Historical Figure
Paul Simon
1941–2003
American singer-songwriter (born 1941)
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Biography
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Simon & Garfunkel. Their blend of folk 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 the best-selling of all time.
In Their Own Words (5)
Seasons change with the scenery;Weaving time in a tapestry.Won't you stop and remember meAt any convenient time?
A Hazy Shade of Winter , 1968
Let us be lovers we'll marry our fortunes together.I've got some real estate here in my bag.So we bought a pack of cigarettes and Mrs. Wagner's pies,And we walked off to look for America
America , 1968
Time, time, time, see what's become of me,While I looked around for my possibilities,I was so hard to please,But look around, the leaves are brown,And the sky is a hazy shade of winter.
A Hazy Shade of Winter , 1968
Preserve your memories, they're all that's left you.
Bookends , 1968
Hello darkness, my old friend I've come to talk with you again Because a vision softly creeping Left its seeds while I was sleeping And the vision that was planted in my brain Still remains Within the sound of silence.
The Sound of Silence Full lyrics online , 1964
Timeline
The story of Paul Simon, told in moments.
"The Sound of Silence" hit No. 1 after a producer overdubbed electric instruments without telling Simon or Garfunkel. They'd broken up. The hit pulled them back together. Five albums followed.
Bridge over Troubled Water became one of the best-selling albums of all time. Then Simon & Garfunkel split for real. Simon went solo. His first three albums produced "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" and "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover."
Graceland was released. Recorded in Johannesburg with South African musicians. It sold 16 million copies. "You Can Call Me Al" became inescapable. Some criticized him for breaking the cultural boycott. He went anyway.
Released Seven Psalms, his most recent album. Twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 16 Grammys. Kennedy Center honoree. Gershwin Prize winner. He's been writing songs for nearly 70 years.
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