Art Garfunkel’s Health, Split, and Musical Legacy

Few voices in folk-rock are as instantly recognizable as Art Garfunkel’s – that clear, soaring tenor on classics like “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “The Sound of Silence.” But while many fans know the hits, fewer realize that for more than a decade, Garfunkel has been quietly fighting a vocal condition that could have ended his career.

Born: November 5, 1941 ·
Famous for: Simon & Garfunkel ·
Vocal condition: Vocal cord paresis (diagnosed 2011) ·
Spouse: Kim Garfunkel (m. 1988) ·
Children: 2 sons ·
Net worth (estimated): $40–50 million

Eighteen key facts, one pattern: Garfunkel’s life divides neatly into the Simon & Garfunkel years, a solo career, a health crisis, and a careful return.

The table below distills the basic biographical data about Garfunkel into a compact reference.

What illness does Art Garfunkel have?

Symptoms and diagnosis of vocal cord paresis

• In 2010, Garfunkel was diagnosed with vocal cord paresis – partial paralysis of the vocal folds – according to BBC News (UK public broadcaster).
• The condition caused the cancellation of a planned Simon & Garfunkel North American tour in June 2010 because the duo could not deliver performances at their usual quality.
• Garfunkel told Rolling Stone (leading music magazine) in November 2010, “My voice is gradually returning, albeit at a slow pace.”

How the condition affects his singing

• In September 2012, Garfunkel told the Los Angeles Times (major U.S. newspaper) that the midrange of his voice had become “crude and unmanageable” after the onset.
• He added that doctors’ throat images showed the condition was slowly mending.
• By August 2012, Global News (Canadian broadcaster) reported Garfunkel saying he was “95 per cent” healed.
• A 2020 profile in the San Diego Union-Tribune (regional newspaper) noted that Garfunkel had given up smoking tobacco and marijuana after the 2010 episode.

The implication: a decade of therapy and self-discipline allowed Garfunkel to return to the stage, but his voice never fully regained its pre-2010 range.

What caused the split between Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel?

Creative differences over the direction of the duo

• After the massive success of the 1970 album “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” tensions between Simon and Garfunkel came to a head. According to Wikipedia (community encyclopedia), the duo split in 1970 because Paul Simon wanted more creative control and a solo career.
• Garfunkel later acknowledged that the gap in their musical ambitions and personal friction made continued collaboration impossible.

The role of their 1970 album Bridge Over Troubled Water

• The album became one of the best-selling of the decade, but it also marked the breaking point. Simon felt Garfunkel’s acting interests (he had roles in films like “Carnal Knowledge”) pulled him away from the duo’s focus.

Simon’s desire for a solo career

• Simon went on to release a string of acclaimed solo albums, while Garfunkel’s solo work, though commercially modest, demonstrated his own artistic identity.

What this means: the split was less about a single argument and more about two different trajectories – Simon the perfectionist writer, Garfunkel the instinctive vocalist and actor.

Are Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon friends now?

Reunions and collaborations since the split

• The most famous reunion was the 1981 concert in Central Park, followed by a worldwide tour. They reunited again for the “Old Friends” tour in 2003–2004.
• In 2014, Garfunkel performed solo at the Grammy Museum, and GRAMMY.com (Recording Academy’s official site) noted his voice remained “warm and supple” despite the 2010 diagnosis.

Public statements about their relationship

• Both have described their relationship as complicated. Paul Simon once said in an interview, “Art and I have a very complicated relationship” (Wikipedia (biography resource)).

Current status of their friendship

• As of 2025, the two are not close friends but remain cordial. They have not performed together since 2010, when Garfunkel’s vocal issues forced the cancellation of their tour.

The pattern: the bond that produced iconic music is now a fragile truce – mutual respect without the closeness of youth.

Did Art Garfunkel ever marry?

Marriage to Kim Garfunkel

• Art Garfunkel married Kim Cermak in 1988. According to Wikipedia (biography resource), the couple have been together ever since.

How old is Art Garfunkel’s wife Kim?

• Kim Garfunkel was born on July 14, 1966, making her 57 years old in 2024.

Children with Kim

• The couple has two sons: James (born 1990) and Beau (born 2005).

Why this matters: Garfunkel’s family life has been a stable counterpoint to the volatility of his career and health.

What is Art Garfunkel doing today?

Recent performances and tours

• Garfunkel continues to perform occasionally despite vocal cord paresis. In 2022, he appeared at the Glastonbury Festival (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
• He has scheduled shows in 2025, though the scale is smaller than his peak years.

Health and vocal condition updates

• In January 2014, The Independent (UK newspaper) reported that Garfunkel was returning to the stage after a four-year absence linked to vocal-cord paralysis.
• A 2025 consumer-health article from Coast Monitor (online news aggregator) repeated the 2010 diagnosis, but that source is low-tier and should be treated cautiously.

Writing and poetry

• Garfunkel released a memoir, “What Is It All But Luminous,” in 2017, which includes poetry and reflections on his life.

The trade-off: Garfunkel now chooses his performances carefully, trading the grueling tour schedule for a few special shows each year, preserving the voice that remains.

Timeline

• November 5, 1941 – Born in Queens, New York
• 1956–1964 – Forms duo with Paul Simon as Tom and Jerry; later Simon & Garfunkel
• 1970 – Release of “Bridge Over Troubled Water”; duo splits
• 1973–1980 – Solo career albums and acting roles
• 1981 – Reunion concert in Central Park
• 1988 – Marries Kim Cermak
• 2003–2004 – Old Friends reunion tour with Paul Simon
• 2011 – Diagnosed with vocal cord paresis
• 2017 – Publishes memoir “What Is It All But Luminous”
• 2022 – Performs at Glastonbury Festival

What we know – and what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

• Vocal cord paresis diagnosis (2011) – confirmed by BBC News (UK public broadcaster), Rolling Stone (leading music magazine), Los Angeles Times (major U.S. newspaper)
• Marriage to Kim Garfunkel (1988) – Wikipedia (biography resource), multiple sources
• Split from Paul Simon in 1970 due to creative differences
• Two sons: James and Beau
• Return to stage in 2014 after four-year absence

What’s unclear

• Exact nature of current friendship with Paul Simon (both say cordial but not close)
• Future reunion performances – no confirmed plans
• Exact timeline of his vocal recovery – reports vary between “95% healed” in 2012 and ongoing limitations
• Whether he will ever tour extensively again

Quotes from Art Garfunkel

“My voice is gradually returning, albeit at a slow pace.”

Art Garfunkel, November 2010, Rolling Stone

“The midrange of my voice had become crude and unmanageable.”

Art Garfunkel, September 2012, Los Angeles Times

“Art and I have a very complicated relationship.”

Paul Simon, quoted in Wikipedia

For Garfunkel, the choice is clear: preserve the voice that defined a generation, or risk it all for one more tour. In 2025, he is choosing preservation, and that may be the wisest note he’s ever hit.

Frequently asked questions

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