Paul Frederic Simon was born on October 13,1941 and is an American singer-songwriter.
110 Facts About Paul Simon
2.
Across his life, Paul Simon has intermittently reunited with Garfunkel for several tours, including the famed Concert in Central Park.
3.
That decade, Paul Simon focused his energies on a Broadway musical The Capeman, which was poorly received.
4.
Paul Simon is among the most acclaimed musicians and songwriters in popular music, and one of the world's best-selling music artists, both for his solo work and with Garfunkel.
5.
Paul Simon is a two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has been the recipient of sixteen Grammy Awards, including three for Album of the Year.
6.
Paul Simon is a co-founder of the Children's Health Fund, a nonprofit that provides medical care to children.
7.
Paul Simon was born on October 13,1941, in Newark, New Jersey, to Hungarian-Jewish parents.
8.
Paul Simon's father, Louis, was a college professor, double-bass player and dance bandleader who performed under the name Lee Sims.
9.
Paul Simon described his father as funny and smart, but said he worked late and did not see his children much.
10.
At the age of 12 or 13 Paul Simon wrote his first song, "The Girl for Me", for him and Art Garfunkel.
11.
Paul Simon's father wrote the words and chords on paper for the boys to use.
12.
Paul Simon was a brother in the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, and went on to attend Brooklyn Law School for one semester in 1963.
13.
Between 1957 and 1964, Paul Simon wrote, recorded and released more than 30 songs.
14.
Paul Simon enjoyed moderate success with singles as part of the group Tico and the Triumphs, including "Motorcycle", which reached number 99 on the Billboard charts in 1962.
15.
Also in 1962, Paul Simon reached number 97 on the pop charts as Jerry Landis, with the novelty song "The Lone Teen Ranger".
16.
Paul Simon contributed to the Seekers' catalog with "Someday One Day", which was released in March 1966, charting around the same time as Paul Simon and Garfunkel's "Homeward Bound".
17.
Wilson did not inform the duo of his plan, and Paul Simon was "horrified" when he first heard it.
18.
At the urging of his wife, Peggy Harper, Paul Simon called Davis to confirm the duo's breakup.
19.
Paul Simon pursued solo projects, reuniting occasionally with Garfunkel for various projects.
20.
Paul Simon wrote it for Garfunkel, whose solo output Paul Simon felt lacked "bite".
21.
Paul Simon provided guitar on Garfunkel's 1973 album Angel Clare, and added backing vocals to the song "Down in the Willow Garden".
22.
Simon's album Paul Simon was released in January 1972, preceded by his first experiment with world music, the Jamaican-inspired "Mother and Child Reunion".
23.
Paul Simon put together a benefit show at Madison Square Garden to raise money for the New York Public Library on May 3,1976.
24.
Paul Simon dabbled in various projects, including writing music for the film Shampoo, which became the music for the song "Silent Eyes" on the Still Crazy album, and acting.
25.
Paul Simon achieved another hit in this decade, with the lead single of his 1977 compilation Greatest Hits, Etc.
26.
In 1980, Paul Simon released One-Trick Pony, his debut album with Warner Bros.
27.
In January 1985, Paul Simon lent his talent to USA for Africa, and performed on the relief fundraising single "We Are the World".
28.
In 1986, Paul Simon was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music, where he has served on the board of trustees.
29.
Paul Simon traveled to Johannesburg where he recorded with African musicians in early 1986.
30.
Paul Simon collaborated with several American artists, singing a duet with Linda Ronstadt in "Under African Skies", and playing with Los Lobos in "All Around the World or The Myth of Fingerprints".
31.
Paul Simon was removed from the blacklist in January 1987.
32.
Since the early stages of the 1990s, Paul Simon was fully involved in The Capeman, a musical that eventually opened on January 29,1998.
33.
Paul Simon recorded an album of songs from the show, which was released in November 1997.
34.
Paul Simon missed the Top 40 of the Billboard charts for the first time in his career.
35.
Paul Simon embarked on a North American tour with Bob Dylan in 1999, with each alternating as the headline act with a "middle section" where they performed together, starting on the first of June and ending September 18.
36.
