Even while Simon was trying to build his solo career, the partnership never ended, and the two continued to make music together. After they finished college, in the early sixties, they returned to their old ways once again, making music and performing at folk clubs.
By this time they were in their mid-twenties and decided that the name Tom & Jerry was a bit juvenile for their tastes and needed to change things up. Asking friends and family for suggestions didn’t net them any helpful options, so they did something that would change the face of folk music forever.
Homework Comes First
As they continued performing as Tom & Jerry (an apt name, given their quarrelsome nature later one), they enjoyed making music, money, and fans, but both of them decided to focus on their studies.
Garfunkel studied architecture at Columbia University, quickly switching to art history, and then got a master's in mathematics education. Simon, on the other hand, got a degree in English Literature from Queens College, CUNY, and then spent a little bit of time studying law in Brooklyn. Both members of this group had plenty of options open to them, but things wouldn't always be easy.
The First Split
By the time the guys were in their twenties, they were a big success. They were able to handle their sudden success thanks to their friendship, and clearly, the support of each other helped them reach their artistic heights. However, Simon decided he wanted to go the rest of the way on his own, and Garfunkel was none too pleased.
It turned into a feud that would last the better part of ten years. Garfunkel felt betrayed by Simon's attempt to go solo, and the feeling never really left him, even after all the number one hits.
Simon and Garfunkel
Classic. Memorable. Powerful. Since no one could come up with a good band name, the two took a different track and just named themselves after themselves. The rest is history.
From Tom & Jerry to Simon and Garfunkel was an overnight shift that reflected their changing maturity. They had multiple number one hits, multiple breakups, and a final end to the band after decades, but the name stuck with them through thick and thin. Even the name itself has a little bit of poetic power to it, and it's possible this is why it became such an easy moniker to remember.
Growing Pains
Changing the name didn't lead them to fame and fortune immediately, and neither did their first album. "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M." came out in 1964, sold rather poorly, and didn't even reach the heights of their success as Tom & Jerry.
Simon once again bounced from the partnership, unable to handle the failure, and this time he even moved across the pond to England. However, their collaboration again hung on by a thread, and their following work would blow everything out of the water when it came to folk song success. It only took four years to change everything.