Paul Simon

By Tom Kirvan

A songwriter whose work spans a world of poetry and music that seemingly knows no bounds, Paul Simon has written a success story that continues to move a legion of fans across multiple generations.

Born October 13, 1941 in Newark, N.J., Simon was part of a Hungarian-Jewish family that moved to Queens, N.Y., where his mother was a music teacher and his father a bass player. Simon attended Forest Hills High School alongside his friend, Art Garfunkel.

Originally billed as “Tom and Jerry,” the duo had their first hit record at the age of 16. “Hey Schoolgirl” climbed up the Billboard charts, earning the teens their first gig on “American Bandstand,” the popular show hosted and produced by Dick Clark.

After going their separate ways for several years, the pair reunited in 1964, which Simon later referred to the period poetically as “one-night stands/my suitcase and guitar in hand/every stop... neatly planned/for a poet and a one-man band.”

Paul Simon*

In 1965, they released the single, “The Sound of Silence,” which became a No. 1 hit in the United States, catapulting the duo to lasting fame.

“Faith is an island in the setting sun, but proof is the bottom line for everyone,” said Simon of their rise to the top.

Their popularity spread even further with such songs as “Bridge Over Troubled Waters,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “I Am a Rock,” “Scarborough Fair,” and “Homeward Bound” before the duo disbanded in 1970.

As a soloist, Simon went on to even greater success with such hits as “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” and “Slip Slidin’ Away,” earning him a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

“You want to be a writer, don’t know how or when? Find a quiet place, use a humble pen,” Simon mused.

Now, at the age of 85 and in the twilight of his songwriting career, Simon's words remain, as philosophical and inspiring as ever.

“All lies and jests, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.”

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