Paul Simon toured extensively for the album, and one performance in Paris was released to home video.
37.
At the time, Paul Simon was already working on a new album with Brian Eno called Surprise, which was released in May 2006.
38.
In personal terms, Paul Simon was inspired by turning 60 in 2001, which he humorously referred to on "Old" from You're the One.
39.
In 2007 Paul Simon was the inaugural recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, awarded by the Library of Congress, and later performed as part of a gala of his work.
40.
Paul Simon is one of a small number of performers who are named as the copyright owner on their recordings.
41.
Paul Simon's albums were issued by Warner Music Group until mid-2010.
42.
In mid-2010, Paul Simon moved his catalog of solo work from Warner Bros.
43.
In February 2009, Paul Simon performed back-to-back shows in New York City at the Beacon Theatre, which had recently been renovated.
44.
Paul Simon was reunited with Art Garfunkel at the first show as well as with the cast of The Capeman.
45.
In May 2009, Paul Simon toured with Garfunkel in Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
46.
Paul Simon released a new song called "Getting Ready for Christmas Day" on November 10,2010.
47.
Paul Simon performed the song live on The Colbert Report on December 16,2010.
48.
On February 26,2012, Paul Simon paid tribute to fellow musicians Chuck Berry and Leonard Cohen, who were the recipients of the first annual PEN Awards for songwriting excellence at the JFK Presidential Library in Boston, Massachusetts.
49.
Paul Simon released a 25th anniversary box set of Graceland on June 5,2012.
50.
Paul Simon played a few concerts in Europe with the original musicians to commemorate the anniversary.
51.
On December 19,2012, Paul Simon performed at the funeral of Victoria Leigh Soto, a teacher killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
52.
On June 14,2013, at Sting's Back to Bass Tour, Paul Simon performed his song "The Boxer" and Sting's "Fields of Gold" with Sting.
53.
In September 2013, Paul Simon delivered the Richard Ellmann Lecture in Modern Literature at Emory University.
54.
In February 2014, Paul Simon embarked on a joint concert tour titled On Stage Together with English musician Sting, playing 21 concerts in North America.
55.
Paul Simon appeared during the premiere week of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on September 11,2015.
56.
Paul Simon made a cameo appearance onscreen in the tenth and final episode of the series.
57.
On June 3,2016, Paul Simon released his thirteenth solo studio album, Stranger to Stranger via Concord Records.
58.
Paul Simon began writing new material shortly after releasing his twelfth studio album, So Beautiful or So What, in April 2011.
59.
Paul Simon was introduced to him by his son, Adrian, who was a fan of his work.
60.
Paul Simon worked with longtime friend Roy Halee, who is listed as co-producer on the album.
61.
Paul Simon performed "Bridge over Troubled Water" at the 2016 Democratic National Convention on July 25,2016.
62.
Paul Simon debuted a new version of "Questions for the Angels" with jazz guitarist Bill Frisell on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on May 24,2017.
63.
On February 5,2018, Paul Simon announced his retirement from touring in a letter to fans, citing time away from family and the death of longtime guitarist Vincent Nguini as key factors.
64.
On September 7,2018, Paul Simon released his fourteenth solo studio album, In the Blue Light, consisting of re-recordings of selected lesser-known songs from his catalog.
65.
Paul Simon announced his return to the live stage to close San Francisco's Outside Lands festival on August 11,2019.
66.
Paul Simon sold his music publishing catalog to Sony Music Publishing on March 31,2021.
67.
Paul Simon announced his most recent work, the album Seven Psalms, in April 2023.
68.
Paul Simon himself appeared during the BAM shows, performing "Trailways Bus" and "Late in the Evening".
69.
Paul Simon played music producer Tony Lacey, a supporting character, in the 1977 Woody Allen feature film Annie Hall.
70.
Paul Simon wrote and starred in 1980's One Trick Pony as Jonah Levin, a journeyman rock and roller.
71.
In 1978, Paul Simon made a cameo appearance in the movie, The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash.
72.
Paul Simon has been the subject of two films by Jeremy Marre, the first on Graceland, the second on The Capeman.
73.
Paul Simon performed a Stevie Wonder song at The White House in 2009, at an event honoring Wonder's musical career and contributions.
