Paul Simon Sells His Complete Music Catalogue To Sony For An Undisclosed Amount

Paul Simon sold his entire song catalog to Sony Music Publishing for an undisclosed fee.

The deal includes more than 60 years of work, from Simon & Garfunkel’s songs such as Bridge Over Troubled Water and solo singer Robinson’s You Can Call Me Al and 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover.

Custodian Of Music

Simon said it was “exciting” for Sony to be “my songs custodian for the next few decades”.

He is the latest celebrity artist to transfer their copyright.

Bob Dylan sold his songs to Sony Universal rival Universal Music for about $ 400m (£ 290m) last year, and Neil Young sold half of his catalog to the Hipgnosis Songs Fund for about $ 150m (£ 109m) in January.

Debbie Harry, Barry Manilow, Shakira and Stevie Nicks made similar deals – trading their future royalties for upfront payments reaching nine figures.

Complete Collection Deal

Sony said its latest deal includes the “complete collection” of Simon’s classic songs, including evergreen hits like The Boxer, The Sound Of Silence, Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard and Still Crazy After All These Years.

The company’s chairman, Rob Stringer, said: “To be entrusted with his songs and recorded music is a privilege of the highest artistic order.”

Simon began his career as a traditional musician in the late 1950’s, and became one of the most respected songwriters of his generation.

Her first hits came with a childhood friend Art Garfunkel – although not until the duo wisely changed their name from Tom and Jerry to Simon and Garfunkel.

Powered by their choirboy harmonies and jangling folk-rock arrangements, tracks like Cecilia, I Am A Rock and the Hazy Shade Of Winter became part of the classic American Songbook.

Simon’s Career

Their latest record, Bridge Over Troubled Water, spent 33 weeks in first place, and remains the 21st best-selling album in the UK.

Simon went solo in the 1970s, reaping even more acclaim for his ability to weld smart, truthful lyrics to memorable pop hooks.

Still Crazy After All These Years, from 1975, won the Grammy award for album of the year; a feat he repeated with 1986’s Graceland, recorded largely in Johannesburg after he became fascinated with the South African street music, mbaqanga.

The 79-year-old released his last album, In The Blue Light, in 2018, the same year he announced his retirement from touring.