Conclusion
Paul Simon’s impact on music is undeniable. From his early days with Simon & Garfunkel to his successful solo career, he has left an indelible mark on the industry. His ability to blend various genres and his dedication to philanthropy have only added to his legacy. As he continues to inspire new generations of musicians, there is no doubt that Paul Simon will always be remembered as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time.
Paul Simon is a musical genius who has left an indelible mark on the music industry. With a career spanning over six decades, he has consistently produced chart-topping hits that have won the hearts of millions of fans across the globe. His music has been described as soulful, poetic, and timeless, and it continues to inspire new generations of musicians and music lovers alike.
One of the things that sets Paul Simon apart from other musicians is his ability to blend different genres of music seamlessly. He has incorporated elements of folk, rock, pop, and world music into his compositions, creating a unique and eclectic sound that is all his own. His lyrics are also a testament to his exceptional songwriting skills, with many of his songs tackling complex themes such as love, politics, and social justice.
But perhaps the most enduring legacy of Paul Simon’s music is the way it has touched the lives of so many people. His songs have been the soundtrack to countless memories and experiences, and they continue to resonate with fans of all ages. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a casual listener, there’s no denying the impact that Paul Simon has had on the world of music.
Личная жизнь
В ранней молодости у Пола был роман с англичанкой Кэтлин Мэри Читти, продававшей билеты в клуб, где концертировал Саймон. Фото возлюбленных украсило обложку альбома The Paul Simon Songbook, открывшего персональную дискографию музыканта.
Первая законная супруга Пегги, подарившая в 1972 году сына Харпера, вдохновила мужчину на написание нескольких композиций для сборника Hearts and Bones. Однако альбом вышел уже после развода, последовавшего в 1975-м.
Второй женой Пола стала падчерица Элизабет Тейлор — актриса и прозаик Кэрри Фишер. В России артистка известна преимущественно благодаря роли принцессы Леи Органы в киноэпопее «Звездные войны». По книге Фишер в 1990 году Майк Николс снял комедийную драму «Открытки с края бездны», главную героиню в которой сыграла Мерил Стрип.
В промежутке между Пегги и Кэрри мужчина встречался с актрисой Шелли Дюваль. Возлюбленные вместе появились в картине Вуди Аллена «Энни Холл», получившей 4 «Оскара». Режиссер, исполнивший в ленте главную мужскую роль, воспользовался для сюжета элементами своей биографии. Однофамилец Пола, писатель и кинокритик Джон Саймон, скончавшийся в 2019 году, называл фильм бесформенным, скучным и бесцельным.
Счастье в личной жизни музыкант обрел с певицей Эди Брикелл, которая младше него на четверть века. В этом браке родились 3 детей: Адриан, Лулу и Габриэль. В 2014-м супругов обвинили в нарушении общественного порядка — семейная ссора артистов переросла в драку. В суде штата Коннектикут муж и жена, держась за руки, сообщили, что конфликт исчерпан и они не видят друг в друге угрозы.
Пол Саймон сейчас
В августе 2019-го Пол Саймон принял участие в фестивале Golden Gate Park, проходившем в Сан-Франциско. Фото афиши музыкального форума выложено в «Инстаграме» певца. 23 ноября 2019 года он в качестве специального гостя участвовал в концерте в New York City’s Town Hall (Ратуше Нью-Йорка).
В феврале 2020-го на официальном сайте артиста появились слова прощания с южноафриканским певцом Джозефом Шабалалой, скончавшимся в Претории в возрасте 79 лет, и совместный снимок с ним. Музыка «черного континента» вдохновила Пола на создание альбома Graceland. В 1989 году исполнители вместе приезжали в СССР и давали концерт в Москве на подмостках Зеленого театра Парка имени Горького.
Are there any other facts we should know about Paul Simon?
Simon & Garfunkel — The Sound of Silence (from The Concert in Central Park)
After their initial split, Paul Simon’s and Art Garfunkel’s friendship was fractured. But they later reunited for a huge show in New York’s Central Park which drew an audience of half a million.
Their song ‘Mrs. Robinson’ from The Graduate featuring Dustin Hoffman has been covered many times, notably by The Lemonheads which featured in the parody of the film’s final scene in Wayne’s World 2.
