Paul Simon facts: Music icon's age, career, family, and net worth revealed

27 April 2022, 11:57

Paul Simon is widely considered as one of the most talent songwriters of his generation. Picture: Frank Ockenfels

Paul Simon has been one of the most acclaimed songwriters of the past six decades.

From his years a teenager busking on the streets of New York City to performing on some of the world's biggest stages, here's all you need to know about Paul Simon.

Who is Paul Simon?

Paul Simon was the songwriting force behind the success of Simon & Garfunkel. Picture: Photofest

Paul Simon is one of the most critically acclaimed songwriters in the history of popular music, selling tens of millions of records worldwide and earning a total of sixteen Grammy Awards.

His partnership with schoolfriend Art Garfunkel, Simon & Garfunkel, earned them immense cultural and commercial success throughout the 1960s with songs like 'The Sound of Silence', 'Mrs. Robinson', and 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' until their split in 1970.

Regarded as the driving force behind the duo having written the majority of their songs, Paul Simon later achieved a fruitful solo career and released some of his most recognised works like his 1975 album Still Crazy After All These Years and 1986's Graceland.

He is a two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: first in 1990 as a member of Simon & Garfunkel, and again in 2001 for his solo career.

How old is Paul Simon and where was he born?

Paul Simon has been an avid baseball fan his entire life. Picture: Twitter/Paul Simon

Paul Simon was born on 13th October, 1941 in Newark, New Jersey.

His father Louis was a college professor and double-bass player, and his mother was an elementary school teacher.

After several years in the New Jersey suburbs, the family moved to Queens, New York when Simon was four years old.

How did Paul Simon get his start in music?

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel have had a long, but fractured friendship. Picture: Getty

Paul Simon met his songwriting partner Art Garfunkel at school when they were just 11, and forged a strong friendship from then onwards.

He wrote his first song 'The Girl For Me' for his friend Garfunkel when he was just 13, and the pair went on to write, record, and release over 30 songs across the next decades throughout their teenage years and beyond.

After several flops and minimal success, Simon moved to England, but was drawn back when an electric version of 'The Sound Of Silence' got picked up by radio stations nationwide.

The duo went on to write four more albums, with their final album Bridge Over Troubled Water becoming the best-selling album of all time at the time of its release.

What are Paul Simon’s biggest songs?

Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al (Official Video)

- 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'

- 'The Sound Of Silence'

- 'Call Me Al'

- '50 Ways To Leave Your Lover'

- 'The Boxer'

- 'America'

- 'Mrs. Robinson'

- 'I Am A Rock'

- 'Cecilia'

- 'Still Crazy After All These Years'

Does Paul Simon have a wife and children?

Carrie Fisher and Paul Simon had an on-off relationship for 12 years. Picture: Jean-Jacques LAPEYRONNIE/Gamma-Rapho

Paul Simon has been married to singer Edie Brickell since 30th May 1992. They have three children together: Adrian, Lulu and Gabriel.

He was married twice before. His first marriage was to Peggy Harper from 1969-1975, and had a son together called Harper.

Simon was in a high-profile relationship with Star Wars star Carrie Fisher, and were married from 1983-1984 though continued their relationship after their divorce.

What is Paul Simon’s net worth?

Paul Simon "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" TV Special (1975)

Paul Simon has a reported net worth of $200 million.

Are there any other facts we should know about Paul Simon?

Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence (from The Concert in Central Park)

After their initial split, Paul Simon's and Art Garfunkel's friendship was fractured. But they later reunited for a huge show in New York's Central Park which drew an audience of half a million.

Their song 'Mrs. Robinson' from The Graduate featuring Dustin Hoffman has been covered many times, notably by The Lemonheads which featured in the parody of the film's final scene in Wayne's World 2.

Simon is self-confessed sports nut, and is an avid fan of the New York Rangers ice hockey team, the New York Knicks basketball team and the New York Yankees baseball team.

On many occasions Simon's songwriting has been compared to Bob Dylan's. In 2010 he reached out to Dylan to collaborate after they toured together in 1999. He was ignored.

In 2018, Simon announced that his upcoming tour would be his last. It concluded in New York, the city where his incredible life and career began.