Paul Simon Honored With CBS Tribute Concert
The music of Paul Simon will be the focus of an upcoming all-star two-hour CBS special.
Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon features guest turns by Sting, Elton John, Dave Matthews, Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, Eric Church, Rhiannon Giddens, Susanna Hoffs, the Jonas Brothers, Angelique Kidjo, Ledisi, Little Big Town, Brad Paisley, Billy Porter, Take 6, Irma Thomas, Shaggy and Jimmy Cliff and Trombone Shorty.
There will be additional special appearances by Sofia Carson, Herbie Hancock, Woody Harrelson, Dustin Hoffman, Folake Olowofoyeku and Oprah Winfrey. Simon himself is also slated to perform on the show, which airs at 9 p.m EST Dec. 21 on CBS, with live streaming and on-demand viewing through Paramount+.
Simon has retired from both the studio and extensive touring, but occasionally makes one-off appearances including his memorable performance at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival. He spoke with author Malcolm Gladwell in 2021 for the audiobook Miracle and Wonder: Conversations With Paul Simon, which also included a handful of acoustic performances of songs like "Mrs. Robinson," "The Boxer" and "Slip Slidin' Away."
"The idea of discussing my music in an audio forum was attractive because I had never done that before," Simon told The Wall Street Journal. "It's always in prose, which never captures what’s going on in my musical thinking. The audio gives me the opportunity to demonstrate what I'm thinking, what influenced me, the choices that I make."
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