Paul Simon’s latest honor places him among public figures well outside the music industry. He is this year’s winner of PEN America’s PEN/Audible Literary Service Award, which previously has been given to former President Barack Obama, the late Nobel laureate Toni Morrison and Stephen King among others.

The 82-year-old Simon is known for such classic songs as “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “The Sound of Silence” and for his globe-spanning musical tastes, from Brazil to South Africa to his native New York City. Later this month, he will be featured in the MGM+ docuseries “In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon.”

“Paul Simon has inspired fans worldwide with lyrics and songs that entire generations know by heart and can recognize from the very first notes,” PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said in a statement Thursday. “His fascination with different cultures, traditions and rhythms have helped open our ears and minds to essential musical traditions. We are elated to pay tribute to this unparalleled creative artist whose music, along with his commitment to humane values and humanitarian causes, has made him a cultural icon.”

Simon will receive his award at PEN’s annual gala, to be held May 16 at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. Last year, PEN presented the literary prize to a longtime friend of Simon’s, “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels.

On Thursday, PEN also announced it was presenting its Business Visionary award to Almar Latour, CEO of Dow Jones and publisher of The Wall Street Journal. PEN, a prominent advocate for free expression, cited his efforts to bring about the release of Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been held in Russia for nearly a year on allegations of espionage.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/akira-toriyama-dragon-ball-series-creator-dies-at-68-697909">Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball manga series creator, dies at 68</a>

“At a time when facts and truth are in question, the Wall Street Journal’s role as a source of credible, reported news is indispensable,” PEN President Jennifer Finney Boylan said in a statement. “Almar’s commitment to delivering trusted news and information and building sustainable news operations is a lifelong calling. His fierce support for press freedom and for Evan has been inspiring.”

Gershkovich’s parents are scheduled to be in attendance Thursday when President Joe Biden delivers his annual State of the Union address. Ella Milman and Mikhail Gershkovich were invited by House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Paul Simon’s latest honor places him among public figures well outside the music industry. He is this year’s winner of PEN America’s PEN/Audible Literary Service Award, which previously has been given to former President Barack Obama, the late Nobel laureate Toni Morrison and Stephen King among others.

Paul Simon’s latest honor places him among public figures well outside the music industry. He is this year’s winner of PEN America’s PEN/Audible Literary Service Award, which previously has been given to former President Barack Obama, the late Nobel laureate Toni Morrison and Stephen King among others. The 82-year-old Simon is known for such classic songs as “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “The Sound of Silence” and for his globe-spanning musical tastes, from Brazil to South Africa to his native New York City. Later this month, he will be featured in the MGM+ docuseries “In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon.” “Paul Simon has inspired fans worldwide with lyrics and songs that entire generations know by heart and can recognize from the very first notes,” PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said in a statement Thursday. “His fascination with different cultures, traditions and rhythms have helped open our ears and minds to essential musical traditions. We are elated to pay tribute to this unparalleled creative artist whose music, along with his commitment to humane values and humanitarian causes, has made him a cultural icon.” Simon will receive his award at PEN’s annual gala, to be held May 16 at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. Last year, PEN presented the literary prize to a longtime friend of Simon’s, “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels. On Thursday, PEN also announced it was presenting its Business Visionary award to Almar Latour, CEO of Dow Jones and publisher of The Wall Street Journal. PEN, a prominent advocate for free expression, cited his efforts to bring about the release of Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been held in Russia for nearly a year on allegations of espionage. Also read: Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball manga series creator, dies at 68 “At a time when facts and truth are in question, the Wall Street Journal’s role as a source of credible, reported news is indispensable,” PEN President Jennifer Finney Boylan said in a statement. “Almar’s commitment to delivering trusted news and information and building sustainable news operations is a lifelong calling. His fierce support for press freedom and for Evan has been inspiring.” Gershkovich’s parents are scheduled to be in attendance Thursday when President Joe Biden delivers his annual State of the Union address. Ella Milman and Mikhail Gershkovich were invited by House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Paul Simon to receive PEN America’s Literary Service Award

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Jennifer Hudson will be headlining the upcoming Central Park Homecoming Concert.&nbsp;

The concert is scheduled for the month of August at the Great Lawn of the New York City park.

“This is going to be one of the greatest Central Park concerts in history,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference. He added, “This is something for the ages.”

While de Blasio didn’t announce the Homecoming Concert’s date, the New York Times reports that the mayor previously scheduled the show for August 21st, a date that is also one of the openings on the Springsteen on Broadway schedule. The Times also reports that Springsteen and Patti Smith will likely perform together at the Central Park gig. 
&nbsp; 
Additional Homecoming Concert performers and events will be announced in the coming weeks.

