Paul Simon

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Born:
October 13, 1941, he's 70 and American.
Names:
Birthname: Paul Frederic Simon. Also releases as: Jerry Landis, Paul Kane & True Taylor.
Snapshot:
An Artist with 39 releases under 2 pseudonyms, a member of 2 groups, and credited 16 times on others' music. 13 collaborations and 2 musical relatives.

Biography

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Much of Paul Simon's fame is mingled with that of Art Garfunkel, the other half of the hugely successful duo Simon and Garfunkel. After their split, Simon's solo career took off, peaking with the multi-award winning Graceland in 1986.

In the 1960s Simon and Garfunkel (originally known as Tom & Jerry) released a series of successful albums which spawned a slew of hit singles including "The Sounds of Silence", "Mrs Robinson" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water". Their final album Bridge Over Troubled Water was released in 1970, but with their friendship failing under the pressures of fame, they split after its release. Their relationship has endured, albeit falteringly, and they have reformed for several pivotal concerts, including a free concert in Rome in 2004 which attracted an audience of over half a million.

However, Simon has almost always maintained a creative career outside of the duo and has recorded many songs on his own or with other musicians. In the period between Tom & Jerry and before Simon and Garfunkel hit the big time (1957-1964), he recorded several songs under pseudonyms including Jerry Landis, Paul Kane and True Taylor, and enjoyed some success as part of the group Tico and the Triumphs. He also began to produce singles and write songs for other people including The Seekers.

In the period after Simon and Garfunkel he began to write and record solo material starting with Paul Simon (1972) and including the well considered Still Crazy After All These Years (1975), which contained the US chart-topper "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover". For a while he coupled his songwriting and recording with acting and appeared in Annie Hall, among other films. His career ebbed a little in the early 1980s, but the release of the highly acclaimed and Grammy-winning Graceland in 1986 marked a return to popularity. He consolidated this with the release of The Rhythm of the Saints in 1990. His most recent release has been Surprise (2006) which he produced with the help of Brian Eno.

Music

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Genres

Folk,
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Discography

106 releases – 38 under his own name, 1 under 1 pseudonym, 51 in other groups and 16 credits on others' music Edit
Collaborations, Groups and Family
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Paul Simon

Has been in these groups

Has this family

In the News

Simon Says He’s Got a New Release

Nov, 21 2010

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Paul Simon recently announced he will be dropping a new album called So Beautiful or So What sometime in this spring. Veteran producer and long-time Simon collaborator Phil Ramone produced the record. Ramone has also worked with acts like Billy Joel and the bluesy folk artist Shelby Lynne, among others. Simon and Ramone haven’t left us out in the cold waiting for the record, though. In anticipation of the approaching holiday season and the impending release, Simon has put out a Christmas single titled “Getting Ready for Christmas Day.” The song is streaming now from Simon’s website, and will be available for download on Tuesday, November 23rd. Not only a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Simon has also been awarded 13 Grammys, the 2001 Grammy Lifetime Achievement award, and the first ever Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2007 from the Library of Congress.

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