If based on nothing more than awards alone, Paul Simon is among the most highly decorated songwriters in recent history. The bio on his official website lists many of Simon’s accolades, which include the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction in 1982, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction (with Art Garfunkel) in 1990, the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Johnny Mercer Award in 1998, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction (solo) in 2001 and Kennedy Center Honors in 2002.
Simon, who today turns 82 years old, was also the first recipient of the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, which he was bestowed in 2007. Awarded annually, the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song:
“[C]elebrates the work of an artist whose career reflects lifetime achievement in promoting song as a vehicle of musical expression and cultural understanding. The styles in which these works are composed reflect myriad contemporary traditions like rock, jazz, country, pop, blues, folk, and gospel. The recipient-whether composer, singer/songwriter, or interpreter-is recognized for entertaining and informing audiences, for drawing upon the acknowledged foundations of popular song, and for inspiring new generations of performers on their own professional journeys.”
Given that description, it makes perfect sense that Simon was the inaugural recipient of the award. Simon’s approach to songwriting and recording has long merged disparate genres and influences, marrying the past with the present.
One of Simon’s best-known compositions that no doubt helped earn those aforementioned awards is “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” A strikingly bold and beloved song released by Simon & Garfunkel as the title track to their 1970 album, “Bridge Over Troubled Water” soon entered the cultural lexicon as an expression of resilience and companionship in the face of adversity.
The Gershwin Prize’s list of genres, “rock, jazz, country, pop, blues, folk, and gospel,” could also be a list of just a few of the styles “Bridge Over Troubled Water” has been performed in. The song is the type that feels timeless, as if it has been sung for hundreds of years, despite originating in 1970.
The process by which Simon merged together a variety of influences when writing “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was explained by the singer-songwriter during an appearance on The Dick Cavett Show. With an acoustic guitar in hand, Simon walked host Dick Cavett through the origins of the song and how he incorporated elements of classical music and gospel music when crafting the now-classic song.
View Simon’s April 9, 1970 appearance on The Dick Cavett Show below:
