Close friends through childhood, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel grew up in the same Forest Hills, Queens Forest Hills neighborhood just blocks away from one another. They met in elementary school in 1953, when they both appeared in the school play Alice in Wonderland (Simon as the White Rabbit, Garfunkel as the Cheshire Cat). They were classmates at Parsons Junior High School and Forest Hills High School in New York City, and began performing together in their junior year as Tom and Jerry, with Simon as Jerry Landis (whose last name he borrowed from a girl he had been dating) and Garfunkel as Tom Graph (so called because he was fond of tracking ("graphing") hits on the pop charts). They began writing their own songs in 1955, and made their first professional recording, "Hey, Schoolgirl", for Sid Prosen of Big Records in 1957. Released on 45 and 78 rpm records, the song-with B-side "Dancin' Wild"-sold 100,000 copies, hitting #49 on the ''Billboard magazine" charts. Both Simon and Garfunkel have acknowledged the tremendous impact of The Everly Brothers on their style, and many of their early songs (including "Hey, Schoolgirl") bear the mark of this influence.
They later performed their hit on ''American Bandstand'', right after Jerry Lee Lewis's "Great Balls of Fire".
Subsequent efforts in 1958 did not reach near their initial success, and after high school the duo went to separate colleges, with Simon enrolling at Queens College, New York Queens College and Garfunkel at Columbia University. While enrolled in college, they both joined the same fraternity
In 1963 they found prominence as part of the Greenwich Village folk music scene. Simon, who had finished college but dropped out of Brooklyn Law School, had-like Garfunkel-developed an interest in the folk scene. Simon showed Garfunkel a few songs that he had written in the folk style: "Sparrow", "Bleecker Street", and "He Was My Brother"-which was later dedicated to Andrew Goodman, a friend of both Simon and Garfunkel and a classmate of Simon's at Queens College, who was one of three civil rights workers murdered in Neshoba County, Mississippi, on June 21, 1964.
These three efforts were among five original songs by Simon included on their first album for Columbia Records, ''Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.", which initially flopped upon its release on October 19, 1964.
For additional reference on the lives of Simon and Garfunkel,
They had a big hit released in 1970 titled "Bridge Over Troubled Water" Here are the lyrics to the song
When you're weary, feeling small, When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all; I'm on your side. when times get rough And friends just can't be found, Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down. Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down.
When you're down and out, When you're on the street, When evening falls so hard I will comfort you. Ill take your part. When darkness comes And pains is all around, Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down. Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down.
Sail on silver girl, Sail on by. Your time has come to shine. All your dreams are on their way. See how they shine. If you need a friend I'm sailing right behind. Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind. Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind.
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