2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Bhekizizwe Joseph Shabalala (28 August 1940 – 11 February 2020) --> Photo 2012

2019

JANUARY 2019

28 jan

New York NY

Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Paul Simon Talks Reworking Old Songs For ‘In the Blue Light’ Album, Performs On ‘The Late Show’

Paul Simon paid a visit to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert? on Monday night (Jan. 28) to perform two tracks from his latest album In the Blue Light and talk about the making of the record.

 

MARCH 2019

27 march

New York NY

Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Paul Simon Performs 'One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor'

Paul Simon Performs 'That Was Your Mother'

JUNE 2019

18 june

New York

BOTANICAL GARDEN

Paul Simon performed at a special event at the New York
Botanical Garden for a Poetry Society benefit dinner,
where he performed "The Sound of Silence" and gave a short interview.
Paul Simon discusses his songwriting process just before or after
the performance.

 

JULY 2019

19 july

Floride

Tarpon Springs

  

AUGUST 2019

09 aug

Oakland

Fox Theater Oakland

11 aug

San Francisco CA

Golden Gate Park Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival

Paul Simon - The Boxer (with Bob Weir) 

13 aug

Kahului HI

Maui Arts & Cultural Center

 

14 aug

Kahului HI

Maui Arts & Cultural Center

 

 

16 aug

Maui

Paul Simon traveled to the island of Maui, Hawaiʻi, to take part in a forest restoration project at the Auwahi Forest reserve. Together with a group of volunteers, he planted a young lama tree during a traditional ceremony that included chants and prayers. Simon described the experience as “inspiring” and “life-changing” after flying over the region by helicopter and seeing the scale of the areas that need restoration.

He also announced that the net proceeds from several concerts would be donated to local environmental organizations, including the Auwahi restoration program and KUA (Kua‘āina Ulu ‘Auamo), in order to support the protection of Hawaiian forests and ecosystems.

SEPTEMBER 2019

30 sept

Venice IT

Paul Simon Came to Venice 11 days ago and visited a glass factory in Murano

NOVEMBRE 2019

08 nov

New York

The interview took place in Paul Simon's office in Midtown Manhattan

an associated press interview discussing Peter Singer's work (The life you can save) and themes of effective altruism and philanthropy

23 nov

New York

Town hall

Live from Here with Chris Thile

Paul Simon performed Question for the angels / St Judy's Comet / American Tune /Kodachrome

2020

19 march

All I Have To Do Is Dream for Til Further Notice

Lulu, Edie Brickell, Woody Harrelson and Paul Simon

19 March

American Tune for Til Further Notice

 

APRIL 2020

07 april

Paul Simon and Edie Brickell - I Wonder if I Care As Much

 

15 april

In 2020, Jazz at Lincoln Center presented an online event during the COVID period titled “Worldwide Concert for Our Culture,” which was streamed on April 15, 2020 via YouTube and Facebook. Paul Simon was associated with this gala/benefit context and appeared as part of the event’s broader presentation alongside Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

MAY 2020

29 may

New York

Dion with Paul Simon - "Song For Sam Cooke (Here In America)"

JUNE 2020

10 June

Austin

Private Venue, Unknown City, USA 

17 june

 

Here is a duet by Paul Simon and Edie Brickel recorded on the song "Mr. Lee" by the Bobbettes, for the "A Night For Austin" concert which took place the week before.

 

20 june

 

On October 22, Paul performed George Harrison’s classic “Here Comes The Sun” in celebration of #HalfEarthDay and E. O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation.

 

2021


AUGUST 2021
       
21 aug
New York NY

We love NY

he We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert, scheduled for August 21, 2021 at Central Park’s Great Lawn in New York City, was interrupted and ultimately canceled due to severe weather conditions (lightning and thunderstorms related to Hurricane Henri).

  • The event began around 5 p.m. local time, but was stopped around 7:30 p.m. during Barry Manilow’s performance of “Can’t Smile Without You.”
  • After a lightning warning, the audience was evacuated and the show did not resume.
  • Several artists — Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, and Elvis Costello — were scheduled to perform but never got the chance to go on stage.

Paul Simon Soundcheck

 

DECEMBER 2021
05 dec
Washington

Kennedy Center Opera house

44th Kenedy Center Honors 2021

The 44th annual Kennedy Center Honors special airs tonight on CBS, and the show features star-studded tributes to Joni Mitchell, Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. and Bette Midler, as well as Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels and opera baritone Justino Diaz.

