Carly Simon is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author who has an estimated net worth of $80 million. She built her fortune through a successful career in music, songwriting, record sales, royalties, film music, publishing, and real estate.
Simon became one of the defining singer-songwriters of the 1970s, earning widespread recognition for her distinctive contralto voice and deeply personal songwriting. Her career has produced more than 20 studio albums and numerous hit singles, including “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be,” “Anticipation,” “You’re So Vain,” “Mockingbird,” “You Belong to Me,” and “Coming Around Again.”
Her 1972 hit “You’re So Vain” became her signature song and topped the Billboard Hot 100, while its mysterious lyrics sparked decades of speculation about the identity of the man who inspired it.
Simon also recorded “Nobody Does It Better,” the Oscar-nominated theme song from the James Bond film “The Spy Who Loved Me.” Later, she wrote and performed “Let the River Run” for the 1988 film “Working Girl,” becoming the first artist to win an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Grammy for a song written and performed entirely by one person.
In addition to her music career, Simon has written memoirs and children’s books. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
- Carly Simon Net Worth: $80 Million
- Date of Birth: June 25, 1945
- Place of Birth: New York City
- Nationality: American
- Career: singer, songwriter, musician, and author
Early Life
Carly Elisabeth Simon was born on June 25, 1945, in New York City.
Her father, Richard L. Simon, was a pianist and co-founder of the publishing company Simon & Schuster. Her mother, Andrea Heinemann Simon, was a singer and civil rights activist.
Simon grew up in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx alongside her older sisters, Joanna and Lucy, and younger brother, Peter. Music was an important part of the family environment, and the children were encouraged to sing and play instruments.
At around the age of eight, Simon developed a severe stutter. She discovered that singing allowed her to communicate without experiencing the same speech difficulties she faced in conversation. She eventually began writing songs as another form of self-expression.
After graduating from Riverdale Country School, Simon briefly attended Sarah Lawrence College before leaving to pursue a professional career in music.
The Simon Sisters
Carly Simon began her recording career as part of the Simon Sisters, a folk duo she formed with her older sister Lucy.
The sisters performed in Greenwich Village clubs before signing with Kapp Records in 1964. Their debut album, “Meet the Simon Sisters,” included “Winkin’, Blinkin’ and Nod,” a musical adaptation of a Eugene Field poem.
The song became a modest hit and helped the sisters gain national exposure. They followed it with a second album, “Cuddlebug,” later in 1964.
Their final project together, “The Simon Sisters Sing the Lobster Quadrille and Other Songs for Children,” was released in 1969. Lucy eventually left the duo to focus on marriage and family life, allowing Carly to pursue a solo career.
Solo Breakthrough
Simon signed with Elektra Records and released her self-titled debut album in 1971.
The album featured “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be,” a song that examined marriage and domestic life in a way that differed from the conventional romantic themes common in popular music at the time.
The single reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Simon a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Her debut also earned her the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
Later that year, Simon released her second album, “Anticipation.” She reportedly wrote the title track while waiting for singer Cat Stevens to arrive for a date.
“Anticipation” reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and later became widely recognized through its use in Heinz ketchup commercials.
“You’re So Vain” and “No Secrets”
Carly Simon achieved the biggest commercial success of her career with her third studio album, “No Secrets,” released in 1972.
Produced by Richard Perry, the album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and remained at the top of the chart for five consecutive weeks.
Its most famous single, “You’re So Vain,” became Simon’s signature song. The track featured uncredited backing vocals from Mick Jagger and spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song’s lyrics describe a narcissistic man who assumes that every song is about him. For decades, Simon refused to fully reveal the identity of the person who inspired the song, leading to speculation involving several famous men, including Mick Jagger, James Taylor, David Geffen, and Warren Beatty.
Simon eventually confirmed that the second verse was about Warren Beatty while indicating that different men inspired other parts of the song.
“You’re So Vain” received Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The “No Secrets” album also produced the hit “The Right Thing to Do.”
“Hotcakes,” “Mockingbird” and Continued Success
Simon followed “No Secrets” with the 1974 album “Hotcakes,” which reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
The album featured songs including “Haven’t Got Time for the Pain” and “Mockingbird,” a duet with her then-husband James Taylor.
“Mockingbird” became one of Simon and Taylor’s best-known musical collaborations and reached the Top 5 on the Billboard charts.