Simon is self-confessed sports nut, and is an avid fan of the New York Rangers ice hockey team, the New York Knicks basketball team and the New York Yankees baseball team.
On many occasions Simon’s songwriting has been compared to Bob Dylan’s. In 2010 he reached out to Dylan to collaborate after they toured together in 1999. He was ignored.
In 2018, Simon announced that his upcoming tour would be his last. It concluded in New York, the city where his incredible life and career began.
Discography
Solo studio albums:
- The Paul Simon Songbook (1964)
- Paul Simon (1972)
- There Goes Rhymin’ Simon (1973)
- Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)
- One-Trick Pony (1979)
- Hearts and Bones (1983)
- Graceland (1986)
- The Rhythm of the Saints (1990)
- Paul Simon 1964/1993 (1993)
- The Capeman (1998)
- You’re the One (2000)
- Surprise (2006)
- So Beautiful or So What (2007)
- Stranger to Stranger (2016)
- In the Blue Light (2018)
- Seven Psalms (2023)
Live albums:
- Paul Simon in Concert (1972)
- Live Rhymin’ (1974)
- Paul Simon: Concert in Central Park (1981)
- Paul Simon’s Graceland Concert: The African Tour (1987)
- Paul Simon: The Paul Simon Collection (Live) (1995)
- Live at the Capeman (1998)
- Live in New York City (2008)
- Live in Dublin (2014)
- Homeward Bound (2017)
Compilation albums:
- Simon & Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits (1966)
- The Paul Simon Anthology (1992)
- The Essential Paul Simon (2003)
- Songwriter (2011)
Who is Harper Simon?
Paul’s first son Harper Simon is a musician and journalist.
WHERE’S THE MONEY?
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In the wake of Simon & Garfunkel’s split, Paul and Peggy raised Harper in New York City.
On October 13, 2009, he released his self-titled debut album.
From October 2013 to August 2014, Harper dated Robert F Kennedy Jr’s daughter Kathleen.
Who is Lulu Simon?
Similar to her older brother, her mother, and her father, Lulu Simon is also a musician.
On August 9, 2019, she released her first eponymous EP.
2
Paul’s marriage to Edie Brickell (pictured right) produced three more childrenCredit: Getty
Regarding her musical background and how she came into her own as an artist, Lulu told PEOPLE: «We used to make up songs as we were walking through Central Park, or in the bath.
«We would always just write music. I literally used to go into my bathroom and turn the water on and play guitar and sing very quietly.
«I wasn’t ready for people in my family to know that I was making music because I wanted to be sure of what I was doing.
«It was difficult at first because I was I didn’t know how the type of music I write naturally would translate into pop.»
Read More on The US Sun
GO OUT IN STYLE
Solo Career
In 1972, Simon recorded a self-titled solo album. With songs like «Mother and Child Reunion» (named after a dish at a Chinese restaurant) and «Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,» he took a distinct stylistic turn away from his previous work and earned rave reviews from initially skeptical critics. He still doesn’t know exactly what he and Julio were doing down by the schoolyard, but the song became a hit. The hits kept coming throughout the early 1970s, with singles from There Goes Rhymin’ Simon, Live Rhymin’, and Still Crazy After All These Years, which won him Album of the Year at the Grammys.
Inspired by his appearance in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall, Simon set out to make a movie himself. In 1980, he wrote and starred in One-Trick Pony, along with recording a soundtrack of all-new material. The movie bombed, but the soundtrack yielded the hit single “Late in the Evening.” It was just one single, however, and his career hit a slump.
In 1981, he reunited with Garfunkel for a free concert in New York’s Central Park, drawing in 500,000 people, a new record at the time. (Simon surpassed that total with his solo Central Park concert in 1991, with 750,000 in attendance.) The concert album was released in 1982, and was so successful that the duo went on tour, but their plans to record new material together brought up old scars, ended in disagreement and led to many years of estrangement. The album that would have marked their reunion, Hearts and Bones, became a Simon solo album, and despite strong material, was a commercial flop.
