Simon & Garfunkel

The relationship between Simon and Garfunkel was often tense, leading to artistic differences and ultimately their breakup in 1970. Their last album, Bridge over Troubled Water, released in January of that year, became their biggest success and one of the best-selling albums of all time. After the breakup of the duo, Simon released several acclaimed albums, including Graceland in 1986. Garfunkel, on the other hand, had solo hits such as All I Know and explored a career in acting, appearing in films such as Catch-22, Conhecimento Carnal and Contratiempo. The duo has reunited several times, notably their 1981 concert at Central Park in New York, which attracted over 500,000 people. Simon & Garfunkel have received ten Grammy Awards and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Richie Unterberger described them as the most successful folk-rock duo of the 1960s. They have sold over 100 million records, placing them among the best-selling artists in history.

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel grew up in the Kew Gardens Hills neighborhood in Queens, New York. They were classmates at Forest Hills High School, where they forged a friendship from childhood. In 1955, Simon composed several songs, including «Hey, Schoolgirl», and proposed to Garfunkel to form a group. At 16, they adopted the name Tom & Jerry, inspired by the cartoons. Simon went by the name Jerry Landis, taking the surname of Sue Landis, a girl he was dating, while Garfunkel adopted the name Tom Graph, due to his hobby of making graphics of the evolution of records on the charts of hits.

They began writing songs together in 1957, and one of them had a good reception at school dances, leading them to record a demo. Soon after, they released their first professional recording, «Hey, Schoolgirl», with «Dancin' Wild» as the B-side, under the name Tom & Jerry. Sid Prosen, a talent scout, heard the song and signed them with Big Records. The single sold 100,000 copies, reaching number 57 on the Billboard charts and entering the top ten in New York. On November 22, 1957, they performed on the show American Bandstand, performing «Hey, Schoolgirl» after Jerry Lee Lewis's performance of «Great Balls of Fire». They also participated in Alan Freed's show. Simon and Garfunkel have acknowledged the influence of The Everly Brothers on their early songs, such as «Hey, Schoolgirl».