KWXY Presents ● Music and an Interview with Carly Simon

Publicity photo of Carly Simon published by Elektra Records / 1978

Carly Simon is a singer/songwriter and author who began her career with her sister Lucy as one-half of the Simon Sisters and who later rose to prominence as a solo artist beginning in the early 1970s. 

She was born Carly Elisabeth Simon in The Bronx, New York on June 25, 1945.  Her parents were Richard L. Simon, co-founder of publishing house Simon & Schuster and Andrea Heinemann Simon, a singer and noted civil rights activist.  Raised in the Bronx, Simon was sexually assaulted by a family friend at age seven which led to a severe stuttering problem by age eight.  She turned to singing after unsuccessful psychiatric treatment since her stutter did not affect her singing ability.

As part of the Simon Sisters, she released the first of three children’s albums on Kapp Records beginning in 1964. Signing with Elektra Records as a solo artist in 1970, her debut album, Carly Simon, was released the following year.  The album featured her first Top 10 hit, “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be” which earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Performance and the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1972. 

In late 1971, her second album, Anticipation was released which earned her a second Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Grammy nomination.  The title track was used in a memorable series of television commercials for Heinz Ketchup which emphasized the thickness of the product with the chorus, “anticipation is making me wait” as ketchup slowly poured from the bottle onto a hamburger.

Her biggest success was her 1972 gold record and number one hit, “You’re So Vain.”  It was the biggest song success of her career in 1972–73 and was the single hit No. 1 on the U.S. Pop and Adult Contemporary charts, selling over a million copies in the United States alone, and became one of the decade's biggest hits.

For many years, the song fueled speculation as to the subject of the song.  Mick Jagger, who sang backing vocals, was long considered to be the subject of the song.  She revealed actor Warren Beatty as one of three subjects in November 2015; the other two subjects remain unnamed. 

Press photo of Carly Simon AP / November 1972

Carly Simon remains active both as a recording artist and a successful author, and her music has received various accolades and honors throughout her career, including two Grammy Awards (from 14 nominations), an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award.

Listen to Music and an Interview with Carly Simon today at 1pm on KWXY Music Radio 92.3FM ● 1340AM ● streaming at kwxy.com and ivoxradio.com