Art Garfunkel Blames One Person For Breaking Up With Paul Simon

With one of the most recognizable surnames in pop music, Art Garfunkel reached the very pinnacle of fame. But not even years of success could keep his musical partnership from dissolving. With the environment becoming more toxic day by day, Art could only blame one person for forcing him to set off on his own.

Dynamic duo

By the late 1960s, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel already established themselves as one of the most dynamic musical duos in pop history. Yet, they could barely stand the sight of each other. Their close friends could only wonder what happened between them.

Queens boys

After all, the pair were friends since their school days in Forest Hills, Queens. Before either reached puberty, they appeared in a play together and began doing a bit of music on the side. Their classmates could hardly believe how quickly they made a splash.

Tom & Jerry

Art and Paul, under the moniker Tom & Jerry, caught a record label's attention when they were just 15. Promoters booked them on American Bandstand alongside Jerry Lee Lewis, and their single "Hey Schoolgirl" peaked at 49 on the Billboard charts.

Other pursuits

Knowing how fickle the music world could be, the bandmates set up a Plan B. Paul enrolled in Queens College, while Art went across the river to study at Columbia University. Despite the distance, Garfunkel felt hurt when he learned his pal was performing as a solo act.

Folk revival

However, there was a phenomenon sweeping across 1960s New York that brought Paul and Art back together. The folk revival, based out of Greenwich Village, showed them a daring side of music they'd never imagined before.

Debut single

The duo rebranded themselves as the more authentic Simon & Garfunkel and signed a contract with Columbia Records. Their lead single, "The Sound of Silence," initially flopped, but miraculously reached number-one after producers retooled its sound.

The Graduate

Following that success, Simon & Garfunkel became the soundtrack of a generation when director Mike Nichols asked them to pen some songs for his new movie. Starring a fresh-faced Dustin Hoffman, The Graduate made "Mrs. Robinson" and "Scarborough Fair" all-time classics.

Tension grows

The folk musicians both felt their best was still ahead of them, but Art was shocked to discover their partnership falling apart. Besides his insistence on writing nearly all their songs, Paul turned into a total control freak in the studio.

Movie jealousy

Looking for his own creative identity, Art got into film with his acting debut in Catch-22. Reportedly, Paul was also up for a role in the movie, but producers passed on him. Meanwhile, anticipation was sky-high for the upcoming Simon & Garfunkel record.

Not water under the bridge

That album should've kept them together for decades, but instead turned out to be their final complete collaboration. Bridge Over Troubled Water was a smash success, topping charts all over the world in 1970. However, the musicians couldn't withstand the current raging beneath their friendship.

"Created a monster"

Neither wanted anything to do with the other. Speaking only a couple times per year, Simon & Garfunkel couldn't put their differences behind them. Paul wanted a more personal career. Art felt, that in kindly helping his old high school pal, he "created a monster."

Big reunion

In spite of the animosity between them, Simon & Garfunkel reunited several times after their breakup. Money was a huge motivating factor, of course, but that didn't matter to fans. They were thrilled to see the duo back performing marathon sets together.

Solo career

Meanwhile, Paul embarked on a wildly successful solo career. His daring compositions and forays into world music established him as one of the most prolific and popular singer-songwriters of the 20th century. Then there was Art.

Garfunkel's struggles

Though his initial solo albums got a fair number of listeners, Garfunkel's star power petered out as the 1980s arrived. Deep down he didn't have the same songwriting prowess as his frenemy, but Art felt there was another reason behind his struggles.

Clashing egos

For as long as he could remember, Paul always seemed to put himself first. He wanted to be a rock star so badly. Art even pointed out that, when forming their duo, his pal just had to have his name come first.

Rock hall of fame

And fate seemed to constantly bring the famous collaborators back together. They earned an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, not to mention the fact that their reunion tours carried into the 2000s.

Looking back

More recently, Art refused to engage in too much trash talk — though he did insinuate that the 5-foot-three Paul might've had a Napoleon complex. He explained that bands tend to have complex relationships, a lesson taught to him by another famous musicians.

Beatle comparison

He once bumped into George Harrison at a party, and the former Beatle went off on a tear. George lamented that they were both underappreciated by their partners, summing up the reason as, "My Paul is to me what your Paul is to you."

