Fabled singer/songwriter Paul Simon is capping off his performing career where it all began — in Queens.
The final concert of his Farewell Tour will be held in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park on Sept. 22, Simon announced on Twitter and paulsimoninthepark.com.
“It seems more like fate than coincidence that I should do the final show on this final tour at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park,” Simon said in a statement. “I could have ridden my bike from home to the park in about 20 minutes, when I was a kid. But this is less a goodbye than a farewell. Thank you all for the ride, I had a great time.”
Simon and Art Garfunkel, also a son of Queens, became stars in the 1960s with their hits “The Sound of Silence,” “Mrs. Robinson,” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Simon’s found success in a solo career that has spanned decades. He has racked up Grammy Awards for his work including the albums “Graceland,” and “Still Crazy After All These Years.”
The website did not include information on ticket prices but they go on sale to the general public on June 29. There is a presale on June 25 for American Express cardholders.
Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, who described herself as a lifelong fan of Simon, said the city should make the concert free so it’s open to everyone — not just people who can afford it.
“Queens adores the fact that Paul Simon has chosen to come home for the final concert of his Farewell Tour,” Katz said in a statement released Wednesday morning. “The news, however, is bittersweet. The city of New York could have — and should have — turned this long-anticipated homecoming of Paul Simon into a free concert for all in the park, not limited to those who can afford to pay concert ticket prices at the expense of the surrounding community.”
Katz said she hopes the city figures out a way to make the concert free before the tickets go on sale. She also said the city has failed to create a policy to oversee the use of public parks by for-profit companies that run paid admission events.
Simon announced all personal net-proceeds from the concert will go to a cause but did not provide specifics.
Parks Department officials said they cannot legally require organizers to host free events.
They noted city parks host many free events and activities. The agency allows some ticketed music concerts in parks if they don’t have a negative impact on the site.
