Carly Simon

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  • Year:
    2022
  • Inducted by:
    Sara Bareilles
  • Category:
    Performers
Carly Simon Signature

In the early 1970s, singer-songwriter Carly Simon emerged as a gifted storyteller and lyricist who broke established narratives, writing exquisite songs about modern women’s lives. Her confessional balladry, gorgeous melodies, and catchy choruses made her a captivating voice among a new generation of singer-songwriters. 

HALL OF FAME ESSAY

2022

Herb Powell

Over twenty years ago, a television host introduced Carly Simon with such words as “exploded onto the charts” and “one of the most prolific singer-songwriters.” Simon shunned those descriptions, calling them too hyperbolic. Her rejection of such praise is a significant clue as to who she really is. More importantly, it reveals her great creative gift, which is consummate honesty.

Simon’s musical gift of creative honesty began almost as a parable on how an impediment can be transformed into magical artistry. When she was around 8, she developed an intense stutter. In her 2015 memoir, Boys in the Trees, she recalled that “if up until that point words and life were easy, and limitless, my stammer made me aware that life could also be tough. There was very little it would not affect about me.”

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