Steve mark
[Applause]
[Music]
thank you it would be easy for me to
stand up here for the next few minutes
talk about Paul Simon's consummate skill
as a songwriter and musician but this
seems to be neither the time nor place
after all we all know of his fruitful
and successful collaboration with Art
Garfunkel which unfortunately ended in
an acrimonious split we know about his
tenure with Sony records which
unfortunately ended in an acrimonious
split acrimonious split
however I have had a very strong
relationship with Paul for over 25 years
which is ending tonight I remember one
night many years ago Paul called me it
was in the evening and he said scene I'm
so excited I just finished a new song
and I just have to tell somebody and I
said oh great
what's the title and he said 47 ways to
leave your lover and I said Paul what if
it were 50 you know 50 ways to leave
your lover
and and there was a long pause and he
said go on and I said well you know 50
has a nice ring to it and 47 sounds a
little awkward he said but you know I've
got 47 I can't think of any more and I
said make a new plan Stan
and he said 48 I said don't need to be
coy Roy drop off the Keely he said okay
50 great hey thanks and I'm sorry if I
interrupted anything I said don't worry
I was just here cooking a chicken and he
said oh really how are you preparing it
and I said parsley sage rosemary and
thyme and now look it up
his career has survived cultural changes
and been reborn each time with a new
burst of creativity he's gone through
and survived folk music disco Punk
grunge rap and now of course the music
industry is being challenged by record
copying and pirating which is everywhere
coming in here tonight I heard a voice
behind me say Steve Steve hey Steve and
I turned around and I said yes mr.
president
and he said do you know where I can get
some Paul Simon records and I said sure
at the record store he said no no no I
don't want all the album notes and that
stuff I need bootleg stuff he said while
you're at it can you get me some Barbra
Streisand records
[Applause]
I
I love her music but I can't be seen
buying it
[Applause]
[Music]
it's been nice being a citizen
[Applause]
but back to Paul Simon I have seen
Paul's diligence and sincerity when it
comes to his work I don't use the word
genius very often I just thought I'd
mention that
through the years Paul has fine-tuned
his generosity his love of family his
genuine appreciation of the work of
others and his own production as an
artist I see him enjoying life and most
of all I witnessed his continuing
dedication to the art of writing and
performing music his care for his art
has affected not only our generation but
generations yet to come
not my generations because I had a
vasectomy but
Paul
tonight America salutes you and thank
you