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San Francisco Chronicle
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
A fan paid Paul Simon $20 to play this song — and it worked
Paul Simon may not take requests, but for $20, he'll make an exception. During the final night of his five-show run at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Wednesday, July 16, the legendary singer-songwriter paused his acoustic set when a fan shouted out a request for 'Kodachrome,' the beloved 1973 track he hadn't performed live since 2019. 'I don't take requests,' Simon quipped from the stage. 'But I'll do some of it for 20 bucks.' The fan, unfettered, produced a $20 bill and offered it up. Simon, 83, walked over, took the cash, and delivered on his promise — strumming through the first verse and chorus of the nostalgic tune to cheers and laughter from the audience. The spontaneous moment was captured by concertgoers and quickly spread across social media. One fan posted, 'Holy smokes I can't believe that just happened,' alongside video of the interaction. The performance marked a lighthearted interlude in a series of otherwise intimate and contemplative shows. Simon's current tour — his first major outing in seven years — follows recent surgery for severe back pain and comes amid ongoing struggles with hearing loss. According to a Los Angeles Times review, his voice, guitar work and lyrical precision remain striking, particularly in performances of material from his 2023 album 'Seven Psalms.' Simon is scheduled to bring his 'A Quiet Celebration' tour to San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall on July 19 and 21-22, before wrapping the tour in Vancouver and Seattle. The singer rose to fame in the 1960s as co-founder of the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, with hits such as 'Mrs. Robinson' and 'The Sound of Silence,' before launching his solo career in the '70s. Simon's recent tour came as a surprise to many, after the musician indicated in 2018 that he was retiring from touring due to hearing loss. A year later, however, he performed a headlining set at San Francisco's Outside Lands festival. To assist with live performances, Simon has worked with his production team and Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss to adapt his stage setup with moving monitors to ensure optimal acoustics. For those hoping to hear a favorite deep cut, it seems a $20 bill might help. July 16, 2025 Set 1 'The Lord' 'Love Is Like a Braid' 'My Professional Opinion' 'Your Forgiveness' 'Trail of Volcanoes' 'The Sacred Harp' (with Edie Brickell) 'Wait' (with Edie Brickell) Set 2 'Graceland' 'Slip Slidin' Away' 'Train in the Distance' 'Homeward Bound' (Simon & Garfunkel) 'The Late Great Johnny Ace' 'St. Judy's Comet' 'Under African Skies' (with Edie Brickell) 'Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War' 'Rewrite' 'Spirit Voices' 'The Cool, Cool River' 'Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard' (with Edie Brickell) Encore 'Kodachrome' (abridged) 'Father and Daughter' '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover' 'The Boxer' (Simon & Garfunkel)
San Francisco Chronicle
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Paul Simon cancels concerts to undergo emergency surgery ahead of S.F. shows
Paul Simon canceled two concerts over the weekend due to health complications, and is scheduled to undergo surgery ahead of his San Francisco shows. 'Paul has been struggling with chronic and intense back pain,' a statement shared to his Instagram account on Saturday, June 28 reads. 'Today it became unmanageable and demands immediate attention.' Due to the pain, the 83-year-old scrapped appearances at Philadelphia's Academy of Music on Saturday and Sunday, June 28-29. He had already completed one of the three scheduled shows at the venue on Thursday, June 27. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee will now undergo a 'minor surgical procedure' in the coming days before proceeding with his A Quiet Celebration Tour, according to the statement. Simon's next show is set for Long Beach on July 7. He is also scheduled for a three-night stint at San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall on July 19 and 21-22. Though he is unable to reschedule his missed Philadelphia dates immediately, he says he will look into making up the concerts in the future, according to the statement. Full refunds are being offered to ticket holders. The singer rose to fame in the 1960s as co-founder of the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, with hits such as 'Mrs. Robinson' and 'The Sounds of Silence,' before launching his solo career in the '70s. Simon's recent tour came as a surprise to many, after the musician indicated in 2018 that he was retiring from touring due to hearing loss. A year later, however, he performed a headlining set at San Francisco's Outside Lands festival. To assist with live performances, Simon has worked with his production team and Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss to adapt his stage setup with moving monitors to ensure optimal acoustics. 'I don't think creativity stops with disability,' Simon said in a November interview on 'CBS Mornings.' 'So far, I haven't experienced that. And I hope not to.' Simon's A Quiet Celebration tour launched in New Orleans in early April and is scheduled to wrap up in August in Seattle.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
