Claim: Paul Simon is American.

Paul Frederic Simon -LRB- born October 13 , 1941 -RRB- is an American musician , singer-songwriter and actor . Simon 's fame , influence , and commercial success began as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel , formed in 1964 with musical partner Art Garfunkel . Simon wrote nearly all of the pair 's songs , including three that reached No. 1 on the U.S. singles charts : `` The Sound of Silence '' , `` Mrs. Robinson '' , and `` Bridge over Troubled Water '' .   The duo split up in 1970 at the height of their popularity and Simon began a successful solo career as a guitarist and singer-songwriter , recording three highly acclaimed albums over the next five years . In 1986 , he released Graceland , an album inspired by South African township music , which sold 14 million copies worldwide on its release and remains his most popular solo work . Simon also wrote and starred in the film One-Trick Pony -LRB- 1980 -RRB- and co-wrote the Broadway musical The Capeman -LRB- 1998 -RRB- with the poet Derek Walcott . On June 3 , 2016 , Simon released his 13th solo album , titled Stranger to Stranger , which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Album Chart and the UK charts .   Simon has earned sixteen Grammys for his solo and collaborative work , including three for Album of the Year -LRB- Bridge Over Troubled Water , Still Crazy After All These Years , Graceland -RRB- , and a Lifetime Achievement Award . In 2001 , he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2006 was selected as one of the `` 100 People Who Shaped the World '' by Time magazine . In 2011 , Rolling Stone magazine named Simon as one of the 100 Greatest Guitarists . In 2015 , he was named as one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters by Rolling Stone . Among many other honors , Simon was the first recipient of the Library of Congress 's Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2007 . In 1986 , Simon was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music , where he currently serves on the Board of Trustees .