A beloved folk rock singer-songwriter who was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, Paul Simon has become one of the most respected songwriters in rock music. He grew up in Queens, New York and developed an interest in baseball and music at an early age. Along with childhood friend Art Garfunkel, they formed Simon & Garfunkel in 1964 and scored a deal with Columbia Records, releasing their debut Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. They later won ten Grammy Awards and put out four more studio albums including 1966’s Sounds of Silence and 1970’s Bridge Over Troubled Water before parting ways that year. Simon’s self-titled solo album came out in 1972, instilling Latin and reggae flavors into his soft rock in its singles "Mother and Child Reunion" and "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard". 1973’s pop-folk album There Goes Rhymin’ Simon incorporated gospel and R&B and its follow-up, 1975’s Still Crazy After All These Years, reached number one on the Billboard charts and had four Top 40 hits including "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" and "My Little Town" with vocals from Garfunkel. In 1986, Simon released his seventh studio album Graceland, expanding his musical palette by infusing African textures and collaborating with South African musicians including Ladysmith Black Mambazo, which went on to sell over 5 million copies in the U.S. and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. His Brazilian music-tinged The Rhythm of the Saints was released in 1990, achieving commercial and critical success, as well as introducing world music to a broader audience. His latest album, the acclaimed 2011’s So Beautiful or So What was touted as one of the year’s best. He has toured successfully through the years, as a solo artist as well as jaunts with both Bob Dylan and Sting, selling out concerts to ticket holders across the globe.