You’ll hear Adele narrating the tribute video honoring Bette, while presenters for Bette’s segment include Melissa Manchester and actresses Goldie Hawn, Scarlett Johansson and Barbara Hershey. Stars performing the songs Bette made famous include Billy Porter, Kelli O’Hara and Beanie Feldstein, singing, respectively. Among the tunes they performed are “From a Distance,””Wind Beneath My Wings” and “Friends.”

Ellie Goulding, Norah Jones and Brandi Carlile are among the artists who you’ll see sing in honor of Joni Mitchell, while Paul Simon sings the classic Simon & Garfunkel tune “America” in tribute to his pal Lorne Michaels.

Smokey Robinson will be seen as both a performer and a presenter during the tribute to Berry Gordy. In addition, Andra Day will sing “Glod Bless the Child,” and Stevie Wonder will close the show with a medley of his hits, including “My Cherie Amour,” “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “Superstition.”

2022

APRIL 2022

24 june

Portofino

06 april

Hollywood CA

Hollywood Pantages Theatre

JUNE 2022

JULY 2022

23 jul

Newport

Newport Folk Festival

Paul Simon appeared onstage for Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats' all-star set dedicated to his music

 

 

2023

JUNE 2023

19 june

Austin TX

CBS News : The National (Canada)

interviewer : Tom Power

It was recorded near Austin, Texas in Paul Simon's private studio/'cabin"

The National

1) The concept of Seven Psalms  (format + intention)

  • Simon explains that Seven Psalms is designed as one complete piece (about half an hour), broken into seven connected sections.

  • He encourages listening straight through, without treating it like separate tracks competing for attention.

  • The “psalms” framing is partly about tone and approach: contemplative, questioning, and written as a kind of ongoing address or dialogue.

2) The “origin story”: the dream that named the work

  • A key moment in the interview is Simon describing a vivid dream in which he was told (or understood) he was working on something called Seven Psalms.

  • He treats that dream as the spark that set the entire project in motion—almost as if the title arrived before the full content did.

  • The dream becomes a way to explain why the project feels different to him: less planned, more discovered.

3) How the lyrics arrived (a different writing state)

  • Simon talks about writing lines while in a hazy state between sleeping and waking—often early in the morning.

  • He describes the process as unusually “given” or “received,” rather than engineered through the normal craft of songwriting.

  • That doesn’t mean he doesn’t edit—he still interrogates each line—but the initial material felt like it came through him more than from him.

4) Faith, doubt, and “talking to God” without being religious

  • The conversation spends significant time on spirituality.

  • Simon is careful to separate this from formal religion: he doesn’t present himself as belonging to a church or adopting a fixed doctrine.

  • Instead, he frames the album as an internal conversation: questions about God, belief, skepticism, gratitude, fear, and awe—without insisting on definitive answers.

  • He also emphasizes that the language is poetic and exploratory; he’s probing ideas rather than preaching.

5) Why he rejects “this is an album about dying”

  • A big takeaway: Simon pushes back on the common interpretation that Seven Psalms is simply a “death album” or a farewell statement.

  • He acknowledges that age and mortality inevitably hover in the background, but he resists reducing the work to that single theme.

  • His point is that the album is more about consciousness, wonder, uncertainty, and the search for meaning than about a direct meditation on death.

6) Imagery, metaphors, and self-editing

  • Simon describes the lyric approach as image-driven—ideas appear as metaphors and shifting pictures rather than straightforward narrative.

  • He talks about a constant inner test: “Can I stand behind this line? Is it honest? Does it say what I mean?”

  • The result is language that feels intimate and searching, with room for listeners to find their own meanings.

7) Hearing loss and what it means for performance

  • The interview also touches on Simon’s hearing loss (notably in one ear) during the period around making this work.

  • He describes it as a major factor in thinking about live performance—especially the difficulty of playing and hearing music the way he’s always relied on.

25 june

Austin TX

CBS News : Sunday Morning (USA)

Interviewer : Anthony Mason (CBS News)

Latest work — Seven Psalms
Paul Simon discussed his then-recent album Seven Psalms, talking about how the music came to him through dreams and the addictive nature of songwriting — how it keeps drawing him back to create even after saying he was “finished” at one point.

Songwriting process & dreams
He described waking up early with music and lyrics coming to him and writing them down as part of how the project took shape

Hearing loss and performing
Simon spoke candidly about dealing with significant hearing loss (especially in his left ear), which has affected how he approaches live performance and collaboration with other musicians. Despite this, he still writes and plays.

