The Fox Oakland Theatre is a 2,800-seat concert hall , a former movie theater , located at 1807 Telegraph Avenue in Downtown Oakland . It originally opened in 1928, running films until 1970. Designed by Weeks and Day , the theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . It was refurbished in the 2000s and reopened as a concert venue on February 5, 2009.
126-473: Originally intended to be named "The Bagdad" because of its Middle Eastern influenced architecture, the theater instead displayed the name "The Oakland" on the marquee , with the word "Oakland" forming the main portion of the vertical blade sign above the marquee. It was also known as the "West Coast Oakland". The Oakland became the 251st theater to open in the West Coast Theater chain. Opening day
252-539: A Broadway musical , The Capeman , which was poorly received. In the 21st century, Simon continued to record and tour. His later albums, such as You're the One (2000), So Beautiful or So What (2011) and Stranger to Stranger (2016), introduced him to new generations. Simon retired from touring in 2018, but continued to record music. An album, Seven Psalms , was released in May 2023. Simon has twice been inducted into
378-520: A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award . This reunion led to a US tour, the acclaimed "Old Friends" concert series, which was followed by a 2004 international encore, culminating in a free concert at the Colosseum in Rome which attracted an audience of 600,000. In 2005, they sang "Mrs. Robinson" and "Homeward Bound" together, plus "Bridge Over Troubled Water" with Aaron Neville , in the benefit concert From
504-497: A bootlegged tape of mbaqanga , South African street music, and in 1986 he traveled to Johannesburg and recorded with African musicians. Additional sessions were held in New York. The sessions featured many South African acts, particularly Ladysmith Black Mambazo , and Simon also collaborated with several American artists, singing a duet with Linda Ronstadt in "Under African Skies", and playing with Los Lobos in "All Around
630-503: A 25th anniversary box set of Graceland which included a remastered edition of the original album; the 2012 documentary film Under African Skies; the original 1987 "African Concert" from Zimbabwe ; and an audio narrative, The Story of Graceland , related by Simon; as well other interviews and memorabilia. He played a few concerts in Europe with the original musicians to commemorate the anniversary. On December 19, 2012, Simon performed at
756-536: A Rock ", and learned Davey Graham 's guitar instrumental "Anji", which later appeared on Sounds of Silence . In England, he produced Jackson C. Frank 's first and only album and co-wrote several songs with Bruce Woodley of the Australian pop group the Seekers , including "I Wish You Could Be Here", "Cloudy" and " Red Rubber Ball ". Simon also contributed to the Seekers' catalog with "Someday One Day", which
882-593: A charter high school dedicated to the arts, the task fell to the Redevelopment Staff who conceived of the idea of placing the school in the retail and office space that surrounded, and were part of, the Fox Theatre building. Restoring and reopening the theater in a shared use plan with the school was quickly championed by local developer Phil Tagami . Friends of the Oakland Fox played a role with
1008-483: A duo since their hit single "My Little Town" in 1975 and their first album of new material since Bridge over Troubled Water in 1970. Simon ultimately decided to wipe Garfunkel's vocals from the mix, and in 1983, Simon released the album Hearts and Bones as a solo album. This was a polished and confessional album that was eventually viewed as one of his best works, but it achieved the lowest sales of his career. Hearts and Bones included " The Late Great Johnny Ace ",
1134-421: A movie here! It's Mrs. Robinson!" Simon and Garfunkel's relationship became strained and they split in 1970. At the urging of his wife, Peggy Harper, Simon called Davis to confirm the duo's breakup. For the next several years, they spoke only two or three times a year. In 1970, Simon taught songwriting at New York University . He said he had wanted to teach for a while, and hoped to help people avoid some of
1260-476: A production of Alice in Wonderland for their sixth-grade graduation. The two began singing together at the age of 13, occasionally performing at school dances. At the age of 12 or 13 Simon wrote his first song, "The Girl for Me", for him and Art Garfunkel to perform. According to Simon, it became the "neighborhood hit". His father wrote the words and chords on paper for the boys to use, and that paper became
1386-773: A rivalry that would become known as the Great Game . Mahan realized not only the strategic importance of the region, but also of its center, the Persian Gulf . He labeled the area surrounding the Persian Gulf as the Middle East. He said that, beyond Egypt's Suez Canal , the Gulf was the most important passage for Britain to control in order to keep the Russians from advancing towards British India . Mahan first used
SECTION 10
#17327717712041512-892: A song he wrote for the show's 10th anniversary. Simon's next album, So Beautiful or So What , was released on the Concord Music Group label on April 12, 2011, and Simon said it was the best work he had done in 20 years. It was reported that he had wanted to have Bob Dylan perform on the album. At the end of his 2011 World Tour, which had included the United States, the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany, Simon appeared at Ramat Gan Stadium in Israel in July 2011, his first concert appearance in Israel since 1983. On
