Last spring, we learned that the folk legend Paul Simon was suffering from hearing loss.
The famed “Sound of Silence” singer and songwriter didn’t think the prospects were good for a return to the stage.
Simon said at the time that it was “extremely” unlikely that he would perform again due to losing most of his hearing in his left ear.
But today, he seems more hopeful.
A Glimmer of Hope
So where are we at today on Simon’s possible live performance future?
At a minimum, there’s more hope this year than there was in 2023.
The New York Post’s Page Six reports, “Last year the musician broke hearts across the world when he said that it had become ‘extremely’ unlikely that he would ever perform live again after he lost almost all of the hearing in his left ear.”
“But last night, the ‘Graceland’ superstar said that his hearing has unexpectedly improved somewhat and that he’s now ‘optimistic’ that he might be able to perform his latest album live,” Page Six noted.
Backstory: Paul Simon, 81, Says ‘My Generation’s Time Is Up’ As He Reveals Hearing Loss
The story continued:
In June, he told “CBS Sunday Morning” that a 2022 performance at the Newport Folk Festival might have been his last.
“I hope not,” the Simon and Garfunkel co-founder said, “I really wanted to perform [new album] the ‘Seven Psalms.’ I haven’t given up hope, but I’m prepared to accept that I might not be able to.”
On Wednesday night, he seemed to have changed his tune.
“[The hearing has] come back to enough of a degree that I’m comfortable singing and playing guitar and a few other instruments,” he told Stephen Colbert during a Q&A after a screening of new Alex Gibney documentary on his career, “In Restless Dreams,” “I can hear my voice the way that I want it. [But] if there’s a drum or an electric guitar, it’s too loud and I can’t hear my voice.”
“Next month I’m going to try to do a rehearsal with an entire ensemble of ‘Seven Psalms’ and see if I can get through the [album].”
Related: ‘The Who’ Lead Singer Roger Daltrey Says The ‘Woke Generation’ Is Making A ‘Miserable World’
Simon Remains ‘Optimistic’
Simon says his hearing has come back enough that he might feel comfortable playing before an audience again.
“[The hearing has] come back to enough of a degree that I’m comfortable singing and playing guitar and a few other instruments,” Simon recently told the late night host Stephen Colbert. “Next month I’m going to try to do a rehearsal with an entire ensemble of ‘Seven Psalms’ and see if I can get through the [album].”
“I’m optimistic that I can,” he said.
Simon, along with his old partner Art Garfunkel, made some of the most timeless and generationally important music of their time. Much of their art is the background for the cultural and political revolutions of the late 1960s and the Woodstock era.
While we all get older, the ability of an artist to perform is something that should be appreciated and cherished for as long as he or she can do it. Especially among the greats.
Simon is certainly part of that rarified air.
Last year, he said that he would likely never perform again. This year, he’s more optimistic.
We are too.
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