MUSIC ICON ART GARFUNKEL GIVES HISTORIC CONCERT IN TEL AVIV PERFORMING WITH SON ART GARFUNKEL JR BEFORE AN AUDIENCE OF TENS OF THOUSANDS AMIDST ROCKET FIRE
Hi-res photo link found HERE. NEW YORK, May 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a moment of profound cultural significance, music icon Art Garfunkel took the stage last night in Tel Aviv's Ha'Yarkon Park before a cheering crowd of over 50,000, becoming the first international artist to perform in Israel since the devastating attack at the Nova Music Festival in October 2023. Garfunkel was joined by his son, Art Garfunkel Jr. Prior to Garfunkel and Garfunkel taking the stage air raid sirens were heard due to missile fire reportedly targeting the concert in Tel Aviv. The father and son duo proceeded with their performance against a backdrop of missile interceptions. The emotional appearance of the family pair performing at Neshef Rock as Garfunkel & Garfunkel, soared on timeless classics including Bridge Over Troubled Water, The Sound of Silence, and Mrs. Robinson, weaving a musical thread between generations, resilience, and hope. The family duo's most recent album, Garfunkel & Garfunkel Father and Son, is available worldwide from BMG. Art Garfunkel Jr. was reported by Rolling Stone as one of Germany's most successful artists and continues to extend his own audience. "I am happy to be here in Israel," the 83-year-old performer told tens of thousands of cheering fans. "If Israel is in danger, the entire world is in danger," Garfunkel told the audience. "We all must not allow fear to define or control us. I am here with my entire family. Music is my gift from God, and my son Art Jr. is carrying our torch of music forward." Adding to the emotional weight of the evening, Garfunkel also performed The Boxer alongside Israeli rocker Aviv Geffen, uniting two eras of musical expression in a rare collaboration. Art was accompanied by his wife of many years, Kathryn "Kim" Luce Garfunkel—who is currently launching a new design and licensing initiative—and their younger son, Beau. The Garfunkel family's presence underscored the personal nature of this landmark event. Notably, Garfunkel has largely stepped back from public appearances and media in recent years making this live concert from Israel a rare and powerful moment. Media Contact:Victoria Varelavv@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Carrberry Companies
Boston Globe
23-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Betty Bonney, singer who had a hit with ‘Joltin' Joe DiMaggio,' dies at 100
She had been a radio and dance-band performer while growing up in Norfolk, and had almost a decade of professional experience by the time she — at age 16, in May 1941 — replaced the then-little-known 19-year-old Doris Day as the 'girl singer' for bandleader Les Brown. Advertisement The group, which had slowly been building a following with sprightly novelty instrumental tunes such as 'Bizet Has His Day,' was on the cusp of national recognition, and 'Joltin' Joe DiMaggio' helped make the difference. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up For much of the summer of 1941, Brown's band was broadcasting from the Log Cabin Roadhouse in Armonk, N.Y., and would routinely update the dance crowd and listening audience on DiMaggio's remarkable hitting streak that lasted from May to July. As Brown later told Newsday, a local disc jockey named Alan Courtney had the idea for lyrics built around the Yankee slugger's spectacular hitting streak, and Brown's musical arranger Ben Homer (his real name) wrote the melody. After a brassy, bouncy riff, Ms. Bonney starts the song by asking, 'Hello, Joe, whaddaya know?' DiMaggio, voiced by clarinetist Abe Most, responds, 'We need a hit, so here I go.' As the song progresses to tell the story of DiMaggio's long run as the 'Yankee Clipper,' band members chime in with various background choruses of 'Joe, Joe DiMaggio, we want you on our side' and musical puns such as 'We dream of Joey with the light brown bat.' According to Brown, DiMaggio was unamused and wanted to sue Courtney, but