Simon & Garfunkel Biography

Who are Simon and Garfunkel, and why are they relevant again today? They were the New York classmate duo whose close harmony and incisive storytelling took folk rock from college coffeehouses to the very core of pop culture.

Simon and Garfunkel are the voices of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Paul Simon was born October 13, 1941, in Newark, New Jersey, and he grew up in Queens. Art Garfunkel was born November 5, 1941, in Forest Hills, Queens, Manhattan.

They came from middle class Jewish families, in a neighborhood where radio, school assembly, and singing on the street corners were a normal part of living.

As children they discovered they fit together naturally, and at Public School 164, Parsons Junior High School, and Forest Hills High School they learned to sing together, write together, and think as a team. After high school their careers split for a few years.

Simon studied English at Queens College and attempted a semester at Brooklyn Law School, while Garfunkel attended Columbia University, switched from architecture to art history, and later received a master’s degree in mathematics.

The lure of music never faded. As teenagers they’d already accomplished a small hit as Tom and Jerry with “Hey Schoolgirl,” a bright pastiche of the Everly Brothers that taught them the music business inside and out. They reunited in 1963 as Simon and Garfunkel, signed to Columbia Records, and recorded the spare folk set Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.

The album sold poorly at first, and Simon headed for the English folk circuit, where he wrote many of the songs that would make the duo. Then lightning came. Producer Tom Wilson re-cut “The Sound of Silence” with electric instruments, the song soared on American radios, and by January 1966 was at number one.

The duo rushed out Sounds of Silence, followed by Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, in which they exercised real control in the studio and perfected the intimate, literate style that set them apart.

Their music wove in and out of The Graduate, which helped drive “Mrs. Robinson” into culture’s bloodstream and forged the majestic concept album Bookends. All that leading up to Bridge over Troubled Water in 1970, a great studio victory and worldwide bestseller that also ended their first chapter.

They split up, yet both were present. Simon built a gleaming solo career as a wordmaster and singer, later producing a signature piece in Graceland, while Garfunkel produced signature singles such as “All I Know,” “I Only Have Eyes for You,” and the UK chart-topper “Bright Eyes,” and he acted in films.

The bond that linked them never totally unraveled. The 1981 Concert in Central Park drew a huge crowd and was followed by a world tour. Other attempts at a new studio album fell apart, and their friendship cooled and warmed more than once.

They reunited for tours in the late 2000s, but by 2010 Garfunkel was diagnosed with vocal cord paresis and the dates were canceled. Over the years they received massive accolades, such as repeated victorias for their recordings at the Grammy Awards, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and placement on best artist lists that nearly never forget their output.

They sold over one hundred million records and embedded a line of compositions into the common consciousness for a few generations. News in recent years has signaled a personal resolution and even a plan to once again try singing together.

Regardless of what’s yet to pass, their history is a distinct arc. Two high school friends turned air they shared into music, sang loneliness and hope in a lexicon of the day, and crafted records that continue to sound genuine the very instant you press play.

Simon & Garfunkel Top Songs

1. “The Sound of Silence”
   A quiet meditation that became an unexpected number one when electrified. It set the tone for their thoughtful, intimate style.
2. “Mrs. Robinson”
   Wry and catchy, forever linked with The Graduate. The chorus is pure pop release, the verses carry sly commentary.
3. “Bridge over Troubled Water”
   A gospel shaded ballad with Garfunkel’s soaring vocal and a lyric about comfort and grace. It became their signature late period classic.
4. “The Boxer”
   A detailed city tale with ringing acoustic guitars and a haunting “lie la lie” refrain that lingers.
5. “Homeward Bound”
   Written on a station platform, it captures the ache of the road and the pull of home with simple, direct images.
6. “I Am a Rock”
   Defensive pride wrapped in chiming guitars. It is a portrait of isolation that still feels current.
7. “America”
   Two young travelers search for meaning on a bus ride. The melody swells as the horizon opens.
8. “Scarborough Fair and Canticle”
   An ancient ballad woven with an antiwar counter melody. Lush and hypnotic.
9. “Cecilia”
   A rhythmic, hand clapped burst of joy about a love who comes and goes, built for sing alongs.
10. “A Hazy Shade of Winter”
    Brisk and urgent, a snapshot of seasons changing and time racing by.
11. “Kathy’s Song”
    A gentle love note from Simon’s English period, intimate and sincere.
12. “El Condor Pasa”
    A Peruvian tune given English lyrics, mixing folk traditions in a graceful way.
13. “Fakin’ It”
    Wordplay and groove, pointing toward their growing studio ambition.
14. “At the Zoo”
    Whimsical on the surface, yet observant about human behavior.
15. “Old Friends and Bookends Theme”
    A tender look at aging and memory that closes an album with quiet weight.

Simon & Garfunkel Discography

1. Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. (1964)
   Bare folk arrangements and early originals that set their starting point.
2. Sounds of Silence (1966)
   Built around their breakout hit and the move into folk rock on radio.
3. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966)
   A leap in craft, with meticulous studio detail and sharper writing.
4. Bookends (1968)
   A concise, concept framed set about youth, change, and loss, tied in spirit to The Graduate era.
5. Bridge over Troubled Water (1970)
   Expansive songs, richer textures, and career high vocals that crowned their run.

Simon & Garfunkel Top Albums

1. Bridge over Troubled Water
   A confident studio statement that blends gospel, pop, and folk with emotional clarity. The title track, “The Boxer,” and “Cecilia” show their range at full strength.
2. Bookends
   Short, focused, and carefully sequenced, it reads like a life cycle in miniature. “America” and “Old Friends” give it heart, while the production ties every scene together.
3. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
   Their first truly authorial record, where arrangements, harmonies, and writing move in lockstep. It feels handmade and precise.
4. Sounds of Silence
   The pivot from coffeehouse to radio. It captures the moment when their voice met a broader audience without losing intimacy.
5. Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.
   Understated and earnest, valuable for hearing the seeds of what would follow.

Simon & Garfunkel Awards

Simon and Garfunkel collected nine competitive Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year for “Mrs. Robinson” and for “Bridge over Troubled Water,” and Album of the Year for Bridge over Troubled Water. They also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and several Grammy Hall of Fame awards for pioneering recordings. Beyond the Grammys, they have also been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and later into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. They received international recognition as well in the form of a Brit Award for Bridge over Troubled Water, and their concert in Central Park was a landmark cultural event. Both awards bear witness to what is already evidenced by the recordings. Their songs spoke to people back then, and they do to younger generations now.

Simon & Garfunkel Singles

— denotes did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Source: Simon & Garfunkel singles table on Wikipedia’s discography page

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