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Jennifer Hudson will be headlining the upcoming Central Park Homecoming Concert. The concert is scheduled for the month of August at the Great Lawn of the New York City park.

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Jennifer Hudson will be headlining the upcoming Central Park Homecoming Concert. The concert is scheduled for the month of August at the Great Lawn of the New York City park. “This is going to be one of the greatest Central Park concerts in history,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference. He added, “This is something for the ages.” While de Blasio didn’t announce the Homecoming Concert’s date, the New York Times reports that the mayor previously scheduled the show for August 21st, a date that is also one of the openings on the Springsteen on Broadway schedule. The Times also reports that Springsteen and Patti Smith will likely perform together at the Central Park gig. Additional Homecoming Concert performers and events will be announced in the coming weeks.

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon to headline Central Park Homecoming Concert

Paul Simon has sold his entire song catalogue to Sony Music Publishing, joining a string of older musicians cashing in on their life`s work. 
 
Sony Music Publishing said on Wednesday the deal includes classic songs ranging from "Bridge Over Troubled Water," to "Still Crazy After All These Years" that Simon wrote and recorded over his six-decade career. 
 
The value of the deal was not disclosed. Simon, 79, a 16-time Grammy winner who in 2018 announced he was retiring from touring, said in a statement he was "pleased to have Sony Music Publishing be the custodian of my songs for the coming decades." 
 
The sale is the latest in a string of catalogue deals that includes the music of Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, Neil Young and Carole Bayer Sager in the past year. Dylan sold his back catalogue of more than 600 songs in December to Universal Music Group and the purchase price was widely reported as $300 million. Other songs have been snapped up by London-based Hipgnosis, which has attributed the deals to a surge in music streaming especially during the coronavirus pandemic when concerts and music festivals have been cancelled. 
 
Companies can reap royalties from licensing the songs they have acquired for use in movies, commercials and branding deals. 
 
Simon launched his career in the late 1950S as a folk singer along with his childhood friend Art Garfunkel. The duo turned out a string of 1960s hits including "Mrs Robinson" "The Sound of Silence," and "The Boxer" before splitting up. Simon embarked on a solo career that produced hit albums and songs including "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" and "Graceland." 
 
"From Simon and Garfunkel standards like ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ to solo classics such as ‘Graceland,’ Paul Simon’s music resonates deeply as a cultural touchstone for people all over the world," John Platt, chairman of Sony Music Publishing, said in a statement.

Paul Simon has sold his entire song catalogue to Sony Music Publishing, joining a string of older musicians cashing in on their life`s work. Sony Music Publishing said on Wednesday the deal includes classic songs ranging from "Bridge Over Troubled Water," to "Still Crazy After All These Years" that Simon wrote and recorded over his six-decade career.

Paul Simon has sold his entire song catalogue to Sony Music Publishing, joining a string of older musicians cashing in on their life`s work. Sony Music Publishing said on Wednesday the deal includes classic songs ranging from "Bridge Over Troubled Water," to "Still Crazy After All These Years" that Simon wrote and recorded over his six-decade career. The value of the deal was not disclosed. Simon, 79, a 16-time Grammy winner who in 2018 announced he was retiring from touring, said in a statement he was "pleased to have Sony Music Publishing be the custodian of my songs for the coming decades." The sale is the latest in a string of catalogue deals that includes the music of Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, Neil Young and Carole Bayer Sager in the past year. Dylan sold his back catalogue of more than 600 songs in December to Universal Music Group and the purchase price was widely reported as $300 million. Other songs have been snapped up by London-based Hipgnosis, which has attributed the deals to a surge in music streaming especially during the coronavirus pandemic when concerts and music festivals have been cancelled. Companies can reap royalties from licensing the songs they have acquired for use in movies, commercials and branding deals. Simon launched his career in the late 1950S as a folk singer along with his childhood friend Art Garfunkel. The duo turned out a string of 1960s hits including "Mrs Robinson" "The Sound of Silence," and "The Boxer" before splitting up. Simon embarked on a solo career that produced hit albums and songs including "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" and "Graceland." "From Simon and Garfunkel standards like ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ to solo classics such as ‘Graceland,’ Paul Simon’s music resonates deeply as a cultural touchstone for people all over the world," John Platt, chairman of Sony Music Publishing, said in a statement.

Paul Simon joins trend to monetise old song catalogs

More than half a century after he wrote &quot;The Sound of Silence,&quot; American singer Paul Simon says he is ready to hang up his guitar and stop making music. 
 
