Paul Simon: The Life Story Behind Folk's Quiet Genius

Paul Simon is one of the greatest songwriters who ever lived, and he is also one of the quietest. He does not shout, he does not show off, and he does not seek attention. He writes songs, he sings them in a soft, clear voice, and he lets the words do the work. Songs like The Sound of Silence, Mrs. Robinson, Bridge Over Troubled Water, and Graceland are known around the world, and they are studied, sung, and loved by people of all ages. He is a poet, a musician, and a thinker, and he has been making music for more than sixty years.

He was born in New Jersey in 1941, he grew up in Queens, New York, and he met Art Garfunkel when he was eleven years old. Together, they became Simon and Garfunkel, one of the most famous duos in music history, and then Paul became a solo star, making albums that took him from New York to South Africa to Brazil, and that showed the world how a folk singer could learn from every kind of music. He has won twelve Grammy Awards, he has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, and he is regarded as a genius by other musicians.

This is the story of a quiet boy from Queens who became a great songwriter, who wrote songs that defined a generation, who broke up with his partner, who found his own voice, and who kept learning, kept travelling, and kept writing, even when he was in his eighties. It is a story about friendship, about fame, about South Africa, and about a man who never stopped being curious. To understand Paul Simon, you have to listen to his words, because they are the most important thing he has ever made.

A Boy From Queens Who Met Art Garfunkel

Paul Simon was born Paul Frederic Simon on 13 October 1941 in Newark, New Jersey. His father, Louis Simon, was a college professor and a bass player, and his mother, Belle, was a teacher. The family moved to Queens, New York, when Paul was still a child, and he grew up in Kew Gardens Hills, a quiet, middle-class neighbourhood. He was a small, shy boy, who loved music, who listened to the radio, and who sang in school. He was not a loud child, and he did not push himself forward, but he had a strong inner life, and he knew that he wanted to make music.

When Paul was eleven years old, he met Art Garfunkel in school, in a production of Alice in Wonderland. Art was a tall, handsome boy with a beautiful, clear voice, and Paul was a small, clever boy with a guitar and a talent for writing songs. They became friends, and they began to sing together, harmonising on songs by the Everly Brothers and other folk and pop groups. They were a perfect team, because Paul wrote the songs and played guitar, and Art sang them with a voice that was pure and soaring. They were young, they were talented, and they shared a dream of making music together.

As teenagers, they called themselves Tom and Jerry, and they recorded a song called Hey, Schoolgirl in 1957, which became a small hit. They performed on television, they sang in clubs, and they were on their way to becoming stars, but they were still in school, and they had to finish their education. Paul went to Queens College, where he studied English literature, and Art went to Columbia University, where he studied architecture. They were students, but they were also musicians, and they kept writing, kept singing, and kept dreaming about a bigger future.

The years in Queens mattered because they gave Paul his partner, his friend, and his musical soulmate in Art Garfunkel. They also gave him his education, his love of words, and his understanding of poetry, which would shape his songwriting for the rest of his life. He was a quiet boy from Queens, but he was also a boy with a gift, and he was about to use that gift to change music forever. The friendship that started in a school play would become one of the most famous partnerships in music history.

Tom and Jerry, England, and The Sound of Silence

After college, Paul Simon went to England in 1964, where he played in folk clubs, wrote songs, and learned about the British folk scene. He was a young American in London, and he was soaking up new sounds, new ideas, and new ways of writing. He recorded a solo album called The Paul Simon Songbook in 1965, which included early versions of songs like I Am a Rock and The Sound of Silence. The album did not sell very well, but it showed that Paul was a talented songwriter, with a clear, thoughtful voice, and a gift for writing about loneliness, about the city, and about the modern world.

Back in America, Paul and Art reunited as Simon and Garfunkel, and they recorded an album called Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. in 1964, which included The Sound of Silence. The album did not sell well at first, and the duo broke up, with Paul returning to England and Art going back to school. But then, a producer added electric guitars and drums to The Sound of Silence, without telling Paul, and the new version became a number one hit in America in 1965. Paul was in England when he heard the news, and he was shocked, but he was also delighted. The song he had written as a quiet folk song had become a rock hit, and Simon and Garfunkel were suddenly famous.