Simon continued releasing successful albums, including “Playing Possum,” “Another Passenger,” and “Boys in the Trees.”
The 1978 album “Boys in the Trees” featured “You Belong to Me,” which Simon co-wrote with Michael McDonald. The song became another Top 10 hit and earned Simon a Grammy nomination.
“Nobody Does It Better”
In 1977, Simon recorded “Nobody Does It Better” for the James Bond film “The Spy Who Loved Me.”
Written by Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager, the song was notable because it was the first Bond theme since “Dr. No” whose title did not match the name of the film.
“Nobody Does It Better” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for three weeks. It earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Song, as well as a Grammy nomination.
The song became one of the most celebrated James Bond themes and remains closely associated with Simon’s legacy.
1980s Career and “Coming Around Again”
Simon continued recording throughout the 1980s, releasing albums such as “Come Upstairs,” “Torch,” “Hello Big Man,” and “Spoiled Girl.”
Although her commercial momentum slowed compared with the previous decade, she remained an influential singer and songwriter.
She experienced a significant resurgence with “Coming Around Again,” which she wrote for the 1986 film “Heartburn.”
The song became a Top 20 hit and was later paired with “Itsy Bitsy Spider” in a medley that became popular among her audiences.
Her 1987 album “Coming Around Again” was certified platinum and featured several other notable recordings.
“Let the River Run” and Film Music
One of the biggest achievements of Simon’s career came with the 1988 film “Working Girl.”
Simon wrote and performed “Let the River Run” for the movie, which starred Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, and Sigourney Weaver.
The song won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song before earning Simon a Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television.
The achievement made Simon the first artist to win an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Grammy for a song written and performed entirely by one person.
Her other film-related work included songs for “This Is My Life,” “Postcards from the Edge,” “The Karate Kid Part II,” and “Marvin’s Room.”
Later Music Career and Books
Simon continued releasing music in the following decades. Her later albums included “My Romance,” “Have You Seen Me Lately,” “Letters Never Sent,” “Film Noir,” “The Bedroom Tapes,” “Moonlight Serenade,” “Into White,” and “Never Been Gone.”
She also developed a career as a children’s author. Her books include “Amy the Dancing Bear,” “The Boy of the Bells,” “The Fisherman’s Song,” “The Nighttime Chauffeur,” and “Midnight Farm.”
In 2015, Simon released “Boys in the Trees: A Memoir,” which explored her childhood, rise to fame, marriage to James Taylor, and relationships with other prominent figures.
In 2019, she published “Touched by the Sun: My Friendship with Jackie,” a book about her close relationship with former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
Awards
Carly Simon’s career has earned her numerous honors and established her as one of the most influential singer-songwriters of her generation.
She has released more than 20 studio albums and achieved numerous Billboard hits. Her honors include Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe.
Simon was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994. Her signature song, “You’re So Vain,” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004.
In 1998, Berklee College of Music awarded her an honorary doctorate.
Simon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, recognizing her lasting influence on popular music and songwriting.
Her work helped popularize a more personal style of songwriting in which artists explored relationships, insecurities, heartbreak, and emotional struggles through their music.
Personal Life
Carly Simon married fellow singer-songwriter James Taylor in 1972. The couple had two children, Sally Taylor and Ben Taylor, both of whom later pursued careers in music.
Simon and Taylor divorced in 1983.
In 1987, Simon married writer and businessman James Hart. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2007. She later entered a relationship with surgeon Richard Koehler.
Simon was diagnosed with breast cancer in the late 1990s and underwent a mastectomy, reconstructive surgery, and chemotherapy.
Real Estate
Real estate has also been part of Carly Simon’s financial portfolio.
She began spending time on Martha’s Vineyard in the early 1970s while married to James Taylor, who owned a cabin on a large parcel of land on the island.
Simon developed a strong connection to Martha’s Vineyard and later acquired a property of her own. Her estate reportedly spans more than 25 secluded acres and includes multiple structures surrounded by woodland and open land.
Based on comparable properties, the estate has been estimated to be worth around $5 million.
Simon also owned property in New York City. After reportedly being rejected by the co-op board at the Dakota apartment building, she purchased two units in Manhattan’s West Village and combined them into one residence.
She initially listed the property for $3.8 million before selling it in 2013 for approximately $2.3 million.
Author: Andrew Walyaula
Andrew Walyaula is a seasoned multimedia journalist. Email: [email protected]
