Paul Simon is half of one of the most famous duos of the 1960s and 1970s – Simon & Garfunkel. Simon may be 74 years old, but he is still going strong. However, despite the fact that Simon has spent a considerable amount of time in the spotlight and under the scrutiny of the public eye, there are still some things that many people don’t know. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Paul Simon. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: Music Is in His Blood. Simon has musical roots on both his mother and father’s sides. His mother taught music lessons on the side when she wasn’t teaching elementary school, and his father made a career out of playing the violin, although he later pursued a career playing the bass.
Number Fourteen: His Father’s Endorsement Was Important for His Career. Simon had a lot of respect for his father growing up due to his involvement in the music industry, so when Simon’s father praised his dreams of being a musician, Simon pursued his dreams with reckless abandon.
Number Thirteen: He Was Inspired by Chuck Berry. Simon had a great appreciation for the “effortless” sound of Berry’s words, and Simon has admitted that he used to borrow heavily from Berry’s style in his earlier career.
Number Twelve: Before She Was Mrs. Robinson, She Was Mrs. Roosevelt. One of Simon & Garfunkel’s biggest hits is “Mrs. Robinson.” However, the song began as “Mrs. Roosevelt” with lyrics that could have been about Eleanor herself. However, once the song began to be considered as part of The Graduate, the title was changed.
Number Eleven: He Is Multi-Talented. Simon began his career in music at the young age of 15, and he often had to use many different talents to get work. He was capable of handling every aspect of making a demo, including recording all of the instruments and singing additional vocals.
Number Ten: He Met His Wife on SNL. Simon first saw singer Edie Brickell perform on SNL when he was standing off stage. They met and got married just a few years later in 1992.
Number Nine: He’s Not That Serious. Many people think of Simon as a serious person, but in reality, he insists that he has a sense of humor. He says that people can find his humor in his songwriting.