Today is Carly Simon’s birthday! She was born in 1944, so she turns 80 today.
Carly Simon became famous in 1971 with her song “That’s the Way I Always Heard it Should Be.” She started a new era of songwriters who shared personal stories through their music. If you’re thinking of a modern-day artist like Taylor Swift, you should look back to Carly Simon as her predecessor.
What makes Carly Simon’s music stand out are the beautiful melodies and catchy tunes that go with her heartfelt lyrics. Each of her songs is unique, but they all have a strong, sophisticated sound that makes them unforgettable.
Carly has more hit singles than many other artists from her time. Everyone knows “You’re So Vain” (which might be about Warren Beatty), but she also has many other famous songs like “Coming Around Again,” “Let the River Run,” “Anticipation,” “Haven’t Got Time for the Pain,” “Jesse,” “It Keeps You Running,” “Mockingbird,” and “We Have No Secrets.”
Carly Simon is known for writing songs about her own life, so we know quite a bit about her. Her father was part of the Simon & Schuster publishing company, and her family was friends with Jackie Robinson. We also know about her marriage to James Taylor, with whom she has two children, Sally and Ben. Carly is closely connected with Martha’s Vineyard, more so than with lobster tails!
Carly hasn’t performed live very often because she has stage fright and used to have a stutter. This means seeing her live has always been special and rare. When she did perform, the venues were always full, and people lined up to see her. If she announced a show now, tickets would sell out instantly.
Even though Carly isn’t performing much these days, she keeps her fans updated on Instagram. She’s doing well on Martha’s Vineyard and might still be writing new songs. We could see some surprises from her soon!
So, happy birthday to Carly Simon, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and an important figure in pop music!
P.S. Carly’s mother chose her name because she liked it from a friend. Nowadays, when you hear the name Carly—from TV shows like “iCarly” to other characters—they all trace back to the one and only Carly Simon. Like Cher or Madonna, there’s only one Carly.
