Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel made music history with their unmistakably mellow, delicate sound. Songs like "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "The Sound of Silence," "Mrs. Robinson," and many others defined an era. Simon & Garfunkel were separately outstanding. However, together, they were nearly miraculous. Fans could not get enough of the pair. A concert they gave in New York's Central Park on September 19, 1981, drew a vast throng of half a million enraptured people. Nevertheless, the two had a falling out and apparently remained pretty distant from each other for years. That changed somewhat when the two thawed and had an emotional reunion.
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Art Garfunkel, now 84, shared his recollections of that long overdue get-together with Paul Simon with People. "We had a dinner [last year]. It was very lovely. There were tears, there were hugs. I don't know if it'll lead to anything. I don't think so much about him as I think about what's ahead of me. I'm feeling very positive now."
Garfunkel Is Currently Touring
The singer is amidst his What a Wonderful World tour that will continue for several more months. Looking back on his storied partnership with Simon, 84, Garfunkel said, "I'm proud of it. I only feel great about it." He added, "Before the world knew Simon & Garfunkel, our ears heard it first, and we knew it was special. We were always cracking each other up."
They first crossed paths as schoolboys in Queens, New York. When they sang together, the effect was magical. However, according to People, Garfunkel felt a bit left in the shade by Simon. At the time, per the outlet, songwriters were spotlighted more than singers - and Simon was a songwriter extraordinaire.
He Accepted a Movie Role in 1970 That Seemingly Accelerated His Breakup With Simon
When the book Catch-22 was brought to the big screen, Art Garfunkel had a role in it. He clarified to the outlet, "[Director] Mike Nichols had originally offered a role for Paul in that movie, then Paul's part was dropped. There were too many characters, he thinned it out. And it was just bad luck. So Paul was left with that uncomfortable feeling."
As for his friendship with Simon today, Garfunkel simply commented, "It goes in and out. It's got a summer and a winter."