Early Life
Paul Simon was born on October 13, 1941, to Jewish American parents living in New Jersey. As a singer-songwriter known for his cerebral compositions, it seems only fitting that Simon’s mother, Belle, was an English teacher and his father, Louis, was both a teacher and a bandleader; the Simon family used to stay up late to catch his appearances on The Jackie Gleason Show and Arthur Godfrey and His Friends.
After moving to Queens, New York, Simon befriended Art Garfunkel, «the most famous singer in the neighborhood.» Simon credits Garfunkel’s performance in the 4th grade talent show as his inspiration to start singing, especially after he heard a girl tell Garfunkel how good he was.
At Forest Hills High School, Simon and Garfunkel formed a duo called «Tom and Jerry,» choosing pseudonyms to avoid sounding too Jewish. They would occasionally perform at school dances, but spent their free time in New York City at the famous Brill Building, pitching Simon as a songwriter and the duo as demo singers, for which they’d get paid $15 a song. In 1957, they pooled together the money to cut a single, «Hey Schoolgirl,» and had their first hit at the age of 15. This landed them a spot on American Bandstand, going on right after Jerry Lee Lewis.
Life was pretty good at Forest Hills High School for Simon, with both a hit song, a full album recorded, and a spot on the varsity baseball team (a sport that he’d remain a fan of, and write about, throughout his career). But when none of the other tracks they recorded had any success, Tom and Jerry decided to go their separate ways. Thinking they’d peaked at 16, Garfunkel started studying art history at Columbia University, while Simon headed to Queens College. To make extra money, Simon continued doing demos and offering his services to producers, which is where he learned how to work in the studio, and how to handle the business side of the music industry, both of which would become invaluable. Years later, when John Lennon would ask him how he’d known so much about the industry (while the Beatles had practically given everything they did away), Simon told him it was simple: he grew up in New York.
How did Paul Simon get his start in music?
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel have had a long, but fractured friendship.
Picture:
Getty
Paul Simon met his songwriting partner Art Garfunkel at school when they were just 11, and forged a strong friendship from then onwards.
He wrote his first song ‘The Girl For Me’ for his friend Garfunkel when he was just 13, and the pair went on to write, record, and release over 30 songs across the next decades throughout their teenage years and beyond.
After several flops and minimal success, Simon moved to England, but was drawn back when an electric version of ‘The Sound Of Silence’ got picked up by radio stations nationwide.
The duo went on to write four more albums, with their final album Bridge Over Troubled Water becoming the best-selling album of all time at the time of its release.
Unknown Facts about Paul Simon
Who is Paul Simon?
Paul Simon is a legendary American singer-songwriter, known for his unique voice and exceptional songwriting skills. He has been entertaining the world with his music for over five decades and has earned numerous accolades for his work. From his early days with Art Garfunkel to his solo career, Paul Simon has been a prominent figure in the music industry. But how much do you really know about him?
The Untold Story
Paul Simon’s career spans over 50 years, but there are still some unknown facts about his life and music that may surprise you. Did you know that he wrote one of his biggest hits, “Mrs. Robinson,” for the movie “The Graduate,” or that he had a brief stint in acting? These are just a couple of examples of the fascinating stories that lie behind the music of Paul Simon.
Discover the Fascinating World of Paul Simon
If you are a fan of Paul Simon or just curious about his life and work, this article is for you. We have delved deep into the world of Paul Simon to uncover some of the most intriguing and lesser-known facts about the legendary musician. From his early days in music to his most recent projects, we will take you on a journey through the life and career of Paul Simon, with insights and perspectives from some of the most renowned experts in the field. So, get ready to discover the fascinating world of Paul Simon!
Career
Peter Criss was associated with several bands during the 1960s, including Chelsea, later renamed Lips in 1971.
After losing members, the Lips became a duo in 1972, and Criss listed an advertisement in Rolling Stone for a new band.
Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley found his listing and brought him aboard. In 1972, the band took the name Kiss.
Kiss dropped their debut self-titled album in 1974, which sold 75,000 copies and was certified gold in 1977.
An International Rockstar
After the release of their first album, Peter Criss and Kiss quickly began turning out new music, including the album Hotter Than Hell.
In 1975, they released their third album, Dressed to Kill, which contained their now iconic “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
However, their biggest break came when they released their first live album, Alive!, in September 1975, which had their first top 40 single.