when the player discovered the lyricist 'didn't have a cent,' he calmed down and even took a publicity shot with the band. (Decades later, DiMaggio was said to be annoyed by his cameo in Simon and Garfunkel's 1968 No. 1 hit 'Mrs. Robinson,' until songwriter Paul Simon explained the line 'Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?' was meant to present him in a flattering and heroic light.) Advertisement After 'Joltin' Joe DiMaggio,' the brunette Ms. Bonney became a star attraction — with news accounts and reviews noting her sex appeal as much her voice. With Brown, she continued making novelty tunes such as 'All That Meat and No Potatoes' in addition to recording patriotic fare including 'He's 1-A in the Army (and He's A-1 In My Heart)' and the occasional romantic ballad. Later, she had stints with popular bands led by Jan Savitt, Jerry Wald, and Frankie Carle and made solo recordings under her full name — Betty Jane Bonney — for RCA Victor. Those wistful 1945 cuts, including 'How Little We Know,' 'They Can't Take That Away From Me,' 'Ho Hum (Wish I Were Someone in Love),' and 'While You're Away,' sold beyond expectation at a test run in New York and were praised by critics, but she said her management team was unable to capitalize on that success and secure her wider radio airplay. After taking voice lessons for a musical theater career, she appeared in the 1949 national touring production of the Broadway musical comedy 'High Button Shoes.' She also continued singing engagements at prominent clubs in New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Bandleader Sammy Kaye, whose syrupy ballads such as 'Harbor Lights' were favorites of cheek-to-cheek dancers, hired her in 1950 and renamed her Judy Johnson. 'Sammy had a thing about changing singers' names for good luck,' Ms. Bonney told Newsday. Advertisement Still billed as Judy Johnson, she partnered with Bill Hayes for song and light dance duets on Sid Caesar's influential early 1950s comedy-variety program 'Your Show of Shows.' Other TV appearances followed before her marriage, in the mid-1950s, to arranger and orchestra leader Mort Lindsey, who later spent decades as musical director for 'The Merv Griffin Show.' Betty Jane Bonney, whose father was a railroad purchasing clerk, was born on March 8, 1924. She was recognized early on for her singing ability in her school chorus, became a regular performer on a youth-oriented Norfolk radio program called 'Aunt Jane's Safety Club' and had her own 15-minute Tidewater-area radio show by the time she was 11. Accompanied by her mother, she went on the road at 13 with a college band out of Auburn, Ala., which toured as part of crooner Gene Austin's musical revue. A succession of other band jobs followed, and she said she scraped every cent from her $30-a-week salary singing with a Cincinnati group to try out for the fast-rising Brown when he was passing through Chicago. Ms. Bonney became the full-time replacement for Day, who had left Brown's group when she got married. Because of the rigors of touring, that was the common practice among female singers, who were described at the time as 'thrushes,' 'canaries,' and 'orioles.' After her divorce, Day returned to the band in 1943, had breakthrough hits with 'Sentimental Journey' and 'My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time,' and eventually became a movie-musical star. Having wed an Army lieutenant, Douglas Broyles Jr., in June 1942, Ms. Bonney left the Brown band but resumed singing when her husband was deployed to North Africa and Italy. They later divorced. Advertisement After the war, RCA pushed to make Ms. Bonney a solo star, a plan that reportedly angered the recording company's top singer, Dinah Shore, over what she considered exorbitant plans for radio and advertising publicity for Ms. Bonney. Ms. Bonney made the cover of Billboard that September, with an accompanying article that declared 'Betty Jane's on her way up fast,' but her RCA career did not last. Ms. Bonney's career largely slid into the background after her later marriage to Lindsey, but she continued doing theater work and served as the stand-in rehearsal singer for the orchestra her husband led during Judy Garland's 1961 comeback concert at New York's Carnegie Hall. Lindsey died in 2012. Survivors include a daughter from her first marriage, Bonney; two sons from her marriage to Lindsey, Trevor and Steve; and three stepchildren. A complete list of survivors could not immediately be confirmed. As late as the 1990s, Ms. Bonney appeared at events held at Griffin-owned resort properties and sang big-band standards, serving as one of the final links to that era. Her version of 'Joltin' Joe DiMaggio' was prominently featured in Ken Burns's 1994 TV documentary 'Baseball.'
