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Art Garfunkel biography

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Art Garfunkel is a singer and one half of the 60s folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel.

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Garfunkel remembers their years together warmly: "I'll always be happy to say a little on behalf of the duo. I'm proud of singing those great songs. Now they teach Paul Simon songs in churches and schools as part of the curricula... it seems that part of good citizenship is the knowledge of the songs we did. How can I grasp that?"

Now on his own,

Garfunkel peppered his music career with forays into acting. Working again with director Mike Nichols of The Graduate, Garfunkel appeared in the movies Catch-22 (1969) and Carnal Knowledge (1971). He continued his occasional film appearances throughout his career, to significant critical acclaim.

In 1973, Art Garfunkel began his successful solo music career with the album Angel Clare. Throughout the 1970s, he continued to release hit solo albums like Second Avenue, but also expanded his reputation as a diverse talent by singing background and duet vocals with hitmakers like J.D. Souther and James Taylor.

Personal Life

While the 1970s proved to be full of success, the 1980s were a challenge for Garfunkel both professionally and personally. After a brief marriage to Linda Grossman in the early 1970s, Garfunkel dated actress Laurie Bird for five years. In 1979, she committed suicide, leaving Garfunkel heartbroken. Attempting to recover from his loss, Garfunkel released Scissors Cut in 1981, which was dedicated to Bird, but then disappeared from the recording studio for the next seven years. In 1985, he met model Kim Cermack on the set of a movie. The couple married three years later.

Maturing Artist

It wasn't long before Garfunkel made it back to the stage and the recording studio. In 1993 he released the album Up 'Til Now and began a major reunion tour with his old collaborator Paul Simon. Despite storied tensions between the two stars, they reunite frequently for cameo appearances, singing classics like "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "The Sound of Silence." Although they had performed together several times over the years for benefit concerts and awards ceremonies, the twenty-three concert run in 1993 cemented their legacy even further. Speaking of an artistic high he felt during a reunion concert, Garfunkel said, "I knew we did something right in the 60s, but I didn't know how right."

Today, Art Garfunkel continues to record and perform for solo projects, while also teaming up with famous artists such as James Taylor and Bruce Springsteen. He also continues to appear in movies. Long-distance walking also became one of his passions; he crossed both Japan and the United States on foot.

Although he has been fine-tuning his voice since the age of four, has recorded for most of his life, and has walked across a significant portion of the world, Art Garfunkel still considers his life experiences less about what he has achieved, and more about what he has been blessed with, saying, "I feel somewhat different from many people in the extraordinary amount of good fortune that fell into my lap and made up my life."

© 2013 A+E Networks. All rights reserved.

© 2013 A+E Networks. All rights reserved.

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      Legendary folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel—comprised of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel—performed songs that spoke to the generation of the 1960s and '70s, including "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "The Sound of Silence" and The Graduate soundtrack hits "Scarborough Fair" and "Mrs. Robinson." Today, the duo is credited as one of the most popular and influential acts of the era.

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      With simply their voices and guitars, folk singers are the unplugged artists who tell our collective stories through their songs. Their music conveys universal truths and, in turbulent times, is often a call to action in the form of protest songs. Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and other legendary folk singers have rallied audiences around historic causes such as the Civil Rights, peace and feminist movements. Here are some of the famous folk singers who were revolutionary through their songs.

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      While many celebrities have met success for their star power, only a select few can truly claim honors for their advanced smarts: Stars like Christy Turlington, Shaquille O'Neal, James Franco, Art Garfunkel and Tyra Banks have attained graduate degrees—a level of success achieved by less than 10 percent of Americans. Explore this group to discover the little-known academic achievements of famous actors, athletes, musicians and more.

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