74.
Paul Simon has appeared on Saturday Night Live 14 times, both as host and musical guest.
75.
Paul Simon was the host for the second episode, which aired on October 18,1975, following George Carlin, who hosted the first episode.
76.
Paul Simon appeared alongside George Harrison as musical guest on the Thanksgiving Day episode of SNL on November 20,1976.
77.
On that episode, Paul Simon opened the show performing "Still Crazy After All These Years" in a turkey outfit, since Thanksgiving was the following week.
78.
About halfway through the song, Paul Simon tells the band to stop playing because of his embarrassment.
79.
Lorne Michaels greets him positively backstage, but Paul Simon is still upset, yelling at him because of the humiliating turkey outfit.
80.
In one SNL skit from 1986, Paul Simon plays himself, waiting in line with a friend to get into a movie.
81.
On September 29,2001, Paul Simon made a special appearance on the first SNL to air after the September 11,2001, attacks.
82.
Paul Simon appeared on the March 9,2013, episode hosted by Justin Timberlake, as a member of the Five-Timers Club.
83.
Paul Simon closed the 40th anniversary SNL show on February 15,2015, with a performance of "Still Crazy After All These Years".
84.
Paul Simon was the musical guest and it was his 77th birthday.
85.
Paul Simon has earned sixteen Grammy Awards for his solo and collaborative work, including three for Album of the Year, and a Lifetime Achievement Award.
86.
Paul Simon is one of only six artists to have won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year more than once as the main credited artist.
87.
Paul Simon received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song for the song "Father and Daughter" in 2002.
88.
Paul Simon was the first recipient of the Library of Congress's Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2007.
89.
In 2001, Paul Simon was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year.
90.
In 2005, Paul Simon was saluted as a BMI Icon at the 53rd Annual BMI Pop Awards.
91.
In 2006, Paul Simon was selected by Time Magazine as one of the "100 People Who Shaped the World".
92.
In 2007, Paul Simon received the first annual Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
93.
In 2010, Paul Simon received an honorary degree from Brandeis University, where he performed "The Boxer" at the main commencement ceremony.
94.
In October 2011, Paul Simon was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
95.
When Paul Simon moved to England in 1964, he met Kathleen Mary "Kathy" Chitty was born on 1947 and on April 12 at the first English folk club he played, the Railway Inn Folk Club in Brentwood, Essex.
96.
Paul Simon was 16 and he was 22 when they began a relationship.
97.
Kathy returned to England on her own, with Paul Simon returning to her some weeks later.
98.
When Paul Simon returned to the US with the growing success of "The Sounds of Silence", Kathy, who was quite shy, wanted no part of the success and fame that awaited Paul Simon so they ended their relationship.
99.
Paul Simon is mentioned by name in at least two of his songs: "Kathy's Song" and "America".
100.
Paul Simon is referred to in "Homeward Bound" and "The Late Great Johnny Ace".
101.
Paul Simon has been married three times, first to Peggy Harper in 1969.
102.
Paul Simon wrote about this relationship in the song "Train in the Distance" from his 1983 album Hearts and Bones.
103.
Paul Simon proposed to her after a New York Yankees game.
104.
Paul Simon 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.
105.
In 1970, after recording his "Bridge Over Troubled Water", at the invitation of the NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Paul Simon held auditions for a young songwriters' workshop.
106.
Paul Simon invited the six teens to experience recording at Columbia studios with engineer Roy Halee.
107.
Laird-Clowes has credited Paul Simon with helping to shape the band's biggest hit, "Life in a Northern Town".
108.
In 2003, Paul Simon signed on as a supporter of Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit organization that provides free musical instruments and free lessons to children in public schools in the US He sits on the organization's board of directors as an honorary member.
109.
Paul Simon is a major benefactor and one of the co-founders, with Irwin Redlener, of the Children's Health Project and The Children's Health Fund which started by creating specially equipped "buses" to take medical care to children in medically under-served areas, urban and rural.
110.
Paul Simon has a few songs that appear on compilation albums and nowhere else, such as "Slip Slidin' Away" which first appeared on the compilation album Greatest Hits, Etc.