The two Pauls

Music fans know that George was referring to Paul McCartney. Just like the Beatle, Simon will go down as one of the greatest songwriters of his generation. However, he shared some unusual thoughts about his career and reputation.

Paul's Legacy

Looking back on his folk-rock stardom and high-profile relationships, Paul Simon is surprisingly unsentimental. "I’m not that interested in my legacy. I didn’t do this so everyone would applaud for me when I’m dead," he said. Instead, it was some spark inside him that drove him to create music and allowed him to captivate so many people.

Proven Success

You don’t need to be a fan to recognize Paul Simon’s musical genius. His 13 Grammys, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame prove it. But aside from Art, he had a number of relationships that complicated his rockstar life.

Movie Risks

The ‘70s were good to Paul Simon. He furthered established his cool-guy status with an appearance in the film Annie Hall. This inspired the singer to take the risk and write, star, and record the music for his own film One-Trick Pony. He also made headlines for his non-musical relationships.

Loves Lost

Simon found more than a few muses over the years, starting with a little-known English woman named Kathleen Chitty. Though they were desperately in love, Kathy was shy and couldn't stand the publicity of dating a star. The couple split, though not before she inspired "Kathy's Song" and "America."

Shelley Duvall

Following a failed marriage to Peggy Harper, Simon started dating movie star Shelley Duvall. Things were going swimmingly until Duvall introduced him to a good friend of hers. In that fateful moment, Paul forgot all about his girlfriend.

Paul and Carrie

The woman in question was Carrie Fisher. She and Paul were incredibly devoted to each other, but that passion came with a price. The newlyweds faced the challenge of being inseparable while also constantly fighting. In fact, after their 1984 divorce, Paul and Carrie got back together!

Tears and Laughter

Carrie looked back on their frequent spats with surprising fondness. She wrote that after one shouting match on their honeymoon, "We tried to keep the argument going after that but we were laughing too hard." But the magic couldn't stay alive, as she and Simon eventually parted ways. He was drifting without direction, and not just in his love life.

One Epic Reunion

During some of those years, Simon entered a musical slump. That ended when he reunited with Garfunkel for one epic show in 1981. They played in Central Park for a crowd of 500,000 people. Everyone wondered, could these talented partners overcome their differences following such a success?

Creating A New Sound

Turns out, no, they couldn’t. Going solo, Simon shifted his musical stylings after drawing inspiration from African and Brazilian music. In 1985, he collaborated with local South African musicians, combining rock, zydeco, Tex-Mex, Zulu choral singing, and mbaqanga to create a unique sound, though he wasn't well received.

Graceland Era

This sound was jammed into the album Graceland. It was controversial due to the political unrest that swept across South Africa, where Simon recorded it. Nevertheless, the collection turned out to be a massive bestseller, winning the Grammy for Album of the Year. 

A New Direction

After Graceland, Paul Simon earned legions of fans. The decision to diversify his sound was seen as divisive, but it only led to new projects. Simon forged a musical bond with the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, made several albums, and he’s made important connections in his personal life too.

Paul and Edie

After so many broken hearts, Simon found his romantic and musical match in singer-songwriter Edie Brickell. While the married couple was arrested in 2014 after a domestic dispute, they've put any past ugliness behind them. With Edie, Paul set out on a fascinating new chapter.

No One Like Art

Nearing 80 years old, Paul Simon still picks up that guitar for occasional live performances, solo albums, and mind-melds with other talented musicians. Though, none compare to the special sound he shared with the partner that he didn’t get along with — Art Garfunkel. Then again, rivalries are commonplace in music, even in the folk scene.

So Much The Same

Just look at Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. From the beginning of their careers, Mitchell and Dylan intermingled in the Southern California music scene. As folk singers in the ‘60s, they were of the same generation and both shared anti-war values, so you'd think they'd have a lot in common.

Constantly Compared

Both Mitchell and Dylan wrote some of the most poetic and powerful songs of the '60s and '70s, and while they were often compared and celebrated by the same fanbase, there wasn't much love lost between them.

Party Faux Pas

What caused the rift between Mitchell and Dylan? There's no straight answer, but the roots of their feud go way back to the beginning. The rumor mill always seems to mention a house party thrown by their mutual friend and collaborator, David Geffen.

