UPDATE (Dec. 14): CBS will air Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon on Dec. 21 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET/PT. The show will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, Eric Church, Susanna Hoffs, Jonas Brothers, Sting and Stevie Wonder performed on the show, in addition to the previously announced artists.
Jimmy Cliff joined the previously announced Shaggy for a performance. Brandi Carlile, originally announced as a performer, is not included in the final lineup. Presenters and special appearances include Sofia Carson, Herbie Hancock, Woody Harrelson, Dustin Hoffman, Elton John, Folake Olowofoyeku and Oprah Winfrey.
PREVIOUSLY (March 24): On April 6, three days after the 2022 Grammy Awards telecast in Las Vegas, the Recording Academy will tape a salute to the songs of Paul Simon at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.
Brandi Carlile, who was in the first batch of performers announced for the April 3 Grammy telecast, will also perform on this concert special, which is titled Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon. Other performers set for the show — all current or past Grammy nominees — are Rhiannon Giddens, Angélique Kidjo, Little Big Town, Dave Matthews, Brad Paisley, Billy Porter, Shaggy, Take 6, Irma Thomas and Trombone Shorty.
Simon will make a “special appearance” at the tribute, which joins a long line of Grammy salutes, including The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles, Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince, Stayin’ Alive: A Grammy Salute to the Music of The Bee Gees, and We Will Always Love You: A Grammy Salute to Whitney Houston.
The Simon salute is produced by Ken Ehrlich Productions. Ehrlich, who was producer or executive producer of the Grammy Awards telecast for 40 years, from 1980 through 2020, is executive producer.
Tickets will go on sale to the public on Saturday March 26 at 10 a.m. PT. The public link to purchase tickets will be active here on that date.
The show will air on CBS later in 2022.
The Hollywood Palladium was the home of the first live Grammy telecast in 1971 – which was the year Simon & Garfunkel‘s Bridge Over Troubled Water swept the major awards. Simon won seven Grammys that night, which set a new Grammy record which stood until Michael Jackson won eight Grammys at the show in 1984. (Santana tied Jackson’s record in 2000.)
Simon was the first recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2007. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1982; received that organization’s highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award, in 1998; and its Towering Song award for “Bridge Over Troubled Water” in 2010.
Simon has been voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice – with Simon & Garfunkel in 1990 and as a solo artist in 2001.
He has won 16 Grammys, including a record three awards for record of the year, a record-tying three awards for album of the year and one award for song of the year. Simon & Garfunkel received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2003.
Billboard reported on March 18 that Simon is shopping his master recording royalties from his recorded works with Simon & Garfunkel. Simon sold his song catalog to Sony Music Publishing a year ago.
