Paul Simon
American singer-songwriter (born 1941)
Songs, collaboration and changing musical influences
The duo years
Paul Simon came to prominence with Art Garfunkel in the 1960s. Their recordings included The Sound of Silence and the album Bridge over Troubled Water. Simon had also released an acoustic solo album in Britain in 1965, an early sign that his writing would extend beyond the partnership.
A separate recording career
After the duo’s early-1970s split, Simon released a run of solo albums including Paul Simon, There Goes Rhymin’ Simon and Still Crazy After All These Years. His songs drew on multiple styles, while a 1981 Central Park concert brought him back onstage with Garfunkel for a major reunion performance.
New collaborations
For Graceland in 1986, Simon worked with South African musicians, a collaboration that produced acclaimed music and debate over the apartheid-era cultural boycott. The Rhythm of the Saints followed in 1990 with further cross-cultural influences. He kept recording in later decades, releasing Seven Psalms in 2023.