Robinson,” “Homeward Bound,” “Cecilia,” “America” and the titular “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”Īmidst the hit records and live performances, rivalry also flourished. Four more studio albums would follow: Sounds of Silence (1966), Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966), Bookends (1968) and Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970), delivering hits including “I Am a Rock,” “The Only Living Boy in New York,” “Mrs. Their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., was released in 1964 but didn’t gain traction with audiences until the single “The Sound of Silence” was later overdubbed with electric instruments and drums and charted in the United States and the United Kingdom, eventually going platinum. Reunited as friends they explored the burgeoning folk-rock scene, soon began singing together again, and through Simon’s connections landed an audition at Columbia Records where they were signed and renamed Simon & Garfunkel. Simon had graduated from Queens College and was working for a music publishing company while writing and releasing his own music whenever possible. By then Garfunkel was still enrolled in college, having initially studied architecture before earning degrees in Art History and Mathematics Education at Columbia. They reconnected and released some of their most memorable songs, only to break up againĪfter the Tom & Jerry follow-up singles were only tepidly received, the pair called it quits, headed in separate directions, and would not fully reconnect until the early 1960s. He was my best friend and I thought friendship involves candor and telling a friend what’s up, so the fact that he had a hidden surprise shocked and hurt me.”Īrt Garfunkel (L) and Paul Simon during the filming of a television special called "Songs of America," which aired on NovemPhoto by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images) “He made a record without telling me,” Garfunkel told The Guardian of the reason behind the duo’s original split. Left out of the decision making, Garfunkel felt betrayed by his friend and not valued as much as songwriter Simon. That choice would lay the groundwork for decades of contention between them. As the guitar-playing songwriter of the act, Simon was thrilled to supply other material, even going so far as to record some songs solo, which he did without informing his professional partner. Reaching number 49 in the charts, the record was a big enough hit for Prosen to ask Simon if he had any songs for follow-up singles. “I had picked up the guitar because I wanted to be like Elvis Presley, and suddenly there I was.” “It was an incredible thing to have happen to you in adolescence,” Simon recalled to Rolling Stone. Prosen renamed the pair Tom & Jerry and released “Hey, Schoolgirl” as a single.Īn appearance on American Bandstand helped promote the record, and the two teenagers were suddenly living the dream, performing on national television alongside Jerry Lee Lewis. At age 16, the pair felt emboldened enough to head into a Manhattan studio and record the song, “Hey, Schoolgirl,” which caught the attention of Sid Prosen who ran a small record label called Big Records. They realized their ability to harmonize during school musical productions and choir, eventually going on to record their voices together before attempting to write their own songs, often in the style of their singing idols such as The Everly Brothers. The duo met in 1953 as music-crazed 11-year-olds in elementary school in Queens, New York. Their first split was because Simon recorded songs solo, without telling Garfunkel Privately, their friendship would be strained to the point of breaking time and time again as they attempted to forge their own identities, both within the confines of their professional partnership, as well as separate, solo artists. As Simon & Garfunkel, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel became the darlings of the folk-rock, countercultural movement of the late 1960s, selling millions of albums and performing sold-out shows across the globe.
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