Art Garfunkel has claimed his long and often turbulent relationship with Paul Simon has reached a place of reconciliation. Stating an emotional reunion between the pair left them sharing “tears” and “hugs” after decades of friendship, success and separation, the 84-year-old singer reflected on the enduring bond with his Simon and Garfunkel partner – also 84 – in an interview with People.
Art Garfunkel has claimed his long and often turbulent relationship with Paul Simon has reached a place of reconciliation
Art explained the pair met for dinner last year after years of well-publicised tensions. Garfunkel’s comments come as he continues his What a Wonderful World tour, which runs through November, and follows renewed interest in Simon and Garfunkel’s legacy after the release of the 2024 documentary In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon.
Art said: “We had a dinner last year. It was very lovely. There were tears, there were hugs.”
He added: “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.”
Although Art continues to perform and tour, he acknowledged that his musical legacy will always remain linked with Paul’s.
He said: “I’m proud of it. I only feel great about it.”
Together, Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon sold more than 100 million records worldwide and produced some of the most enduring songs of the 20th century, including The Sound of Silence, Mrs Robinson, The Boxer and Bridge Over Troubled Water.
The pair first met while attending school together in Queens, New York, where they bonded over a shared admiration for James Dean, Lenny Bruce and The Everly Brothers, whose close vocal harmonies inspired their own distinctive sound.
Looking back on those early years, Art said: “Before the world knew Simon and Garfunkel, our ears heard it first, and we knew it was special. We were always cracking each other up.”
After recording under the name Tom and Jerry during their teenage years, the duo released their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., in 1964.
Although the record initially struggled commercially, its follow-up, Sounds of Silence, transformed Simon and Garfunkel into international stars.
Despite their success, Art admitted he often felt at a disadvantage because Paul wrote the songs while he concentrated on performing them.
He explained accepting a role in the director Mike Nichols’ 1970 film Catch-22 unintentionally altered the balance within the partnership.
Art said: “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.”
Paul later reflected on the same period in In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon, saying the extended filming schedule and the resulting “uneven balance of power” became “a recipe for the breakup” of the duo.
Although Simon and Garfunkel officially split in 1970, they reunited for the landmark 1981 Concert in Central Park, performing before more than half a million people.
Recalling the event, Art said: “I’m playing a huge lawn that people were spilling out into the Great Lawn, into the trees, and I had to connect with them. That’s the greatest night of my life.”
The pair reunited for further tours over the following decades before a scheduled 2010 run was cancelled because of problems with Art’s vocal cords.
Reflecting on their friendship today, Art said: “It goes in and out. It’s got a summer and a winter.”
Having recovered his voice, Art said he remains focused on performing rather than dwelling on the past.
He said: “In a way, you’re always back to square one. If you’re not alive and happening now, what are you? You can’t live on your past. You’ve got to keep going with a meaningful agenda.”