The Ultimate Diss

The most famous transgression between Dylan and Mitchell took place sometime in the early seventies. Bob committed the ultimate sign of disrespect to a fellow artist. While Joni debuted songs off her acclaimed album Court and Spark, Dylan fell asleep!

Forgive But Don't Forget

Obviously, this didn't sit well with Mitchell. Dylan's stunt wasn't a big deal in the scheme of things. The album was a critical and commercial smash and is still considered Mitchell's magnum opus. However, the event did stick with her for at least a few more years.

Hints Of Tension

When Cameron Crowe interviewed Mitchell in 1979, she said “I think Bob was just being cute," about Dylan sleeping through her album reveal. She also hesitated to classify them as friends, saying they'd had “a series of brief encounters” and "tests." Her answers alluded to tension.

Toured Together

Whatever their differences, they managed to put the music first. At one point they traveled the world together on Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour. Though, on Mitchell's side at least, that didn't mean she was a fan of his.

Mitchell Is Blunt

Some take Mitchell’s criticisms with a grain of salt, as she has a pattern of making cutting statements to the press. She's described the competitiveness among her female contemporaries like Joan Baez and Janis Joplin, but nothing holds a candle to how badly she burned Bob Dylan.

Accusations

It was in a 2010 interview with the LA Times that Mitchell popped the lid on her true feelings. After the interviewer compared her to Bob Dylan she shot down the idea, and said, “Bob is not authentic at all. " Then, she called him a "plagiarist.”

Like Night And Day

“His name and voice are fake. Everything about Bob is a deception," she continued, “We are like night and day, he and I.” Mitchell didn't hold back. She wanted it clear that she didn't feel it appropriate to place them in the same category.

Fans React

People were surprised to learn about Mitchell’s apparent negative feelings towards Bob Dylan. After so much time had passed without any whiff of a beef, people wondered if something had changed between them that pushed her to speak out.

Two Sides To Every Story

The fans waited to hear Dylan’s side of the story. Since Mitchell accused him of plagiarism, people wanted to know if there was any truth to that charge. After all, this wasn’t the first time the singer was called out for borrowing lyrics.

Plagiarism Receipts

Charges of lifting words from others haunted Bob Dylan throughout his career. Most notably, he was accused of plagiarizing 19th-century Confederate poet Henry Timrod and a book by Japanese author Junichi Saga recounting the experience of a Yakuza boss.

Addressing The Scandal

It wasn’t until 2012 that Bob Dylan answered a question about the blatant similarity between his lyrics and other artist's published works. Though the vagueness of his statement somehow made things more unclear.

Dylan Makes His Case

 “As far as Henry Timrod is concerned, have you even heard of him? Who’s been reading him lately?" Dylan continued, "It’s called songwriting. It has to do with melody and rhythm, and then after that, anything goes. You make everything yours. We all do it.”

Difference Of Opinion

Dylan argued that sampling other artists was just part of the long-established creative process that was around before either he or Mitchell had entered the game. Given his ten Grammys and spot in music history, Dylan's opinions on the ethics of songwriting hold weight, but so do Mitchell's.

Mitchell Responds

Though, in 2013 Mitchell appeared to backtrack on her previous comments. She told UNCUT magazine that she hadn’t ever called Dylan “not authentic,” chalking it up to journalistic sensationalizing. She felt she was misquoted. but she quickly changed tactics and dropped another stinging sound-bite.

Doubling Down

“I did say he’s a plagiarist, and he is,” Mitchell continued, “He was in litigation. It’s not like I outed him. He stole all of his lines out of a Japanese hoodlum’s novel. There was a lawsuit impending, but it got dropped.” Clearly, she and Bob hadn't hashed it out.

Going In

Mitchell skewered not just Dylan's songwriting integrity, but also his talent itself. "Musically he’s not very gifted, he’s borrowed his voice from a lot of old hillbillies. He’s got a lot of borrowed things. He’s not a great guitar player. He’s invented a character to deliver his songs."

Labeled Bitter

Speaking so bluntly didn't come without consequence for Joni Mitchell. Many fans didn't approve of what they deemed an attack on Bob Dylan, saying it was born out of bitterness and envy. Though, that doesn't seem like Joni's style.