Art Garfunkel Reveals He Reunited with Paul Simon for the 'First Time in Years' After 'Period of Estrangement'

Mar. 15, 2025

Paul Simon and American singer Art Garfunkel.Photo:Jeff Hochberg/Getty; Skip Bolen/WireImage

Jeff Hochberg/Getty; Skip Bolen/WireImage

Art Garfunkelis opening up about where his relationship withPaul Simonstands.On the Wednesday, Dec. 11 episode ofLive with Kelly and Mark, the folk singer, 83, performed a song alongside his son, Art Garfunkel Jr., as duo Garfunkel & Garfunkel.During the segment, Kelly Ripa, 54, asked Garfunkel Sr. about his relationship with former music collaboratorPaul Simon, 83.Art Garfunkel.Astrid Stawiarz/Getty"Do you think you’ll ever reconnect with Paul Simon?" Ripa asked.From 1964 to 1970, the duo released a total of five studio albums as Simon & Garfunkel before splitting up. They’ve come together a few times over the years, once in 1981 for a special benefit concert in Central Park, but have a notoriously fractured friendship.“This is the question they always ask me about that,” Garfunkel Sr. said. “I can’t speak for him. It’s really his life. I know we met up recently for the first time in years. We had a period of estrangement for some years until — he has a son that moved into the place that I live in and I knew I was going to run into Harper [Simon] and Harper set up a dinner and Paul and I hung out, first time in years. And it was very touching.“Simon & Garfunkel.Douglas Mason/GettyIn a recent interview withThe Times,the eight-time Grammy winner revealed that he hadmet upwith his “Bridge Over Troubled Water” collaborator early this fall.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“First time we’d been together in many years,” Garfunkel said in the Nov. 11th interview. “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.“Simon & Garfunkel.GettyIn the 2024 documentaryIn Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon, Simonrecalledthat Garfunkel’s role in 1970’sCatch-22was a breaking point in their relationship.“Artie said, ‘Yeah, the way it’s going to be is that I will do movies for six months, then I’ll come back, you’ll have written the songs, and we will do the album,’ and I thought, ‘Yeah? Actually, no. That’s not gonna happen. I am not gonna do that,'” Simon recalled.Garfunkel Jr. toldThe Timeshis dad and Simon “had their ups and downs over the years,” but after the two recently reunited the 83-year-old “was so happy.““He called me and said, ‘Paul’s my brother; he’s family.'” Garfunkel Jr. said of his father.

Art Garfunkelis opening up about where his relationship withPaul Simonstands.

On the Wednesday, Dec. 11 episode ofLive with Kelly and Mark, the folk singer, 83, performed a song alongside his son, Art Garfunkel Jr., as duo Garfunkel & Garfunkel.

During the segment, Kelly Ripa, 54, asked Garfunkel Sr. about his relationship with former music collaboratorPaul Simon, 83.

Art Garfunkel.Astrid Stawiarz/Getty

Astrid Stawiarz/Getty

“Do you think you’ll ever reconnect with Paul Simon?” Ripa asked.

From 1964 to 1970, the duo released a total of five studio albums as Simon & Garfunkel before splitting up. They’ve come together a few times over the years, once in 1981 for a special benefit concert in Central Park, but have a notoriously fractured friendship.

“This is the question they always ask me about that,” Garfunkel Sr. said. “I can’t speak for him. It’s really his life. I know we met up recently for the first time in years. We had a period of estrangement for some years until — he has a son that moved into the place that I live in and I knew I was going to run into Harper [Simon] and Harper set up a dinner and Paul and I hung out, first time in years. And it was very touching.”

Simon & Garfunkel.Douglas Mason/Getty

Douglas Mason/Getty

In a recent interview withThe Times,the eight-time Grammy winner revealed that he hadmet upwith his “Bridge Over Troubled Water” collaborator early this fall.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“First time we’d been together in many years,” Garfunkel said in the Nov. 11th interview. “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.”

Simon & Garfunkel.Getty

Getty

In the 2024 documentaryIn Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon, Simonrecalledthat Garfunkel’s role in 1970’sCatch-22was a breaking point in their relationship.

“Artie said, ‘Yeah, the way it’s going to be is that I will do movies for six months, then I’ll come back, you’ll have written the songs, and we will do the album,’ and I thought, ‘Yeah? Actually, no. That’s not gonna happen. I am not gonna do that,'” Simon recalled.

Garfunkel Jr. toldThe Timeshis dad and Simon “had their ups and downs over the years,” but after the two recently reunited the 83-year-old “was so happy.”

“He called me and said, ‘Paul’s my brother; he’s family.'” Garfunkel Jr. said of his father.

source: people.com