben. “‘I Was a Fool’: Art Garfunkel Describes Tearful Reunion with Paul Simon.” The Guardian, 11 Nov. 2024, www.theguardian.com/music/2024/nov/11/i-was-a-fool-art-garfunkel-describes-tearful-reunion-with-paul-simon. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

Deming, Mark. “Paul Simon Biography.” AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-simon-mn0000031685/biography. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

Harrington, Richard. “Paul Simon: The Sound of America.” The Washington Post, 18 May 2007.

Ito, Robert. “Paul Simon Faced Unexpected Struggles. Cameras Were Rolling.” The New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/03/18/arts/music/paul-simon-in-restless-dreams-documentary.html. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

Light, Alan. “Paul Simon’s Electric Sonic Texture Test.” The New York Times, 7 May 2006.

“Paul Simon.” GRAMMY.com, The Recording Academy, www.grammy.com/artists/paul-simon/6579. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

“Paul Simon Announces ‘A Quiet Celebration Tour.’” The Paul Simon Official Site, 20 Feb. 2025, www.paulsimon.com/news/paul-simon-announces-a-quiet-celebration-tour/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

“Paul Simon Walks Back on Retirement from Touring as He Announces 2025 Concerts: Dates and How to Get Tickets.” People, 20 Feb. 2025, people.com/paul-simon-announces-a-quiet-celebration-tour-dates-tickets-11681670. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

Sederholm, Jillian. “All the SNL Hosts Who’ve Doubled as Musical Guests.” Entertainment Weekly, 5 Feb. 2026, ew.com/every-snl-double-duty-host-musical-guest-8145619. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.

Simon, Paul. Lyrics, 1964–2008. Simon & Schuster, 2008.

Tyrangiel, Josh. “Paul Simon.” Time, 8 May 2006, time.com/collections/the-2006-time-100/7376499/paul-simon/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.

Full Article

MUSICIAN

Simon is an American singer-songwriter who collaborated with Art Garfunkel before establishing a successful solo career. Throughout his career, he produced many songs of enduring popularity. Later, he expanded his repertoire to incorporate global influences, helping introduce elements of world music into mainstream popular culture.

AREA OF ACHIEVEMENT: Music

Early Life

Paul Simon was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1941, the older of two sons of Hungarian Jewish parents, Bella and Louis Simon. Bella taught elementary school, and Louis was a college professor, an accomplished bass player, and a dance bandleader. Simon’s brother, Eddie, was born when Simon was four years old. Their mother reared her sons in the Jewish faith and customs, regularly taking them to the synagogue. Simon’s father took him to Yankee Stadium to watch New York Yankee baseball players such as Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio. In later years, Simon would include DiMaggio’s name in his famous song “Mrs. Robinson.” After the release of the song, Simon met DiMaggio for the first time in an Italian restaurant.

While in school at Forest Hills High School, Simon wrote songs under the names Jerry Landis, True Taylor, and Paul Kane. In high school, he teamed up with Art Garfunkel, a fellow musician, to sing and perform for social and school functions. Under the names of Tom and Jerry, the two released a successful recording of “Hey, Schoolgirl” in 1957 while still in their teens. This record made the pop music hit charts at number forty-nine. As Landis, Simon also recorded “The Lone Teen Ranger,” which was listed at number ninety-nine on the pop music charts.

After high school, Simon began his college education at Queens College, The City University of New York, where he joined the Jewish fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi. He graduated with a degree in English literature and applied for graduate school at Brooklyn Law School. He was accepted and briefly attended before he decided to leave and to pursue a career in music in 1964.

Life’s Work

Simon wrote and recorded more than thirty songs from 1957 to 1964. During this time, he worked alone and in collaboration with several musicians, including Garfunkel. In the fall of 1964, Simon and Garfunkel recorded their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., but it met with little success. Simon moved to England to tour coffeehouses and clubs in 1965. While there, he recorded The Paul Simon Songbook for CBS Records. Meanwhile, Tom Wilson at Columbia Records, the producer of Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., remixed and added drums, bass, and electric guitar to “The Sounds of Silence,” originally recorded with only acoustic guitar. Released as a single in late 1965, the song reached the top of the pop charts in early 1966. Simon returned to the United States, and in 1966, he and Garfunkel released the Sounds of Silence album, with hits such as “I Am a Rock” and “Richard Cory.” The fall of 1966 brought the duo another winner: the album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme, featuring popular songs such as “Homeward Bound” and “The Fifty-Ninth Street Bridge Song/Feeling Groovy.”

In 1967, Simon was asked to compose for a new film, The Graduate. “Mrs. Robinson” would serve as the theme song for this film and would be released on the album Bookends (1968). Simon and Garfunkel recorded Bridge over Troubled Water, their last album together, in 1970, before they decided to dissolve their musical partnership. The album was a hit, staying at the top of the music charts for six weeks.

