Carly Simon (b. June 25, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She first rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit songs including "You're So Vain," "Nobody Does It Better," and "Anticipation." Her career has spanned over five decades and she has won numerous awards, including a Grammy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Simon was born in New York City to a Jewish family. Her father, Richard L. Simon, was co-founder of the publishing giant Simon & Schuster. She first began playing the piano at age three and wrote her first song at the age of six. She attended The Dalton School and then Sarah Lawrence College, where she studied music and literature.
Simon released her debut album in 1971, which was followed by a string of successful albums throughout the 1970s. Her breakthrough came in 1972 with her second album, No Secrets. The album's lead single, "You're So Vain," became a massive hit and remains her signature song. She also scored hits with "Nobody Does It Better" (from The Spy Who Loved Me soundtrack) and "Anticipation" (from her fourth album).
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Simon continued to release albums and tour. She received critical acclaim for her albums The Bedroom Tapes (1980), Hello Big Man (1983), Coming Around Again (1987), and My Romance (1990). She also had another hit single in 1991 with "Better Not Tell Her." In 2002, Simon released her first children's album, The Fisherman's Song, and in 2005, she released a new album of original material, Moonlight Serenade.
In addition to her singing career, Simon has also had success as a children's author. She has written five children's books, including The Boy of the Bells (2003), The Nighttime Chauffeur (2004), Amy the Dancing Bear (2008), and The Whale of the Woods (2011).
Simon has won numerous awards throughout her career, including a Grammy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Let the River Run" (from Working Girl). She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
Carly Simon has had a remarkable career spanning five decades. She has achieved success as both