&quot;You&#39;re coming toward the end,&quot; he told The New York Times in an interview published Wednesday. &quot;Showbiz doesn&#39;t hold any interest for me,&quot; said the 74-year-old. &quot;None.&quot; 
 
The folk star turned world music champion, whose US tour ends Friday, released his most recent album, &quot;Stranger to Stranger&quot; on June 3 to rave reviews. 
 
Its single &quot;Wristband&quot; is one of the most played songs on college radio. 
 
His current tour ends in Queens, the New York borough where he grew up and met his now estranged music partner Art Garfunkel. 
 
He is then scheduled to begin a month-long tour of Europe on October 17 in Prague, shortly after his 75th birthday. 
 
Following that, he told the Times that his intention is to drift and travel for a year, perhaps with his wife, the musician Edie Brickell. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s an act of courage to let go,&quot; Simon told the newspaper. &quot;I am going to see what happens if I let go. Then I&#39;m going to see, who am I?&quot; 
 
If he does quit music, Simon will bring to a close an extraordinary career that has spanned six decades, won him more than a dozen Grammys and produced songs tracking 50 years of social awakenings. 
 
He and Garfunkel were a signature act of the 1960s, starting off with clean-cut folk songs before delving into fusion. The duo produced hits such as &quot;Bridge Over Troubled Water&quot; and &quot;Mrs Robinson&quot;. 
 
Simon has been named by Time Magazine one of the &quot;100 People Who Shaped the World,&quot; collected more than a dozen Grammys and been named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. 
 
He told the Times that &quot;Wristband,&quot; which was released in April, is a metaphor for today&#39;s struggle between rich and the disenfranchised. 
 
The title refers to a musician who steps into an alley behind a club and finds himself unable to get back in without a wristband. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s just a metaphor for, &#39;You can&#39;t get in. You don&#39;t have what&#39;s required,&#39;&quot; Simon said. &quot;That battle is being fought right now, the haves and have-nots.&quot; 
 
The singer also spoke out against fame, saying he saw it &quot;turn into absolute poison&quot; in the 1960s. 
 
&quot;It killed Presley. It killed Lennon. It killed Michael Jackson. I&#39;ve never known anyone to have gotten an enormous amount of fame who wasn&#39;t, at a minimum, confused by it and had a very hard time making decisions.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

'Showbiz doesn't hold any interest for me...it's an act of courage to let go' says the legendary singer-songwriter

More than half a century after he wrote "The Sound of Silence," American singer Paul Simon says he is ready to hang up his guitar and stop making music. "You're coming toward the end," he told The New York Times in an interview published Wednesday. "Showbiz doesn't hold any interest for me," said the 74-year-old. "None." The folk star turned world music champion, whose US tour ends Friday, released his most recent album, "Stranger to Stranger" on June 3 to rave reviews. Its single "Wristband" is one of the most played songs on college radio. His current tour ends in Queens, the New York borough where he grew up and met his now estranged music partner Art Garfunkel. He is then scheduled to begin a month-long tour of Europe on October 17 in Prague, shortly after his 75th birthday. Following that, he told the Times that his intention is to drift and travel for a year, perhaps with his wife, the musician Edie Brickell. "It's an act of courage to let go," Simon told the newspaper. "I am going to see what happens if I let go. Then I'm going to see, who am I?" If he does quit music, Simon will bring to a close an extraordinary career that has spanned six decades, won him more than a dozen Grammys and produced songs tracking 50 years of social awakenings. He and Garfunkel were a signature act of the 1960s, starting off with clean-cut folk songs before delving into fusion. The duo produced hits such as "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "Mrs Robinson". Simon has been named by Time Magazine one of the "100 People Who Shaped the World," collected more than a dozen Grammys and been named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He told the Times that "Wristband," which was released in April, is a metaphor for today's struggle between rich and the disenfranchised. The title refers to a musician who steps into an alley behind a club and finds himself unable to get back in without a wristband. "It's just a metaphor for, 'You can't get in. You don't have what's required,'" Simon said. "That battle is being fought right now, the haves and have-nots." The singer also spoke out against fame, saying he saw it "turn into absolute poison" in the 1960s. "It killed Presley. It killed Lennon. It killed Michael Jackson. I've never known anyone to have gotten an enormous amount of fame who wasn't, at a minimum, confused by it and had a very hard time making decisions." (AFP)

The Sound of Silence writer Paul Simon to stop making music

paul-simon

Paul Simon, News on Paul Simon, stories on Paul Simon, articles on Paul Simon, Paul Simon stories at Wion, Paul Simon news, Paul Simon latest news

paul simon

Paul Simon to receive PEN America’s Literary Service Award

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon to headline Central Park Homecoming Concert

Paul Simon joins trend to monetise old song catalogs

The Sound of Silence writer Paul Simon to stop making music