Simon & Garfunkel (Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel)

Early years Childhood friends and schoolmates, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel began performing professionally at the age of 14 as a Everly Brothers-type duo called Tom and Jerry; in fact, they nearly scored a Top 40 hit in 1957 with Simon's composition "Hey, Schoolgirl." But subsequent success proved tough, and the duo soon went their own ways. By 1963, Simon had become inspired by the burgeoning Greenwich Village folk scene and started to write in that style. Garfunkel joined him for an album called Wednesday Morning, 3. A.M.,., but when it failed to chart, Paul decamped to England. Success: In 1965, however, Florida radio stations began receiving numerous requests for "The Sound Of Silence," a track from the album. Sensing an opportunity, producer Tom Wilson overdubbed "rock" drums and guitars over the acoustic track, creating the hit we know today. Simon returned to the US, and although neither man approved of the tinkering, they began recording hits in a similar style, including "I Am A Rock." Their career got a major boost in 1968 when their songs were featured in the Mike Nichols film The Graduate, a timely generational comedy that proved a smash hit. Later years: By 1970, Simon's songwriting had grown considerably, leading to the massive hit "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The two had grown tired of working together by that time, and entered a hiatus that turned into more or less a permanent breakup. Simon went on to an even more successful solo career, while Art became a serious actor and sang with some degree of success. The duo have reunited periodically, most notably for a single in 1975 and a free New York Central Park concert in 1981, but for the most part they have remained separate entities.