Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel had emotional reunion after many years

Despite years of tension and trading barbs in the press, there might just be a future for Simon & Garfunkel.

It’s been nearly a decade and a half since Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel last shared the stage, but for the first time in years, the duo have reunited in the interest of making amends. 

“I actually had lunch with Paul a couple of weeks back. First time we’d been together in many years,” Garfunkel reveaaled during a conversation with the Sunday Times. “I looked at Paul and said, ‘What happened? Why haven’t we seen each other?’ Paul mentioned an old interview where I said some stuff. I cried when he told me how much I had hurt him.”

Reflecting on the schism in their relationship, Garfunkel said, “I guess I wanted to shake up the nice guy image of Simon & Garfunkel. Y’know what? I was a fool!”

The Grammy-winning duo began their partnership as childhood friends and would later become one of the best-selling acts of the 1960s, recording such timeless hits as “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Mrs. Robinson,” and “The Sound of Silence.” Artistic disagreements would lead them to part ways by the late ’70s, though they would perform together sporadically in the aftermath. Their last time sharing the stage was in 2010, at the American Film Institute’s tribute to Mike Nichols (whose film The Graduate features five of their songs).

“We’ve made plans to meet again,” Garfunkel said and, hinting at the potential for a musical collaboration, added, “Will Paul bring his guitar? Who knows.”

However, the musician noted that making music was not his primary reason for healing their friendship: “For me, it was about wanting to make amends before it’s too late,” he said. “It felt like we were back in a wonderful place. As I think about it now, tears are rolling down my cheeks. I can still feel his hug.”

Since parting ways, Simon and Garfunkel have often commented on their fraught partnership and complicated friendship. In 2001, at Simon’s induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (he was previously selected as part of Simon & Garfunkel), the singer thanked Garfunkel by name and expressed regret over the state of their relationship.

“I hope that some day, before we die, we will make peace with each other,” he said at the time, then joked, “No rush.”

They would indeed come together several more times in the years that followed. In 2010, the duo were forced to cancel their previously announced North American tour when Garfunkel began to suffer major vocal issues. After he regained his voice, Simon was no longer on board for the tour — and Garfunkel later lamented his exit in an incendiary 2015 interview with The Telegraph.

“How can you walk away from this lucky place on top of the world, Paul?” he said at the time. “What’s going on with you, you idiot? How could you let that go, jerk?”

In the same conversation, he said that his friendship with Simon has “created a monster.”

The following year, Simon said that a reunion with Garfunkel was “out of the question” because the two “don’t even talk.”

But now, things are looking up. Even Garfunkel’s son, Art Jr., believes there is hope for a future on stage reunion, especially after witnessing his father’s reaction to meeting up with his old friend.

“They’ve had their ups and downs over the years, but after the meeting, Dad was so happy. He called me and said, ‘Paul’s my brother; he’s family,’” Art Jr. told the Times. “I do think there is a possibility of them getting together musically. I’m speaking hypothetically here, but maybe a big TV/charity event.”

Adding even more fuel to the fire, he said, “With a bit of encouragement from their peers in the music industry, that could lead to some new material. A new generation discovering the beautiful music they make together.”