«Breaking News» Homeward bound! Paul Simon wraps up farewell tour in Queens - just 20 minutes from where he grew up

Paul Simon farewelled fans in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, on Saturday, marking the end of a career that spanned more than 60 years

Paul Simon ended his final concert tour under a moonlit sky on home turf Saturday, telling an audience in a Queens, NY park that their cheers 'mean more than you can know.'

Simon performed at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, which he said was a 20-minute bicycle ride from where he grew up, ending the landmark night with his first big hit, 'The Sound of Silence.'

The 76-year-old Simon isn't retiring, and hasn't ruled out occasional future performances. But he's said this is his last time out on the road, and he isn't alone among his peers; Elton John and Kiss are also doing goodbye swings.

New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio introduced Simon, calling him 'one of the greatest New York City artists of all time.' 

The return to New York raised memories of Simon's two iconic shows in Manhattan's Central Park, in 1981 with former partner Art Garfunkel and in 1991 on his own.

Simon didn't directly address the special nature of this occasion, and his only guest was wife Edie Brickell, who came out to whistle the solo in 'Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard.' 

In a fitting homage, Simon's final performance took place just a 20 minute bike ride from his childhood home

Fans crowded in to say goodbye to the beloved New Yorker, who mayor Bill DeBlasio called 'one of the greatest New York city artists of all time'

But there were many references to familiar surroundings, like when he paused and beamed at an airplane descending over the park as he prepared to sing 'Homeward Bound.'

At one point, Simon started a game of catch with the audience, throwing out a baseball and trying to capture it as fans threw it back 

'Welcome to New York,' he said.

When Simon finished singing 'Kodachrome,' with its memorable line about 'the crap I learned in high school,' he said, 'take that, Forest Hills High School.'

But, he conceded, 'I actually had a good time there.'

The crowd cheered when Simon sang about the 'queen of Corona' in 'Me & Julio Down By the Schoolyard.'

'How much fun is it to sing a song about Corona in Corona?' he said.

The former high school baseball player brought out a glove and a ball, saying he wanted to play catch. He twice threw the ball into the audience and the return throws sailed over his head. But on the third, Simon caught a perfect strike.

His 26-song set spanned more than 50 years. A staple of the 1960s folk-rock scene with Garfunkel, Simon explored music from around the world as a solo artist. His band contained guitarists from Nigeria and South Africa, and a classical sextet. 

His recent work has been his most musically challenging, and in a new disc he revisits overlooked songs from the past four decades. He's a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member for both stages of his career.

The only references to Garfunkel were a couple of fleeting pictures during a nostalgic montage on the video screen. 

As Simon prepared to sing 'Bridge Over Troubled Water,' he said that 'I'm going to reclaim my lost child.' He had originally given the giant hit to Garfunkel to sing.

Simon had only one guest on stage with him on Saturday, his wife Edie, and got through the rest of the gig with his regular band

The 76-year-old formed Simon and Garfunkel with friend Art Garfunkel in 1956, before launching a successful solo career after they parted ways in 1970

Despite their enduring history, Simon did not mention Garfunkel, but gave him a nod through a nostalgic montage that played on the video screen

An often dour performer, Simon has been animated and talkative during the final shows. 

He seems eager for the freedom that awaits him, said Robert Hilburn, who wrote the biography 'Paul Simon: A Life' that was released this spring.

'The thing that strikes me is that he's been happy, relieved,' Hilburn said. 'There's a burden off of him.'

During an earlier show in Portland, Oregon, Simon playfully 'penalized' himself for flubbing the lyrics to one song by singing an old Simon & Garfunkel hit he confessed to hating: 'The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy).'

Simon announced his retirement in February this year, telling fans the death of his long-time guitarist Vincent N’guini in December 2017 was a major contributing factor. 

'His loss is not the only reason I’ve decided to stop touring, but it is a contributing factor,' he said in a statement.

'Mostly, though, I feel the travel and time away from my wife and family takes a toll that detracts from the joy of playing.'

Saturday will likely not be the last time Simon takes the stage, with the songwriter telling fans in February he still intended to perform for charity.

'After this coming tour, I anticipate doing the occasional performance in a (hopefully) acoustically pristine hall, and to donate those earnings to various philanthropic organizations, particularly those whose objective is to save the planet, ecologically,' he said. 

Saturday was the final show in Simon's farewell tour, which saw him travel through North America, the United Kingdom and Europe

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Paul Simon farewelled fans in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, on Saturday, marking the end of a career that spanned more than 60 years

Paul Simon ended his final concert tour under a moonlit sky on home turf Saturday, telling an audience in a Queens, NY park that their cheers ‘mean...

It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.

Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.

Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca





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