Art Garfunkel

Art Garfunkel
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Name	Art Garfunkel
Caption	Garfunkel in 2008
Birth name	Arthur Ira Garfunkel
Birth date	5 November 1941
Birth place	Forest Hills, Queens, New York City, New York
Occupation	Singer, actor, record producer
Years active	1957–present
Associated acts	Simon & Garfunkel, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Carole King

Art Garfunkel is an American singer and actor best known as one half of the folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Renowned for his tenor voice and harmonic blend with Paul Simon, he contributed to pivotal recordings that shaped 1960s and 1970s popular music. Garfunkel's career spans chart-topping albums, film appearances, and collaborations with composers, producers, and performers across genres.

Early life and education

Born Arthur Ira Garfunkel in Forest Hills, Queens in 1941, he is the son of Esther and Jacob "Jack" Garfunkel and grew up in a Jewish family with roots linked to Romania and Galicia. He attended P.S. 87 (Queens), Queens College and studied mathematics before switching focus to literature and music. While at Forest Hills High School he formed early musical partnerships with classmates, including future collaborator Paul Simon, and participated in school productions and local performances in New York City borough venues.

Career with Simon & Garfunkel

Garfunkel and Paul Simon formed a duo initially known as Tom and Jerry, releasing singles and performing in the Greenwich Village folk scene alongside contemporaries such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul and Mary. Reuniting as Simon & Garfunkel, they recorded landmark albums including Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., Sounds of Silence, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, and Bridge over Troubled Water, produced with involvement from producers and arrangers like Tom Wilson and Roy Halee. The duo scored hits with singles such as "The Sound of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson", and "Bridge over Troubled Water", charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning recognition from institutions such as the Grammy Awards and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their work intersected with cultural moments including the Vietnam War, the Summer of Love, and the soundtrack for Mike Nichols' film The Graduate.

Solo career and collaborations

After the duo's initial split, Garfunkel pursued a solo career releasing albums like Angel Clare, Breakaway, and Watermark, collaborating with songwriters and musicians including Jimmy Webb, Stephen Bishop, Paul Williams, Carole King, James Taylor, and producer Richard Perry. He recorded interpretations of songs by Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman, and Paul Simon, and performed with orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and conductors including John Williams. Garfunkel undertook solo tours, appeared on television specials and benefit concerts alongside artists like Sting, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and participated in reunion performances with Paul Simon, attracting audiences at venues like Madison Square Garden, Royal Albert Hall, and festivals such as Newport Folk Festival.

Acting and other creative work

Garfunkel pursued acting roles in films directed by filmmakers such as Mike Nichols, Robert Altman, and Francis Ford Coppola, appearing in movies including Catch-22, Carnal Knowledge, and Bad Timing. He performed on Broadway and in theatrical productions, collaborated with playwrights and composers, and contributed to film soundtracks and television projects. Garfunkel also engaged in poetry, publishing work influenced by poets like Walt Whitman, T. S. Eliot, and W.H. Auden, and participated in spoken-word recordings, radio presentations for NPR, and documentary projects examining music history and cultural figures.

Personal life and beliefs

Garfunkel has been married multiple times, with spouses including Kathy Charles, Kim Cermack, and Caroline McHugh Osborne, and has children and stepchildren involved in artistic and academic professions. He has lived in locations such as New York City, California, and Connecticut, maintaining connections to academic institutions like Columbia University and Harvard University through guest appearances and lectures. Garfunkel has discussed spiritual interests influenced by figures such as Rumi and practices including meditation, and has supported charitable causes linked to organizations like American Red Cross and arts education initiatives. He has been open about personal tragedies and legal disputes that affected his relationships and career, including litigation involving former business partners and reunions with Paul Simon.

Legacy and honors

Garfunkel's vocal style and recordings have been cited by singers, producers, and scholars as influential in folk, pop, and adult contemporary music; artists referencing his work include Emmylou Harris, Annie Lennox, Harry Nilsson, Sufjan Stevens, and Adele. Simon & Garfunkel were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received multiple Grammy Awards and lifetime achievement recognitions; Garfunkel has been honored in retrospectives at institutions such as the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution and music archives like the Library of Congress. His recordings remain featured on lists compiled by Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and NME and continue to be licensed for film, television, and cultural programming.

Category:American tenors Category:American male singers Category:Simon & Garfunkel