'70s Folk Rock Legend Stuns With Moving Performance of 1966 Timeless Ode to Home
On Sunday, June 7, Paul Simon performed at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, and some of the fans in attendance will never be the same.
Delivering a night of classics pulled from both his solo career and his Simon & Garfunkel catalog for an audience of more than 17,000, the 84-year-old legend moved the audience to tears. Most notably with his emotionally charged performance of his 1966 ode to home, "Homeward Bound."
@2muchlivemusic @Paul Simon mon & Garfunkel songs in full during his show at the @HollywoodBowl on "A Quiet Celebration Tour," but both were doozies, including this rendition of "Homeward Bound." #paulsimon#simonandgarfunkel#homewardbound#folkmusic#hollywoodbowl
♬ original sound - 2 Much Live Music
In a TikTok video of the performance, Simon is seen propped on a stool, strumming a vintage acoustic guitar. He's wearing a white ball cap, a red button-down, and light-wash denim as he harmonizes through the song's deeply vulnerable expressions of longing. Meanwhile, waves of nostalgia, loneliness, and hope are washing over those on the benches.
Fans took to the comments section to share their thoughts on the moving performance, stating sentiments like, "How did you not SOB through the entire performance?" " Thank you so much for sharing this," and "Legend."
According to the Los Angeles Daily News, a woman in the crowd was heard saying, "Wow, he really got me good. I'm crying."
Simon's intimate performance seemed to have that effect on everyone, as the publication shared, "To see the 84-year-old singer-songwriter anywhere these days is a wonder of small joys given his age and related ailments, including the hearing loss that prompted his 2018 announcement he was retiring from live performance."
The performance was part of Simon's outdoor leg of his comeback tour, called A Quiet Celebration. It follows Simon's return to the stage last year for a run of intimate, smaller-venue performances, part of which was filmed for his upcoming concert film, Paul Simon: The Quiet Celebration Concert. The documentary premieres June 26 on Disney+ and Hulu. A companion live album will follow on Oct. 9.
"I always look forward to playing here," Simon told the outlet of the Hollywood Bowl, where he's reportedly played at least 10 times either alone or with his musical other half, Art Garfunkel. "It's one of the great concert venues, as you know."
Released in January 1966, "Homeward Bound" was featured on the duo's Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme album. The track peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a defining track in the pair's discography, establishing Simon & Garfunkel as pioneers of 1960s folk rock.
While recording his 2023 album, Seven Psalms, Simon began experiencing hearing loss, leaving him with only about 6% hearing in his left ear, per CBS News. Relying on hearing aids and reimagining arrangements, he's shifted his focus to quieter, acoustic classics, hence A Quiet Celebration.
For tickets, dates, and other information, head to paulsimon.com.
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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 6:21 PM.