The duo reunited, and they released a series of albums that became classics: Sounds of Silence in 1966, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme in 1966, and Bookends in 1968. Their songs included Mrs. Robinson, The Boxer, America, and Scarborough Fair, and they became the soundtrack to the 1960s, a decade of change, of protest, and of hope. Paul wrote the songs, Art sang them, and together they made music that was both beautiful and thoughtful, and that spoke to a generation of young people who were trying to understand the world.

The Sound of Silence is still one of the most famous songs ever written, and it is a perfect example of Paul Simon’s gift. It is a song about loneliness, about people who do not talk to each other, and about a world that is full of noise but empty of meaning. Paul wrote it when he was twenty-one years old, and it is a song that has lasted for sixty years, because it is still true. The quiet boy from Queens had written a song that the whole world would sing, and he was only just beginning.

Mrs. Robinson, The Graduate, and the Peak Years

In 1967, Simon and Garfunkel were asked to write music for the film The Graduate, starring Dustin Hoffman. Paul wrote Mrs. Robinson, a song about a bored, unhappy housewife, and it became one of their biggest hits, reaching number one in America and winning a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. The song was witty, clever, and full of references to American life, and it showed Paul’s ability to write a song that was both popular and intelligent. The film was a huge success, and the music made Simon and Garfunkel even more famous.

The duo’s next album, Bookends, was released in 1968, and it included the songs America, Old Friends, and Mrs. Robinson. The album was a thoughtful, beautiful record about growing up, about friendship, and about the passage of time, and it was praised by critics as one of the best albums of the decade. Paul was at the peak of his powers as a songwriter, and he was writing songs that were poetic, personal, and universal, all at the same time. He was a young man, but he was writing like an old soul, with a wisdom that was beyond his years.

In 1970, Simon and Garfunkel released Bridge Over Troubled Water, an album that became one of the best-selling records of all time. The title song, Bridge Over Troubled Water, was sung by Art Garfunkel, and it became a number one hit, winning five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year. The album also included The Boxer, Cecilia, and El Condor Pasa, and it was a perfect record, from start to finish. It was the peak of Simon and Garfunkel’s career, and it was also the end, because the duo broke up soon after, after years of tension, of creative differences, and of personal disagreements.

The break-up was painful, and it was widely reported. Paul and Art had been friends since they were eleven years old, and they had made some of the greatest music ever recorded, but they could no longer work together. Paul wanted to write his own songs, to sing them himself, and to explore new sounds, and Art wanted to act in films and to pursue his own career. They parted as friends, but they were also rivals, and their relationship would remain complicated for the rest of their lives. The peak years had made them legends, but they had also cost them their friendship.

Solo Success, Still Crazy, and a New Voice

After Simon and Garfunkel broke up, Paul Simon began a solo career, and he released his first solo album, Paul Simon, in 1972. The album included the songs Mother and Child Reunion, a reggae-influenced track, and Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, a joyful, rhythmic song about a boy in Queens. The album was a success, and it showed that Paul could succeed on his own, without Art’s voice, and that he had a talent for writing songs that were both personal and universal. He was no longer just half of a duo. He was a solo artist, and he was finding his own voice.

His next album, There Goes Rhymin’ Simon, was released in 1973, and it included the songs Kodachrome and Loves Me Like a Rock, which became hits. Then, in 1975, he released Still Crazy After All These Years, an album that won him the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. The title song was a thoughtful, melancholy reflection on getting older, on love, and on life, and it showed Paul at his most mature and most honest. He was a man in his thirties, writing about his life with a clarity and a wisdom that was rare, and his fans loved him for it.

