In the stairwell of a kindergarten in Queens, five-year-old Art Garfunkel discovered not just an echo, but the direction of his life. He began singing by himself, heard his voice return from the walls and later remembered that he understood then: „I am a singer“. On November 5, 2026, Garfunkel turns 85 – an age he reaches not only as one half of Simon & Garfunkel, but also as a solo performer, actor, poet and a man with an academic education in mathematics.
Garfunkel and Paul Simon grew up just a few blocks from each other in Forest Hills. As teenagers, they recorded their first song, „The Girl for Me“, and in 1957 released „Hey, Schoolgirl“ under the name Tom and Jerry. After a period apart, the two reunited as Simon & Garfunkel and began a series of recordings that changed the sound of American folk rock. Their harmonies turned „The Sound of Silence“, „Mrs. Robinson“, „Homeward Bound“, „The Boxer“ and „Bridge Over Troubled Water“ into songs recognizable even decades later.
The voice that lifted „Bridge Over Troubled Water“
The duo’s biggest album – „Bridge Over Troubled Water“ – was released in 1970 and won six „Grammy“ Awards, including Album of the Year. Although Paul Simon was the primary songwriter, it was Garfunkel’s high, pure and distinctive voice that gave the title track its scale. The Recording Academy later listed him as an eight-time „Grammy“ winner, while Simon & Garfunkel received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. The duo was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
After the split in 1970, Garfunkel did not try to replicate the duo’s formula. His debut solo album, „Angel Clare“, was released in 1973 and included „All I Know“. It was followed by „Breakaway“, „Watermark“, „Fate for Breakfast“ and „Scissors Cut“. Alongside music, he appeared in the films „Catch-22“, „Carnal Knowledge“ and „Bad Timing“, and in the late 1980s published the poetry collection „Still Water“. He graduated from Columbia University, where he earned a master’s degree in mathematics.
Back on stage after the silence
In recent years, Garfunkel has stepped back from concert life, but in 2026 he is embarking on a new chapter. In an interview with „The Guardian“, he says that after a long period of barely singing at all, he once again felt the desire to perform before an audience. „I am a singer – let that be the headline of your article“, he says, describing the profession to which he has always returned. In his words, the strongest moment in a performance comes when singing becomes „effortless“ and reaches „supreme joy“.
His return also comes with a new family partnership. In 2024, he recorded the album „Father and Son“ with his son, Art Garfunkel Jr. And after years of distance, he has once again re-established contact with Paul Simon. Art Garfunkel’s story remains unusual precisely because of this combination – the boy who searched for an echo in a school stairwell became part of one of the most famous musical partnerships, and at 85 continues to define himself in the simplest terms: as a singer.
Sources: theguardian.com, grammy.com, apnews.com