The following year, they released Destroyer and the single “Beth,” which became their first song to reach the top 10.
While things looked to be going well for the band, Peter Criss was let go in 1980, two years after releasing his self-titled solo album.
Despite leaving Kiss, Criss was determined to become one of the richest rockstars in the world and started focusing on his solo career.
A Solo Artist
Peter Criss began working on his second solo album, Out of Control, in March 1980, though it was a commercial failure.
Likewise, his third album, Let Me Rock You, failed to make an impact, prompting Criss to begin working with other bands.
In the early 1990s, he put together a new band called Criss with guitarist Mike Stone, and they released Cat #1 in 1994.
However, Criss returned to Kiss at the 1995 Kiss Konvention and participated in a reunion tour with all the original members the following year.
This tour was an unprecedented success, leading to the album Psycho Circus, which debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 in 1998.
Criss remained with Kiss until 2011 when he left again due to a contract dispute and was replaced by Eric Singer.
Although not as wealthy as Axl Rose, Peter Criss remained one of the world’s best-known rock stars.
Rock & Retirement
Although he left Kiss in 2001, he rejoined the band a year later for Kiss Symphony: Alive IV, a CD and DVD, before leaving again in 2004.
In 2006, he was featured on Kiss’s Alive! The Millennium Concert live album, and a year later, he released his final solo album, One for All.
Criss was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, but fortunately, he was successfully treated with a lumpectomy.
He then released his autobiography, Makeup to Breakup: My Life In and Out of Kiss, in 2012.
On June 17, 2017, Criss performed his final solo show before officially retiring from touring at 71.
Since retiring from touring, Criss has remained mainly out of the spotlight, enjoying his time off the stage.
However, in 2023, he reflected on how Kiss had inspired some of the richest singers in the world when they played their final concert in December.
Детство и юность
Будущий музыкант появился на свет в Ньюарке в разгар осени 1941-го. Сейчас население крупнейшего города штата Нью-Джерси на треть меньше, чем в год рождения ребенка.
Родители Пола, как и мать лидера рок-группы Kiss Джина Симмонса, — венгерские евреи, обосновавшиеся в США. Отец мальчика, Луи, преподавал в колледже и играл на контрабасе, мать по имени Белл работала учительницей в школе.
Пол и его младший брат Эдди росли в самом многонациональном районе Нью-Йорка — Квинсе. Саймоны стремились к ассимиляции и с энтузиазмом неофитов увлекались мотивами афроамериканцев и бейсболом. Хотя сам исполнитель играет на гитаре, во многих его композициях — например, в знаменитой Obvious Child — звучат африканские барабаны.
В 11 лет начались дружба и сотрудничество подростка с Артом Гарфанкелом. Мальчики вместе участвовали в спектакле «Алиса в Стране чудес». В 13 лет одноклассники стали петь и играть на школьных вечеринках. Отец будущей звезды написал для юных музыкантов песню The Girl for Me.
После выпуска пути приятелей ненадолго разошлись: Арт изучал математику в нью-йоркском университете Колумбия, а Саймон получил степень бакалавра английской литературы и 1 семестр отучился в Бруклинской юридической школе. Но страсть к мелодическому искусству победила, и друзья объединились в дуэт, который назвали по аналогии с анимационным фильмом — «Том и Джерри».
Who is Paul Simon?
Paul Simon was the songwriting force behind the success of Simon & Garfunkel.
Picture:
Photofest
Paul Simon is one of the most critically acclaimed songwriters in the history of popular music, selling tens of millions of records worldwide and earning a total of sixteen Grammy Awards.
His partnership with schoolfriend Art Garfunkel, Simon & Garfunkel, earned them immense cultural and commercial success throughout the 1960s with songs like ‘The Sound of Silence’, ‘Mrs. Robinson’, and ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ until their split in 1970.
- Simon and Garfunkel’s 15 greatest songs ever, ranked
- The extraordinary story of Simon & Garfunkel’s life-long feud
- Paul Simon’s 10 greatest solo songs ever
Regarded as the driving force behind the duo having written the majority of their songs, Paul Simon later achieved a fruitful solo career and released some of his most recognised works like his 1975 album Still Crazy After All These Years and 1986’s Graceland.