Life and legacy reflections
The conversation touched on how interpretations of his songs have changed over time and his view that whether his music “lives” culturally isn’t something he feels in terms of legacy — he focuses on the music itself

Paul Simon's father bought this Stadium guitar when Paul Simon was 13 years old

Guitar that was used to write the song Bridge Over Troubled Water

Guitar that was used to record Simon and Garfunkel 's songs

into a dfferent tuning it's tuned into what they call a high string or nashville tuning

everything is up an octave it as a nice shimmer it goes well with other instrument

Guitar that was used to record Paul Simon's solo songs, including Seven Psalms

The guitar is a Paul Simon from Martin

This guitar is a Paul Simon from Martin

 

The CBS Sunday Morning interview with Paul Simon in 2023 was recorded at his ranch in Texas, specifically in the Texas Hill Country.

CBS noted that Seven Psalms was also recorded there, in his small cabin studio on the property.

 

 

SEPTEMBER 2023
       

10 sept

Toronto

Paul Simon speaks onstage during "In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon" premiere during the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival at Princess of Wales Theatre

Paul Simon and Alex Gibney speak onstage at the "In Restless Dreams

20 sept

New York

What stands out (with the best anecdotes)

His core rule as a songwriter: don’t “explain” the songs too much.
Simon keeps coming back to the idea that once a song is released, listeners complete it—its meaning shifts depending on who’s hearing it and when. That’s why he resists definitive “this is what it means” answers about iconic songs: over-explaining can shrink what a song can be.

  • “The Sound of Silence”: the hit he didn’t see coming (and that got rebuilt).
    He recounts how the original 1965 version didn’t explode immediately—and how the track later became a phenomenon after it was reworked with electric instruments and drums. He also notes how the song’s meaning has mutated over decades, which he finds striking for something he wrote so young.

  • The hearing-loss story: concrete, blunt, and tied to his later work.
    He talks about losing hearing on one side and undergoing a procedure intended to help, but that ultimately left him with no hearing on that side. He frames it as a real-world limitation that shaped how he thinks about making music now—and as part of the emotional terrain behind Seven Psalms.

  • How Seven Psalms began: a “dream” that made him get up and write.
    One of the most memorable bits: he describes waking with a strong, almost urgent idea—enough that he got out of bed to start writing immediately, treating it like a rare creative signal you don’t ignore.

  • Guitar talk that turns charmingly practical (including the fingernails).
    He traces early learning (including his dad showing him chords) and explains how he gravitated toward fingerpicking/Travis-style patterns. Then comes the very specific working-musician detail: he plays without a pick and uses acrylic on his fingernails to keep them strong.

  • Drugs and creativity: clear-eyed… and funny.
    He’s candid about trying substances (including psychedelic experiences) more out of curiosity about perception and association than as a “method.” The standout anecdote: after getting high, an inner voice tells him he isn’t that good—Simon basically “interviews” the voice: “What have you written?” Voice: “Nothing.” Simon: “Okay, goodbye—I’m working.”

  • Meeting Edie Brickell: rom-com beats with real awkwardness.
    He tells a story involving SNL connections and the moment they confront their ~25-year age gap, producing an unmistakable awkward pause. Another scene plays like a movie: he leaves after seeing her, then thinks, “Why am I leaving?” and literally turns around. And when he visits her in Texas, he’s amused/shocked by the culture shift—especially her old mustard-yellow pickup truck, which he reacts to like a New Yorker dropped into another universe.

  • Why Simon & Garfunkel fractured: not one thing—more like wear, friction, and timing.
    He describes the slow grind: studio power struggles, artistic tension, and accumulated conflict that can stall work. He also touches on how outside projects (including film opportunities) complicated their momentum and made the partnership harder to sustain. His tone is sober: duos rarely last forever.

Songmaking stories:

    • “Cecilia”: born from improvised, homemade-style percussion (more claps/objects than “proper drums”), captured casually with friends.

    • “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”: he talks about the way pieces came together and credits drummer Steve Gadd’s groove as the defining engine of the track.

  • A modern nod: he says he liked Disturbed’s cover of “The Sound of Silence” and even reached out to the singer to tell him.

Howard Stern and Paul Simon during SiriusXM's 'The Howard Stern Show' at SiriusXM Studios on September 20, 2023 in New York City

25 sept

Gahanna Ohio

Canvassing

OCTOBER 2023

07 oct

East Hampton NY

Paul Simon at Hamptons Film Festival