Paul’s solo years were also a time of personal change. He married Peggy Harper in 1969, and they had a son, Harper, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1975. He later married the actress Carrie Fisher in 1983, but that marriage also ended in divorce in 1984. He married the singer Edie Brickell in 1992, and they have three children, Adrian, Lulu, and Gabriel, and they have been together ever since. Paul’s personal life was complicated, but his music remained clear, honest, and beautiful, and it was the one constant in his life.

The solo years taught Paul a lot about himself. He learned that he could write, sing, and perform on his own, and that he did not need Art Garfunkel to be successful. He also learned that he loved to explore new sounds, new rhythms, and new cultures, and that his curiosity would take him to places he had never imagined. He was a quiet genius, and he was ready to make the most daring album of his career, an album that would change music forever.

Graceland, South Africa, and a Musical Journey

In 1986, Paul Simon released Graceland, an album that became one of the most famous and most controversial records of the decade. Paul had travelled to South Africa, where he worked with local musicians, including the vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and he made an album that mixed American folk and pop with South African rhythms, melodies, and harmonies. The album included the songs Graceland, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, You Can Call Me Al, and The Boy in the Bubble, and it became a huge success, winning the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1987.

Graceland was controversial because South Africa was under apartheid at the time, and there was a cultural boycott against the country. Some people accused Paul of breaking the boycott by recording in South Africa, and of exploiting South African musicians. Paul said that he had gone to South Africa to learn from the musicians, to pay them fairly, and to share their music with the world, and that he believed music could bring people together, even when politics kept them apart. The debate continues to this day, but the album is still regarded as a masterpiece, and it introduced South African music to millions of listeners around the world.

The success of Graceland showed that Paul Simon was not afraid to take risks, and that he was willing to learn from other cultures. He followed it with The Rhythm of the Saints in 1990, an album inspired by Brazilian music, and with Songs from The Capeman in 1997, a musical about a Puerto Rican gang member in New York. Each album showed a different side of Paul, and each one proved that he was a musician who never stopped learning, never stopped travelling, and never stopped being curious about the world.

Graceland also showed Paul’s generosity as an artist. He shared the spotlight with South African musicians, he gave them credit, and he helped them to become famous in their own right. Ladysmith Black Mambazo became a global sensation after Graceland, and Paul’s work with them is still celebrated today. He was a man who believed that music belongs to everyone, and that the best music comes from sharing, from listening, and from learning from each other. That belief has shaped his whole career.

Later Albums, Seven Psalms, and a Quiet Genius Today

In the 2000s and 2010s, Paul Simon continued to make music, releasing albums like You’re the One in 2000, Surprise in 2006, So Beautiful or So What in 2011, and Stranger to Stranger in 2016. Each album showed a different side of him, from the folk of You’re the One to the experimental sounds of Stranger to Stranger, and each one was praised by critics for its intelligence, its beauty, and its originality. Paul was in his sixties and seventies, but he was still writing, still recording, and still pushing himself to try new things.

In 2018, he announced that he was retiring from touring, after a farewell tour called Homeward Bound, but he did not stop making music. In 2023, he released Seven Psalms, a quiet, thoughtful album of seven songs, recorded in his home studio, and inspired by the Psalms, by nature, and by the passage of time. The album was a meditation on life, on death, and on faith, and it showed Paul at his most reflective and most honest. He was in his eighties, and he was still writing songs that mattered, still asking big questions, and still finding new ways to say old truths.

Paul Simon has won twelve Grammy Awards, including three for Album of the Year, and he has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, once with Simon and Garfunkel in 1990, and once as a solo artist in 2001. He is regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, and his songs are studied in schools, sung in churches, and played on the radio around the world. He is a quiet genius, a man who has spent sixty years writing songs, and who has never stopped learning, never stopped growing, and never stopped being curious.

Today, Paul Simon lives a quiet life with his wife Edie Brickell, and he continues to write, to record, and to think about music. He is a husband, a father, and a grandfather, and he is a musician who has given the world some of its most beautiful songs. His story is a story about a quiet boy from Queens who became a great artist, who wrote songs that defined a generation, and who kept going, kept learning, and kept singing, even when he was in his eighties. His music will be listened to for a long time, and his words will keep inspiring people who want to write, to sing, and to tell the truth.