He is a two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: first in 1990 as a member of Simon & Garfunkel, and again in 2001 for his solo career.
‘Graceland’ and Subsequent Projects
In the 1980s, Simon became fascinated by African and Brazilian music. His interests took him to South Africa in 1985, where he began recording the revolutionary Graceland album. Combining elements of rock, zydeco, Tex-Mex, Zulu choral singing and mbaqanga, or «township jive,» the album captured a sound that wasn’t quite like anything anyone had heard before. Going to South Africa to record with local musicians meant violating a cultural boycott, but Simon wanted to bring those sounds and voices to the rest of the world, and he succeeded.
A groundbreaking and risky departure from Simon’s earlier projects, and a controversial choice given the political situation, Graceland proved to be one of the unlikeliest hits of the 1980s. It won Album of the Year at the Grammys and helped put South African music on the world stage, as well as restored Simon to superstardom. It also marked the beginning of his lifelong friendship and collaboration with the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Graceland’s place in musical history was cemented even more firmly in 2012. In honor of its 25th anniversary, the documentary Under African Skies premiered at Sundance, featuring footage from the recording sessions and interviews with Simon, Harry Belafonte, Quincy Jones and the musicians who were part of the original recording sessions.
Simon followed up Graceland with the Latin American-influenced The Rhythm of the Saints in 1990. It didn’t do as well as its predecessor, but it was still a commercial success and was nominated for two Grammy Awards.
Simon took his talents to Broadway in 1997, writing and producing The Capeman. It closed to bad reviews after 68 performances, but still scored three Tony Award nominations.
He followed up with strong Grammy-nominated studio albums that were commercial successes: You’re The One in 2000, Surprise in 2006 and So Beautiful or So What in 2011. In the midst of that, he received his first Oscar nomination in 2003 for “Father and Daughter,” his contribution to The Wild Thornberrys Movie soundtrack. The song was written for his daughter Lulu and featured his son Adrian on backing vocals.
Simon continued to tour, performing with Garfunkel again as well as numerous other collaborators. In 2014, he embarked on a yearlong world tour with Sting, with whom he’d become friends after living in the same New York City apartment building in the late 1980s. Two years later, he wrote and performed the theme song for Louis C.K.’s show Horace and Pete, and appeared in the final episode.
Simon also has a longtime association with the TV show Saturday Night Live and its creator-producer Lorne Michaels, having appeared on the show as either a host or musical guest (or both) 15 times, once appearing alongside Illinois Senator Paul Simon.
Favorite Quotes from Paul Simon
“Kodachrome, it gives us those nice bright colors Gives us the greens of summers Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day, oh yeah! I got a Nikon camera, I love to take a photograph So momma, don’t take my Kodachrome away…” – Paul Simon
“If you can get humor and seriousness at the same time, you’ve created a special little thing, and that’s what I’m looking for, because if you get pompous, you lose everything.” – Paul Simon
“Most of the time, the songs have jokes in them, little sarcastic things, or purposely kitsch or something. So that’s going along with a story, like I do in life, just talking to myself and making fun of stuff and laughing at stuff that’s serious. And sometimes it’s a good idea to put the laughing into the songs. Sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s all right just to be serious. But most of the songs have some kind of joke in them.” – Paul Simon
“I don’t really know why an idea comes to me. But all of a sudden, an idea comes, and from experience, I can intuit what something means when an interesting line pops up. Or I can intuit what an interesting choice might be. And I can try a couple of different choices, and see which one feels right, and then continue the song to see where it goes.” – Paul Simon
“I don’t feel any pressure from fans. But I’m always in some kind of state of emotional turmoil. I would not describe myself as happy-go-lucky. That’s not to say that I’m not happy.” – Paul Simon
“I really don’t know what exactly all the songs mean. Sometimes other people have meanings and when I hear them I think, ‘That’s really a better meaning than I thought, and perfectly valid, given the words that exist.’ So part of what makes a song really good is that people take in different meanings, and they apply them, and they might be more powerful than the ones I’m thinking.” – Paul Simon
Paul Simon: Latest Information
| Name | Paul Simon |
|---|---|
| Nickname | None |
| Profession | Musician, Singer, Songwriter |
| Date of Birth | October 13, 1941 |
| Age | 82 years old |
| Net Worth | $90 million |
| Height | 5 feet 3 inches |
| Weight | Not available |
| Body Measurements | Not available |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Hair Color | Grey |
| Birthplace/Hometown | Newark, New Jersey, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Gender | Male |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Sun Sign (Zodiac Birth Sign) | Libra |
| House Location | New Canaan, Connecticut, United States |
| Wiki Page | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Simon |
| Facebook Profile Link | |
| Twitter Profile Link |
Paul Simon Height
Physical Statistics
| Height (Tall) | 5 feet 3 inches |
| Weight | 65 kg |
| Profession | Singer-songwriter, musician, and actor |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Shoe Size (UK) | 8 |
| Hair Color | White |
Paul Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actor who has been active in the industry since the 1950s. He is known for his eclectic style and his ability to blend various genres of music. Despite his success, Paul Simon stands at a relatively short height of 5 feet 3 inches and weighs around 65 kg. He has brown eyes and wears a UK shoe size of 8. In recent years, his hair has turned white, giving him a distinguished and mature look.
