Simon and Garfunkel certainly won’t be the last folk-rock duo (thanks mostly to their own influence), and they weren’t even the first. The inspiration they used to build their brand was the Everly Brothers. Don and Phil Everly were a huge inspiration for the friends, and “Hey Schoolgirl” was directly based on their musical style.
Just like the famous duo they went on to inspire, the brothers had a contentious relationship, with breakups, reunions, solo albums, and fights. They quit in 1973 after more than twenty years together but would come back together in 1983 until their retirement in 2005.
Parents and Families
We all know that our parents largely affect how our adult lives develop. In this case, both Simon and Garfunkel got lucky. Garfunkel's family was Jewish and enjoyed listening to him sing in the synagogue so much that they wanted him to continue. He sang for four hours at his own bar mitzvah. Simon too prospered. His father, a musician himself, was extremely supportive of his son's musical aspirations.
Since his father was part of the music business, Simon was greatly inspired and took his father's words to heart, leading to the creative drive that would continue throughout his life.
The First Name They Took
Simon and Garfunkel had been together since the sixth grade. Even at that tender young age, they were singing and playing together, and conducting radio shows. All the way back in 1957 they signed to the independent record company Big Records under the name...Tom & Jerry.
Their first single, “Hey Schoolgirl,” did relatively well for first-timers; getting all the way to number forty-nine on the Billboard Top 100 chart, and selling over a hundred thousand copies. Since the two were only teenagers, this was quite a success. They each earned about two thousand dollars, or about $18,000 today.
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.