The Words, the Melodies, and the Craft

Paul Simon’s songwriting is built on words, and it is worth studying how he uses them. He writes with a poet’s care, choosing each word for its sound, its meaning, and its place in the line. He does not waste words, and he does not write a line that does not matter. When you read the lyrics to The Sound of Silence, or to America, or to Graceland, you can see that every word has been chosen, every image has been thought about, and every line has a purpose. That care is what makes his songs last, because they are built to be read as well as sung.

His melodies are also distinctive. They are simple, clear, and memorable, but they are also surprising, with unexpected turns, with rhythms borrowed from other cultures, and with harmonies that are both familiar and new. He learned to write melodies by listening to folk, to pop, to gospel, and to the music of South Africa and Brazil, and he took something from each of them. His songs are a journey, and they take the listener somewhere new, every time.

The Central Park Concert, a Film, and Helping Sick Children

On 19 September 1981, Simon and Garfunkel played a free concert in Central Park in New York. Hundreds of thousands of people came, filling the Great Lawn, and the concert became one of the most famous live events in American music. A live album and a film of the show followed, and the two old friends sang their songs together as if the years apart had never happened. It was a night that reminded everyone, including Paul and Art themselves, of what they had made together, and of how much those songs still meant to the people who had grown up with them.

A year earlier, Paul had written and starred in a film called One-Trick Pony, about a folk singer trying to make a living on the road. The film was not a hit, but its songs, including Late in the Evening, are still loved, and the story was close to Paul’s own life as a touring musician. In 1987, Paul helped to start the Children’s Health Fund with the doctor Irwin Redlener, a charity that brings medical care to children in poor communities across America, using mobile clinics that travel to the families who need them. He has supported the fund for decades, giving concerts and raising money for it, and in 2003, he and Art Garfunkel toured together again, on a tour they called Old Friends, filling arenas with audiences who had waited years to hear them sing together one more time.

My Take:

When I think about Paul Simon, I think about words. I think about the words in The Sound of Silence, in Bridge Over Troubled Water, in Graceland, and in Seven Psalms, and I feel as if I am reading poetry, not just listening to songs. Paul is a poet who writes songs, and his words are careful, precise, and beautiful. He does not waste a word, and he does not write a line that does not matter. That is a rare gift, and it is one I admire deeply, because words are the most important thing a songwriter has, and Paul uses them better than almost anyone.

I think the most powerful part of his story is his friendship with Art Garfunkel. They met when they were eleven years old, they sang together, they became famous together, and then they broke up, and they have never really been the same since. That is a sad story, because they were so good together, and their voices, Paul’s writing and Art’s singing, were a perfect match. I wish they had been able to stay together, but I also understand that sometimes people grow apart, even when they love each other. Their break-up is a reminder that even the best partnerships can end, and that it is possible to love someone and still not be able to work with them.

I also admire Paul’s solo career, because it shows that he was not just half of a duo. He was a complete artist on his own, with his own voice, his own songs, and his own vision. Still Crazy After All These Years is one of my favourite albums, because it is honest, thoughtful, and beautifully written. It is an album about getting older, about love, and about life, and it shows Paul at his most mature. He did not need Art to be great. He was great on his own, and that is a testament to his talent.

His album Graceland also moves me, because it shows a man who was willing to learn from other cultures. Paul went to South Africa, he listened to the musicians there, he learned their rhythms, and he made an album that was both American and African, both old and new. That takes humility, and it takes curiosity, and it is a good example for any artist. You do not have to stay in your own world. You can go out, listen, learn, and make something new. Paul did that, and the result was one of the greatest albums ever made.

I think about the controversy around Graceland, and about how complicated it was. Some people said Paul broke the boycott, and others said he helped South African musicians. I do not know all the answers, and I do not want to pretend that I do, but I think Paul’s intentions were good. He wanted to share music, to pay musicians fairly, and to bring people together. Whether he was right or wrong is a question that historians will keep debating, but the music itself is beautiful, and it introduced millions of people to South African culture. That matters, and it is a part of his legacy.