Paul Simon Family
Family
| Parents | Weight | Siblings |
|---|---|---|
| Evelyn Simon (Mother) Louis Simon (Father) |
N/A | Eddie Simon (Brother) |
This is the table for the family of Paul Simon. His mother’s name was Evelyn Simon and his father’s name was Louis Simon. Unfortunately, their weights are not available. Paul Simon had one brother named Eddie Simon.
Bridge over Troubled Water
Песня с пятого, финального студийного альбома дуэта, давшего ему название, вышла в 1970-м. Саймон считает, что на нее оказал влияние американский госпел, религиозные песни темнокожих американцев. В 1971 году песня получила пять наград на 13-й церемонии «Грэмми», продержалась шесть недель на первом месте в чарте Billboard. Ее пели Элвис Пресли и Джош Гробан, Уитни Хьюстон и Джон Ледженд, Джон Бон Джови и Эрита Фрэнклин, Роберта Флэк и Эва Кэссиди, Вилли Нельсон и Джонни Кэш. Это она из главных песен ХХ века о любви и доверии, о том, что один человек может отдать другому — а может быть, одна из главных песен вообще:
Словно мост над бурною водою/лягу под ногой твоей.
How many kids does Paul Simon have?
In 1969, Paul Simon walked down the aisle with Peggy Harper.
On September 7, 1972, the pair welcomed their first son Harper Simon.
Harper is the first of Paul’s four children, and he went on to have two more sons and a daughter.
On May 30, 1992, the Bridge Over Troubled Water singer married Edie Brickell.
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Months later in December, the couple welcomed Paul’s second son Adrian.
In April 1995, they expanded their family further with the arrival of Paul’s third child and only daughter Lulu Simon.
In May 1998, Edie gave birth to Paul’s fourth child and third son Gabriel.
Who is Harper Simon?
Paul’s first son Harper Simon is a musician and journalist.
WHERE’S THE MONEY?
FKA Twigs says she underwent ‘psychotherapy exam’ in Shia LaBeouf assault case
In the wake of Simon & Garfunkel’s split, Paul and Peggy raised Harper in New York City.
On October 13, 2009, he released his self-titled debut album.
From October 2013 to August 2014, Harper dated Robert F Kennedy Jr’s daughter Kathleen.
Who is Lulu Simon?
Similar to her older brother, her mother, and her father, Lulu Simon is also a musician.
On August 9, 2019, she released her first eponymous EP.
2
Paul’s marriage to Edie Brickell (pictured right) produced three more childrenCredit: Getty
Regarding her musical background and how she came into her own as an artist, Lulu told PEOPLE: «We used to make up songs as we were walking through Central Park, or in the bath.
«We would always just write music. I literally used to go into my bathroom and turn the water on and play guitar and sing very quietly.
«I wasn’t ready for people in my family to know that I was making music because I wanted to be sure of what I was doing.
«It was difficult at first because I was I didn’t know how the type of music I write naturally would translate into pop.»
