Beloved music icon Carly Simon is celebrating a big milestone this weekend – her 80th birthday.
Born on June 25, 1943, to civil rights activist Andrea Heinemann Simon and Simon & Schuster co-founder Richard L. Simon, Carly has achieved great success since her early days as a singer alongside her late sister Lucy Simon.
Her career includes two Grammy winners, chart-topping success and of course her infamous song You’re So Vain.
As Carly prepares to celebrate another trip around the sun, takes a look back at her life – from her early years performing alongside her sister to who exactly ” You’re So Vain.
Happy Birthday! Beloved music icon Carly Simon is celebrating a major milestone this weekend – her 80th birthday
EARLY START
The future music icon began performing with Lucy as The Simon Sisters, a folk duo who released several albums before Simon launched her own hugely successful career.
sister act! The future music icon began performing with Lucy as The Simon Sisters, a folk duo who released several albums before Simon launched her own hugely successful career
Family: Carly (R) with her sister Lucy in 1965
go your own way
As a solo artist, her first albums hit the charts immediately, received critical acclaim and won the 1972 Grammy for Best New Artist.
But it was her iconic 1971 anthem, You’re So Vain, that propelled her into music history.
Making her mark: As a solo artist, her first albums hit the charts instantly, garnering critical acclaim, including winning the 1972 Grammy for Best New Artist
Early rise: Simon pictured in 1971
Solo success: The singer pictured in London in 1971
You are such a futile success and the man who inspired it
The track about a conceited man reached the top of the charts and piqued the interest of audiences who were curious to know who Carly was singing about. The song was written about three men and their identities were kept secret for decades until Carly finally confirmed that her ex Warren Beatty was one of the people who inspired the song.
“I confirmed that the second verse is about Warren,” she told People magazine in 2015.
When asked if Warren knew the verse was about him, she replied, “Warren thinks the whole thing is about him!”
Simon doesn’t think she’ll ever reveal who the other two verses refer to, or “at least until they know it’s about her.”
Music icon: Your legendary 1971 anthem, You’re So Vain, should go down in music history
Hitmaker: Although the song didn’t win a single Grammy that year, it remained a fan favorite
Simon pictured with Warren Beatty, one of the men her song You’re So Vain is about, at the funeral service for playwright Lillian Hellman in 1984
CAREER SUCCESS
You’re So Vain was nominated for several Grammys in 1974, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
Although the song didn’t win a single Grammy that year, it remains popular with fans.
The acclaimed superstar has received 15 Grammy nominations in her career, winning two of them – Best New Artist of the Year and Best Song Written Specifically for a Film or TV for “Let the River Run” in 1990 .
Icon: Simon pictured at the 2016 Pre-Grammy Gala in Beverly Hills
Critical acclaim: The acclaimed superstar has received 15 Grammy nominations in her career, winning two of them
Love life: Simon’s first marriage was to fellow folk singer James Taylor
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE
As for her personal life, Carly has been married twice and linked to numerous high profile men including Jack Nicholson and Cat Stevens.
She was married to fellow folksinger James Taylor and had children with her and future musicians Sally and Ben Taylor. A few years after her divorce from James, she married James Hart.
Their marriage lasted 20 years, and Hart reflected on their connection in his 2017 memoir, Lucky Jim.
Second marriage: The Coming Around Again singer was married to James Hart for 20 years
Matters of the Hart: James reflected on their connection in his 2017 memoir Lucky Jim
TRAGEDY
In October 2022, Simon lost her two sisters, Lucy and Joanna, to cancer.
The siblings died one after the other within a day, the New York Times reported.
Like Simon, her sisters were both musically talented.
Lucy was a well-known Broadway composer, while Joanna was an acclaimed opera singer who later worked as a reporter for PBS.
Tragedy: According to the New York Times, Carly Simon lost her two sisters, Lucy and Joanna, to cancer in 2022 (pictured in 1994, left to right: Lucy, Carly, Joanna).
famous friends
Simon is friends with the Clintons and the late Jackie Kennedy.
Simon became friends with Jackie after performing at Caroline Kennedy’s wedding in 1986 at Jackie’s request.
“Carly and Jackie loved to laugh and gossip together, and like schoolgirls, they loved to talk about boys.” “They both adored one boy in particular – Mike Nichols, the film and theater director, producer, actor and husband of Diane Sawyer,” Carly’s ex-husband James recalled in his memoir.
Famous friends! Simon became friends with Jackie Kennedy after performing at Caroline Kennedy’s wedding in 1986
Friends in high places! Simon is friends with Bill Clinton and his wife Hilary
do her thing On her social media accounts, she loves interacting with fans
STILL AN ICON
Carly obviously hasn’t let time slow her down.
She loves interacting with fans on her social media accounts and released her second live album, Live at Grand Central, earlier this year.
She was even inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year.