I love Bridge Over Troubled Water, because it is a song about comfort, about being there for someone when they are in trouble. Art sang it, but Paul wrote it, and it is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. When I hear it, I feel as if someone is telling me that it will be all right, that I am not alone, and that there is a bridge over the troubled water. That is a powerful message, and it is one that has helped millions of people, including me, to get through hard times. Paul wrote that song, and he gave it to the world, and the world is better for it.

His quiet nature also appeals to me. Paul is not a loud star, he does not seek attention, and he does not talk about himself very much. He lets his songs do the talking, and that is a humble way to be a star. In a world where many famous people shout about themselves, Paul is quiet, and his quietness is powerful. It tells me that you do not have to be loud to be important, and that sometimes the quietest person in the room is the most talented.

I think about his later album, Seven Psalms, and about how brave it was to make it. He was in his eighties, he had already achieved everything, and he could have retired. Instead, he made a quiet, thoughtful album about faith, about nature, and about death, and he recorded it at home, with his wife, in a simple, intimate way. That is a beautiful thing to do, and it shows that Paul is still curious, still learning, and still asking big questions. I hope I can be like that when I am older, still curious, still learning, and still making art.

If I have a criticism, it is only that I wish Paul and Art had been able to work together more, because their music together was so special. I understand why they broke up, and I respect both of them, but I still feel sad when I think about what they could have made together if they had stayed friends. Perhaps they did the best they could, and perhaps their solo work was worth the break-up, but I still miss Simon and Garfunkel, and I think many people do.

I also think about his influence on other songwriters, and about how many young musicians have learned from him. He showed that a song can be poetic, that a lyric can be as important as a melody, and that a songwriter should care about every word. He inspired a generation of writers, from Bob Dylan to Taylor Swift, and his work is still studied in schools and universities. That is a lasting legacy, and it is one that will keep growing as new songwriters discover his songs.

His marriage to Edie Brickell also stays with me, because it shows that he found happiness later in life. He was married twice before, and both marriages ended, but he found Edie, and they have been together for more than thirty years. They have three children, they make music together, and they seem happy. That is a good story, and it shows that it is never too late to find love, and that a third marriage can be the right one. I am glad he found happiness, and I hope he enjoys it for many years to come.

I think about the future, and about what Paul Simon’s music will mean to people who discover it today. I believe they will hear The Sound of Silence, Mrs. Robinson, and Graceland, and they will feel the same wonder, sadness, and joy that listeners felt in the 1960s and 1980s. The music has not aged, because it was never about fashion. It was about words, about feelings, and about the truth, and those things do not go out of date. Young musicians will keep learning from him, and they will keep being inspired by his quiet genius.

Another thing I notice is his curiosity. Paul has never stopped learning, never stopped travelling, and never stopped listening to new music. He went to South Africa, he went to Brazil, he listened to gospel, to folk, to pop, and to classical music, and he took something from each of them. That curiosity is what makes him a great artist, because it keeps his music fresh, and it keeps him growing. I want to be curious like that, to keep learning, no matter how old I get.

I also think about his voice, and about how it has changed over the years. When he was young, his voice was clear and high. As he got older, his voice became deeper, warmer, and more thoughtful, and I think it became even more beautiful. He does not try to sound young. He sings with the voice he has now, and he lets the years show in his singing. That is honest, and it is brave, and it is a lesson for any singer: you do not have to stay young. You have to stay true to yourself, and your voice will grow with you.

In the end, I think Paul Simon teaches me that words matter, that quiet matters, and that curiosity matters. He was a quiet boy from Queens, he became a great songwriter, he wrote songs that defined a generation, and he kept learning, kept travelling, and kept writing, even when he was in his eighties. He did it by being himself, by writing honest songs, and by never giving up. When I listen to his music, I feel smarter, and I feel more hopeful, and I think that is exactly what he wanted. His story is a reminder that a quiet person can change the world, one song at a time.

