Simon & Garfunkel: What Paul Simon Did That Art Garfunkel Said ‘Shattered’ Their Friendship for Life
All music pairings end eventually. But some part on truly terrible terms. One of those bad break-ups? Simon & Garfunkel. The duo’s tight harmonies contrasted a truly tempestuous relationship. So what caused all that controversy?
How Paul Simon ‘shattered’ his relationship with Art Garfunkel
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel originally started performing under the name Tom & Jerry. The pair even scored a hit with 1957’s “Hey Schoolgirl.” However, success eluded them. When Simon was offered a solo deal, he took it — without consulting Garfunkel.
Garfunkel later said Simon’s betrayal caused their friendship to be “shattered for life,” according to Ultimate Classic Rock. But after Simon released his solo album to dismal sales, the duo reunited in 1966. And the rest is history.
Simon & Garfunkel enjoyed massive success over the years, with hits like “The Sound of Silence,” “Cecilia,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “The Boxer,” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
What Art Garfunkel did that broke up Simon & Garfunkel
With this success came more offers. But this time, Garfunkel was the one who went solo. In 1971, he accepted a role in the movie Carnal Knowledge instead of joining Simon to work on their next album.
Simon was furious with his musical partner. And the fight ultimately spelled the end for Simon & Garfunkel.
“He knew how I’d feel, but he did it anyway,” Simon wrote of the time in his biography, Paul Simon: The Life. “I thought, ‘F— you, I’m not going to do that.’ And the truth is, I think if Artie had become a big movie star he would have left. Instead of just being the guy who sang Paul Simon songs, he could be Art Garfunkel, a big star all by himself.”
Simon & Garfunkel’s reunions over the years
After the release of Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel cut ties. They only spoke a few times a year from then on. However, they did reunite for a handful of performances — most notably, a 1981 free concert in Central Park.
The concert attracted more than 500,000 attendees, and Warner Bros. ended up releasing a live album version of the show, The Concert in Central Park, that went double platinum in the U.S. HBO also released a video recording of the concert.
This success meant a resurgence for Simon & Garfunkel’s music. And the pair capitalized on it by heading out on tour one more time. However, things quickly deteriorated. And the duo spent most of the tour not speaking to one another.
Warner Bros, ignoring the tension between Simon and Garfunkel, pushed the pair to consider extending the tour and recording another album together. But conversations between the musicians soon broke down.
Garfunkel refused to learn the songs while in the recording studio. Meanwhile, Simon demanded his musical partner not smoke cigarettes or cannabis while working. Unsurprisingly, the album did not end up getting made.
The pair tried again in 1993, going out on tour again. Things went more smoothly. It seems as though Simon and Garfunkel are on better terms these days — even though fans lament that the pair will likely never make music together again.