Simon became a popular and successful singer-songwriter in his own right. In 1972, Simon released Paul Simon, featuring two successful tunes: “Mother and Child Reunion,” which reached number four on the charts, and “Me and Julio down by the Schoolyard,” which rose to number twenty-two. The following year, Simon successfully released his second solo album, There Goes Rhymin’ Simon (1973). Two songs from that album went to number two on the pop charts, “Kodachrome” and “Loves Me Like a Rock,” which included back-up voices by the Dixie Hummingbirds. “American Tune” was released as a single and rose to number thirty-five on the Billboard charts. In 1975, Simon’s solo album, Still Crazy After All These Years, brought him his biggest hit single, “Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover,” number one on the Billboard Top 100 for three weeks in early 1976. Simon made his acting debut with a cameo in the 1977 film Annie Hall. Simon married actor Carrie Fisher in 1983, but the couple divorced a year later. That loss gave rise to much of the content of the 1983 solo album Hearts and Bones.

Simon’s most successful solo work, Graceland, was released in 1986 and won album of the year at the Grammy Awards ceremony in 1987. This recording ranked third on the hit music charts in the United States and first in the United Kingdom. This award winner, recorded in South Africa in collaboration with South African musicians, offered a variety of music styles. Though somewhat politically controversial, Simon found a large audience willing to appreciate his music. Simon married singer Edie Brickell in 1992, and they had three children. He has one son from his first marriage to former business manager Peggy Harper from 1970 to 1975.

Simon next turned to Latin American music for inspiration, resulting in The Rhythm of the Saints (1990). Songs from The Capeman (1997) was born of a collaboration with Caribbean writer Derek Walcott on a musical about a gangster turned poet-activist, which was poorly received when first run on Broadway. You’re the One (2000) blended Simon’s earlier sound with the newer African and Latin influences. Simon’s 2006 album Surprise, produced by Brian Eno, brings a more modern sensibility and delves into themes of parenthood and post-September 11 life in America. So Beautiful or So What (2011) represents more of a return to Simon’s musical roots while retaining the contemporary feeling of his later recordings.

Simon rejoined Garfunkel for reunion performances every few years since their official split in the 1970s; Garfunkel, while expressing the wish to reform their duo, has accused Simon of having suppressed his creativity and blamed him for their disbanding. In 2024, Garfunkel said that he and Simon met for lunch and reconciled after years of estrangement. Simon also toured with other music legends, including Bob Dylan and Sting.

Simon released the album Seven Psalms in May 2023. The album consists of seven pieces performed on acoustic guitar. He worked on the album at his ranch in Wimberley, Texas, during the COVID-19 global pandemic after coming up with the idea in a vivid dream in 2019. Filmmaker Alex Gibney released a documentary about the project called In Restless Dreams in 2024. During filming, Simon lost most of his hearing in his left ear, which initially made extended live performances difficult. In 2025, he returned to live performance with the A Quiet Celebration tour, featuring the live debut of Seven Psalms.

Significance

Simon’s work as a collaborator, singer-songwriter, and solo artist has brought him much recognition. He has won sixteen Grammy Awards; Simon & Garfunkel received a Recording Academy Achievement Award in 2003, and numerous other honors. In 2007, Simon became the first recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Simon was inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once with Garfunkel (1990) and once as a solo musician (2001). Simon has also been credited for the highest number of appearances as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Simon’s work expanded beyond the borders of America, transcending cultures and countries. He accepted an invitation from South African leader Nelson Mandela to perform concerts in South Africa, becoming the first American musician to play there after the dissolution of apartheid. 

Simon exemplifies an artist who forsook a traditional career path to develop his innate artistic gifts and grow in his passion for music. No matter his age or stage in life, Simon has written and sung songs about his journey, maturing from novice to master musician. He demonstrates that growing older can mean getting better in your craft.


Bibliography

Beaumont-Thomas, Ben. “‘I Was a Fool’: Art Garfunkel Describes Tearful Reunion with Paul Simon.” The Guardian, 11 Nov. 2024, www.theguardian.com/music/2024/nov/11/i-was-a-fool-art-garfunkel-describes-tearful-reunion-with-paul-simon. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

Deming, Mark. “Paul Simon Biography.” AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-simon-mn0000031685/biography. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

Harrington, Richard. “Paul Simon: The Sound of America.” The Washington Post, 18 May 2007.

Ito, Robert. “Paul Simon Faced Unexpected Struggles. Cameras Were Rolling.” The New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/03/18/arts/music/paul-simon-in-restless-dreams-documentary.html. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

Light, Alan. “Paul Simon’s Electric Sonic Texture Test.” The New York Times, 7 May 2006.

“Paul Simon.” GRAMMY.com, The Recording Academy, www.grammy.com/artists/paul-simon/6579. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

“Paul Simon Announces ‘A Quiet Celebration Tour.’” The Paul Simon Official Site, 20 Feb. 2025, www.paulsimon.com/news/paul-simon-announces-a-quiet-celebration-tour/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

“Paul Simon Walks Back on Retirement from Touring as He Announces 2025 Concerts: Dates and How to Get Tickets.” People, 20 Feb. 2025, people.com/paul-simon-announces-a-quiet-celebration-tour-dates-tickets-11681670. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

Sederholm, Jillian. “All the SNL Hosts Who’ve Doubled as Musical Guests.” Entertainment Weekly, 5 Feb. 2026, ew.com/every-snl-double-duty-host-musical-guest-8145619. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.

Simon, Paul. Lyrics, 1964–2008. Simon & Schuster, 2008.

Tyrangiel, Josh. “Paul Simon.” Time, 8 May 2006, time.com/collections/the-2006-time-100/7376499/paul-simon/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.

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