I also think about his work with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and about how generous he was as a collaborator. He shared the stage with them, he gave them credit, and he helped them to become famous around the world. That generosity is a good quality, and it is one that has made him loved by musicians in South Africa, as well as in America. He did not take their music. He shared it, and he celebrated it, and that is a model for how artists from different cultures should work together.

His love of baseball also interests me. He is a fan of the New York Yankees, he has written about baseball, and he has said that the game is a part of American life, just like music. That love of an ordinary, American pastime shows that he is not just a poet in an ivory tower. He is a man who loves the simple things, who enjoys a game, and who finds poetry in everyday life. I find that comforting, because it reminds me that art is not separate from life. It is part of it.

Another thing I notice is his humility. He is one of the greatest songwriters in history, he has won twelve Grammys, and he is famous around the world, but he does not act like a star. He is quiet, he is thoughtful, and he treats his fans with respect. I think that is because he started as a quiet boy from Queens, and he never forgot where he came from. That humility makes him even more likeable, and it makes his fans love him even more.

I think about the future, and about what Paul Simon’s music will mean to people who discover it today. I believe they will hear his songs, and they will feel the same wonder, sadness, and joy that listeners felt in the 1960s. The music has not aged, because it was never about fashion. It was about words, about feelings, and about the truth, and those things do not go out of date. Young songwriters will keep learning from him, and they will keep being inspired by his quiet genius.

In the end, I keep returning to the idea that a quiet person can change the world. Paul Simon is quiet, he is thoughtful, and he is not loud, but his songs have changed music, have comforted millions of people, and have inspired generations of writers. He did it by being himself, by writing honest songs, and by never giving up. When I listen to his music, I feel smarter, and I feel more hopeful, and I think that is exactly what he wanted.

One last thought stays with me, and it is about how Paul Simon has made quiet feel powerful. His songs are soft, his voice is gentle, and his words are careful, but they have changed music, comforted millions of people, and inspired generations of writers. That tells me that you do not have to shout to be heard, and that a quiet, honest song can travel further than a loud one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where was Paul Simon born and how did he meet Art Garfunkel?

Paul Simon was born on 13 October 1941 in Newark, New Jersey, and he grew up in Queens, New York. He met Art Garfunkel at eleven years old in a school production of Alice in Wonderland, and they began singing together as Tom and Jerry.

What is The Sound of Silence about?

The Sound of Silence, written by Simon in 1964, is about loneliness and people who do not really talk to each other, in a world full of noise but empty of meaning. The song became a number one hit in 1965 after a producer added electric instruments to the original folk version.

What are Simon and Garfunkel’s most famous songs?

Their most famous songs include The Sound of Silence, Mrs. Robinson, Bridge Over Troubled Water, The Boxer, Scarborough Fair, and America. Bridge Over Troubled Water won five Grammy Awards in 1971, including Album of the Year.

Why did Simon and Garfunkel break up?

Simon and Garfunkel broke up in 1970 after Bridge Over Troubled Water, because of creative differences and personal tensions after years of working together. Paul wanted to pursue a solo career, and Art wanted to act, and their friendship has remained complicated ever since.

What is Graceland and why was it controversial?

Graceland is Paul Simon’s 1986 album, made with South African musicians including Ladysmith Black Mambazo, mixing American pop with South African rhythms. It won Album of the Year, but it was controversial because South Africa was under apartheid and a cultural boycott was in place at the time.

How many Grammy Awards has Paul Simon won?

Paul Simon has won twelve Grammy Awards, including three for Album of the Year, for Bridge Over Troubled Water, Still Crazy After All These Years, and Graceland. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, with Simon and Garfunkel and as a solo artist.

Is Paul Simon still making music today?

Yes, Simon released Seven Psalms in 2023, a quiet album recorded at home in his eighties, after announcing his retirement from touring in 2018. He lives with his wife Edie Brickell, and he continues to write and record music.