Read More on The US Sun
GO OUT IN STYLE
Early Life
Paul Simon was born to Hungarian-Jewish parents on October 13, 1941, in Newark, New Jersey.
His father, Louis, was a college professor and a double bass player in dance bands, while his mother, Belle, was an elementary school teacher.
Growing up in Queens, New York, Paul was exposed to music and cultural diversity from a young age. He met Art Garfunkel in elementary school, and they started singing together when they were 13 years old.
Paul wrote his first song, “The Girl for Me,” around the same time and performed it with Garfunkel.
They formed the duo “Tom and Jerry” in high school and had a minor hit with “Hey Schoolgirl” in 1957.
Simon & Garfunkel and Early Career
A chance encounter a few years later brought Simon and Garfunkel back together as a musical duo, and they used their real names when they released their first album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., as Simon & Garfunkel. It only had five original Simon songs on it, and it wasn’t a hit, but it did feature an early, acoustic version of “The Sound of Silence,” that would eventually be the catalyst for their leap into stardom.
Dismayed by the failure of Simon & Garfunkel’s first album, Simon headed to Europe. He busked in France, Spain and England, slept under bridges, and fell in love with his first real muse, Kathy. He released a solo album, The Paul Simon Songbook, in 1965. The album didn’t sell much, but it included tracks like «I Am a Rock» and «Kathy’s Song,» both of which would one day become fan favorites. The liner notes featured Simon arguing with his alter ego, disparaging his own talent, but the truth is, he was having the time of his life in London. He was meeting other musicians, getting well paid for gigs and was in love.
Who is Lulu Simon?
Similar to her older brother, her mother, and her father, Lulu Simon is also a musician.
On August 9, 2019, she released her first eponymous EP.
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Paul’s marriage to Edie Brickell (pictured right) produced three more childrenCredit: Getty
Regarding her musical background and how she came into her own as an artist, Lulu told PEOPLE: «We used to make up songs as we were walking through Central Park, or in the bath.
«We would always just write music. I literally used to go into my bathroom and turn the water on and play guitar and sing very quietly.
«I wasn’t ready for people in my family to know that I was making music because I wanted to be sure of what I was doing.
«It was difficult at first because I was I didn’t know how the type of music I write naturally would translate into pop.»
Biography
During his distinguished career Paul Simon has been the recipient of many honors and awards including 12 Grammy Awards, three of which (“Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “Still Crazy After All These Years” and “Graceland”) were albums of the year. In 2003 he was given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his work as half of the duo Simon and Garfunkel. He is a member of The Songwriters Hall of Fame, a recipient of their Johnny Mercer Award and is in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Simon and Garfunkel and as a solo artist. His song “Mrs. Robinson” from the motion picture “The Graduate” was named in the top ten of The American Film Institute’s 100 Years 100 Songs. He was a recipient of The Kennedy Center Honors in 2002 and was named as one of Time Magazine’s “100 People Who Shape Our World” in 2006. In 2007, Mr. Simon was awarded the first annual Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Named in honor of the legendary George and Ira Gershwin, this newly created award recognizes the profound and positive effect of popular music on the world’s culture, and is given annually to a composer or performer whose lifetime contributions exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwin’s. In 2011 Mr. Simon was elected to The American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Of Mr. Simon’s many concert appearances he is most fond of the two concerts in Central Park in New York (with his partner and childhood friend Art Garfunkel in 1981 and as a solo artist in 1991) and the series of shows he did at the invitation of Nelson Mandela in South Africa: the first American artist to perform in post-apartheid South Africa. In 1998, his performance on center field at Yankee Stadium celebrating the unveiling of Joe DiMaggio’s monument is a treasured memory for this lifelong Yankee’s fan.
Paul Simon’s philanthropic work includes the co-founding of The Children’s Health Fund with Dr. Irwin Redlener. The CHF donates and staffs mobile medical vans that bring health care to poor and indigent children in urban and rural locations around the United States. Since it’s inception in 1986 it has provided over 3 million doctor/patient visits. In the wake of Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina it was the primary health care source for those communities decimated by the storms. Mr. Simon has also raised millions of dollars for worthy causes as varied as AMFAR, The Nature Conservancy, The Fund for Imprisoned Children in South Africa and Autism Speaks and The Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation.