Paul Simon, the American singer-songwriter, is still making his name known in the music world for his lasting impression. On February 16, 2024, he joined pop star Sabrina Carpenter to open the 50th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live with a moving duet of “Homeward Bound.” The moment was deeply felt, as this had been Simon’s emotional recalling of singing the same song on Saturday Night Live with George Harrison in 1976. That special was a star-studded event attended by several celebrities, including Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, and Paul McCartney.
Earlier this month, he reunited with his former musical partner, Art Garfunkel, after years of estrangement. They had a lunch meeting set up by Simon’s son, who had recently arrived at the Garfunkel Building after a long absence. The emotional reunion gave them the time to chew on past squabbles as well as rekindle their friendship, with Garfunkel asserting, “Hope this will lead to future collaborations”.
Besides such health problems as severe hearing loss in his left ear, Simon has kept working through it all. In September 2023, he made an extremely rare appearance with former Yankees player and jazz guitarist Bernie Williams-a testament to his fierce love for music. He also released an album titled “Seven Psalms,” a continuous musical meditation on life, death, and faith lasting 33 minutes, in April 2023. The album came with a documentary on Simon entitled “In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon,” directed by Alex Gibney, which offered an intimate glimpse into Simon’s well of inspiration. In February 2024, Paul Simon’s music showed why he remained an ever-majestic talent who communicates across generations. The collaborations, encounters, and sheer love for his profession have set Simon as one of the greats in the annals of music history.
