It’s not a shock that Homeward Certain: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon, which aired on CBS on Wednesday Dec. 21, was so satisfying.
Paul Simon has lengthy been considered certainly one of our prime songwriters. He received the 1970 Grammy for music of the yr for “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and was nominated in that class for “Mrs. Robinson” and “Graceland.” He was inducted into the Songwriters Corridor of Fame in 1982 and acquired that group’s highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award, in 1998. In 2007, he grew to become the inaugural recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Well-liked Tune.
Most of the contributors on the two-hour particular spoke warmly about Simon’s songs. Elton John Elton John referred to as him “one of many biggest songwriters of all time” and recalled early days when he and Bernie Taupin would sit “on the ground with our headphones listening to [Simon & Garfunkel’s] Bookends simply in full awe of the songs – the way in which you wrote the songs and the sounds. As a songwriter, you’re the bees’ knees.”
Remembering his childhood dwelling, Garth Brooks mentioned “When your stuff was enjoying, our home was a candy place to be in.” Herbie Hancock mentioned, “Paul Simon is a really world citizen of this musical world – a daring and visionary artist who’s open to our total musical universe.” Dustin Hoffman mentioned, “Fairly merely, The Graduate wouldn’t be The Graduate” with out Simon’s songs. Sting, Oprah Winfrey, Sofia Carson and actor Woody Harrelson additionally paid tribute to the grasp songwriter.
The particular included performances of 10 of Simon’s 14 prime 10 hits on the Billboard Sizzling 100 (combining Simon & Garfunkel and solo releases). On the finish of the night, Simon mentioned “It’s been an evening of extraordinary and plenty of sudden pleasures. I’d actually wish to thank all of those artists. It’s actually wonderful for those who’re a author to listen to one other artist carry out your music nicely. It actually makes a songwriter really feel good. It makes you are feeling such as you wrote an excellent music.”
Simon’s first main hit, “The Sound of Silence,” features a lyric, “Individuals writing songs that voices by no means shared/And nobody dared/Disturb the sound of silence.” As a songwriter, Simon has by no means identified that feeling and by no means will.
Ken Ehrlich, who was the producer or govt producer of the annual Grammy telecast for 4 many years from 1980-2020, govt produced this particular (and co-wrote it with David Wild). Ehrlich’s expertise, style and connections are a giant purpose the present was so compelling.
Listed here are 9 of probably the most memorable performances from the particular, which is offered to stream on demand on Paramount+.
