Paul Simon was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1941 and was raised in Queens, New York. Arthur Ira Garfunkel was born in Queens, New York in 1942. Fate happened in 1953 when Paul and Art met in elementary school and continued their friendship into high school.
By their junior year, they had formed the singing duo of Tom and Jerry. Influenced by The Everly Brothers, they formed their tight harmonies and recorded their first single, “Hey Schoolgirl” in 1957.
In 1958, after little success beyond their first single, Paul and Art went to separate colleges, but were reunited in 1963 and they recorded their first album for Columbia Records, “Wednesday Morning 3 A.M.” Unfortunately, it failed to produce any hits after its initial release.
The duo broke up and Paul moved to England where he recorded “The Paul Simon Songbook” in 1965. During the early sixties, Paul performed under the names, Jerry Landis, Paul Kane, Harrison Gregory and True Taylor.
Stateside, a song from their first album began receiving heavy radio airplay. That song, “Sounds of Silence” became their first number one single in 1966. Paul returned home from Europe and hooked up with Art to record their second album, “Sounds of Silence.
By 1969, Paul and Art needed a break from each other. Art wanted to pursue an acting career and appeared in the films “Catch 22”, “Carnal Knowledge” and “Bad Timing.” They finally split in 1970, but not before recording their biggest album together, “Bridge Over Troubled Water.
On the charts, individually and collectively, they had 33 Top 40 singles with three of them going to number one. Here are Simon and Garfunkel’s twenty biggest hits, according to Billboard’s Top 40 weekly Charts.
1. Bridge Over Troubled Water – 1970 – From the album of the same title, their biggest single spent six weeks at number one.
2. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover – 1976 – Simon’s biggest solo single was written following his divorce from wife number one, Peggy Harper.
3. Mrs. Robinson – 1968 – First appearing on the “The Graduate” soundtrack in 1967, it was later included in the “Bookends” album and won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1969.
4. The Sounds Of Silence – 1966 – Their first number one single was written in 1964, shortly after the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
5. Loves Me Like A Rock – 1973 – Another solo effort from Simon, who had backing vocal help from The Dixie Hummingbirds.
6. Kodachrome – 1973 – From the “There Goes Rhymin’ Simon” album, Kodak used the song in some of its commercials to sell cameras.
7. I Am A Rock – 1966 – First recorded and released as a single by Simon on his “Paul Simon Songbook” album while he was in England, it was rerecorded with Garfunkel after “Sounds of Silence” became a hit in the U.S.
8. Cecelia – 1970 – One of four Top 20 singles from the “Bridge Over Troubled Water” album.
9. Mother And Child Reunion – 1972 – Jamaican singer Jimmy Cliff’s backing band can be heard on this first Simon solo single as well as Cissy Houston, Whitney’s mom, providing backup vocals.
10. Slip Slidin’ Away – 1978 – More solo work from Simon, this one from his “Greatest Hits, Etc.” album.
11. Homeward Bound – 1966 – Written by Simon when he was stranded in a railway station in England, their second hit single came from their “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme” album.
12. Late In The Evening – 1980 – From the soundtrack album, “One Trick Pony”, in which Simon starred.
13. The Boxer – 1969 – Guitarist Fred Carter Jr. was featured on their first single from the “Bridge Over Troubled water” album.
14. All I Know – 1973 – Written by Jimmy Webb, Garfunkel’s biggest solo single was from his “Angel Clare” album and boasts being the first quadraphonic single ever released.
15. My Little Town – 1975 – Even though they officially split in 1970, Simon and Garfunkel often collaborated, as with this single that appeared on solo albums by both.
16. Scarborough Fair (Canticle) – 1968 – Also known as “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme” and is a traditional ballad from England with lyrics that date as far back as 1670.
17. A Hazy Shade of Winter – 1966 – The Bangles took this song to number two on the weekly charts, 22 years after Simon and Garfunkel’s hit.
18. At The Zoo – 1967 – A song about the Central Park Zoo, Simon released a children’s book with the same title.
19. (What A) Wonderful World – 1978 – Another Garfunkel single with James Taylor and Paul Simon providing harmonies.
20. I Only Have Eyes For You – Garfunkel’s only other Top 20 single was a #11 hit for The Flamingoes in 1959.
Simon and Garfunkel reunions have been many since their split in 1970; the first being at a benefit concert for George McGovern in 1972.
Both artists continued to record separately and Paul did some acting, too. He appeared in the Woody Allen film, “Annie Hall” and later in “One Trick Pony.
They reunited again in 1981 at a free concert in New York’s Central Park, which also prompted a world tour. They reunited again in 1993 for 21 concerts and again in 2003. As recently as 2010, the duo performed a series of concerts. The concerts were postponed indefinitely, in July, due to Art’s vocal chords paresis, but he hopes to be touring again in 2011.
Art has been married twice. He and his current wife, Katheryn, have two children. Paul has been married three times. His second marriage to actress Carrie Fisher lasted a year. He and his third wife, folk singer, Edie Brickell, have been married since 1992 and they have three children.
Simon and Garfunkel were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. They have received three Grammy Awards and were presented with the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2003.
Paul Simon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 2001 and he has received twelve Grammy Awards.
Art Garfunkel has received three Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe nomination and a People’s Choice Award.
SOURCE: Joel Whitburn – The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits – Billboard Publishing
