Simon and Garfunkel Biography, Photos and Posters

Simon and Garfunkel

Biography

Started: 1960s
Hometown: New York, NY
Instrument: Vocal, Guitar
Music Training:
Awards: 1968 Grammy Best Contemporary-Pop Performance - Vocal Duo Or Group, "Mrs. Robinson;" 1968 Record Of The Year, "Mrs. Robinson;" 1970 Album Of The Year, Bridge Over Troubled Water; 1970 Record Of The Year, "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
Signature Song: "Sounds of Silence," "Homeward Bound," "I Am a Rock," "A Hazy Shade of Winter." "Mrs. Robinson," "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," "My Little Town,"
Simon and Garfunkel biography: Paul Simon was born in Newark, NJ, but his family soon moved to Forest Hills in Queens, NY. There he met and teamed up with childhood friend Art Garfunkel to form the singing duet Tom and Jerry. Together they recorded their first single, "Hey Schoolgirl," back in 1957. The record actually made the top 50, but their follow-ups went nowhere. The pair split up with Simon still trying his hand at the music business working in the milieu that has since become legend in the Brill Building in New York.

With the 60s came the folk music revolution and the pair reunited as a folk group recording an unsuccessful acoustic track, this time, under the name Simon and Garfunkel. Once again the duo split up with Simon leaving to play on the folk circuit in England and recording an obscure folk album.

By now it was 1965 and the folkrock movement was in progress with Dylan and groups like the Byrds, so their producer Tom Wilson, who had worked with Dylan, had a brainstorm, why not embellish their stongest track "Sounds of Silence" with an electric guitar, bass and drums. The single hit number 1 on the charts in 1966 and Simon and Garfunkel were stars. Simon returned from the U. K. and reunited with Art Garfunkel and together they revisited the pop charts over and over again. The duo's skills improved in both Paul Simon's song writing and their performance. By now it was well into the 60s and rock groups were becoming raunchier everyday, but Simon and Garfunkel remained a class act.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme was released in late 1966 and Bookends in 1968 included some of their earlier work as well as "Mrs. Robinson," which was featured in the movie The Graduate became one of the biggest singles of the late 60s. By 1969 the 2 had begun to grow apart. They rarely performed together in public and often recorded separately. Garfunkel wished to try his hand at acting while Simon felt the music, most of which he wrote, was constrained by the current arrangement. Their final album together Bridge Over Troubled Waters was an enormous success and contained the title track as well as "The Boxer," "Cecilia," and "El Condor Pasa". The duo split with Simon beginning his solo career and Garfunkel his acting and solo singing career. The group reunited for one more hit in 1975 "My Little Town."

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