Art Garfunkel

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Art Garfunkel, born on 5 November 1941 in Forest Hills, Queens, is an American singer, actor and poet, best known from the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. He met Paul Simon in a school production of Alice in Wonderland. Between 1956 and 1962 they performed as Tom & Jerry, modelled on the Everly Brothers, with whom they shared the close two-part harmony. Their single Hey, Schoolgirl reached number 49 in the charts in 1957. After that Garfunkel studied architecture at Columbia University.

Music and breakthrough

In 1963 they re-formed the duo as Simon and Garfunkel. Their first album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. from 1964 flopped, but the producer Tom Wilson added electric backing to The Sound of Silence, which became number 1 in 1965. Four influential albums followed, including Bookends and Bridge over Troubled Water. For the film The Graduate in 1967 they made Mrs. Robinson. Garfunkel did not write songs himself, but he was the vocal arranger and wrote Canticle to go with Scarborough Fair. After Bridge over Troubled Water in 1970 they split up.

Influence

As a solo artist Garfunkel made albums such as Angel Clare in 1973, Breakaway in 1975 and Watermark in 1978, and he had two number ones in the United Kingdom. In 1990 the duo was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His clear, high tenor gave Simon's songs their soft glow.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1973Angel Clare
• 1975Breakaway
• 1978Watermark
• 1979Fate for Breakfast
• 1981Scissors Cut
• 1986The Animals' Christmas
• 1988Lefty
• 1997Songs from a Parent to a Child
• 2002Everything Waits to Be Noticed
• 2007Some Enchanted Evening
• 2024Father and Son

See also

• Scissors Cut