1638-480: A song partly about Johnny Ace , an American R&B singer, and partly about John Lennon . In January 1985, Simon performed for USA for Africa and on the relief fundraising single " We Are the World ". In 1986, Simon was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music , where he had served on the board of trustees. Simon decided to record an album of South African music after hearing
1764-661: A three-month North American tour with Bob Dylan , in which he and Dylan alternated as the headline act with a middle section where they performed together. The collaboration was generally well-received, with just one critic, Seth Rogovoy of the Berkshire Eagle , questioning the collaboration. In 2000, Simon wrote and recorded a new album, You're the One , very quickly. The album was released in October and consisted mostly of folk-pop writing combined with foreign musical sounds, particularly grooves from North Africa. You're
1890-808: A vital role in the Middle East, and they represent 40.5% of Lebanon, where the Lebanese president , half of the cabinet, and half of the parliament follow one of the various Lebanese Christian rites. There are also important minority religions like the Baháʼí Faith , Yarsanism , Yazidism , Zoroastrianism , Mandaeism , Druze , and Shabakism , and in ancient times the region was home to Mesopotamian religions , Canaanite religions , Manichaeism , Mithraism and various monotheist gnostic sects. The six top languages, in terms of numbers of speakers, are Arabic , Persian , Turkish , Kurdish , Modern Hebrew and Greek . About 20 minority languages are also spoken in
2016-545: Is Aramaic and its dialects are spoken mainly by Assyrians and Mandaeans , with Western Aramaic still spoken in two villages near Damascus, Syria. There is also an Oasis Berber -speaking community in Egypt where the language is also known as Siwa . It is a non-Semitic Afro-Asiatic sister language. Persian is the second most spoken language. While it is primarily spoken in Iran and some border areas in neighbouring countries,
2142-539: Is Middle Eastern and the derived noun is Middle Easterner . While non-Eurocentric terms such as "Southwest Asia" or "Swasia" have been sparsely used, the classificiation of the African country, Egypt, among those counted in the Middle East challenges the usefulness of using such terms. The description Middle has also led to some confusion over changing definitions. Before the First World War , "Near East"
2268-642: Is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula , the Levant , Turkey , Egypt , Iran , and Iraq . The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western European nations in the early 20th century as a replacement of the term Near East (both were in contrast to the Far East ). The term "Middle East" has led to some confusion over its changing definitions. Since
2394-555: Is also commonly taught and used as a foreign second language, in countries such as Egypt , Jordan , Iran , Iraq , Qatar , Bahrain , United Arab Emirates and Kuwait . It is also a main language in some Emirates of the United Arab Emirates. It is also spoken as native language by Jewish immigrants from Anglophone countries (UK, US, Australia) in Israel and understood widely as second language there. Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941)
2520-527: Is among the bestselling of all time. As a solo artist, Simon has explored genres including gospel , reggae and soul . His albums Paul Simon (1972), There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973), and Still Crazy After All These Years (1975) kept him in the public eye and drew acclaim, producing the hits " Mother and Child Reunion ", " Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard ", and " 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover ". Simon reunited with Garfunkel for several tours and
2646-462: Is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel . He and his school friend Garfunkel, whom he met in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Simon & Garfunkel . Their blend of folk and rock, including hits such as " The Sound of Silence ", " Mrs. Robinson ", " America " and " The Boxer ", served as a soundtrack to the counterculture movement. Their final album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970),
SECTION 20
#17327717712042772-646: Is present in areas in neighboring countries. It is a member of the Turkic languages , which have their origins in East Asia. Another Turkic language, Azerbaijani , is spoken by Azerbaijanis in Iran. The fourth-most widely spoken language, Kurdish , is spoken in the countries of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey, Sorani Kurdish is the second official language in Iraq (instated after the 2005 constitution) after Arabic. Hebrew
2898-429: Is the official language of Israel , with Arabic given a special status after the 2018 Basic law lowered its status from an official language prior to 2018. Hebrew is spoken and used by over 80% of Israel's population, the other 20% using Arabic. Modern Hebrew only began being spoken in the 20th century after being revived in the late 19th century by Elizer Ben-Yehuda (Elizer Perlman) and European Jewish settlers, with
3024-728: The Maghreb , the western part). Even though the term originated in the West, countries of the Middle East that use languages other than Arabic also use that term in translation. For instance, the Persian equivalent for Middle East is خاورمیانه ( Khāvar-e miyāneh ), the Hebrew is המזרח התיכון ( hamizrach hatikhon ), and the Turkish is Orta Doğu. Traditionally included within the Middle East are Arabia , Asia Minor , East Thrace , Egypt , Iran ,
3150-685: The African National Congress protested that it was a violation of the boycott. The Congress voted to ban Simon from South Africa and he was added to the United Nations blacklist, from which he was removed in January 1987. In 1989, Simon appeared on Dion 's song "Written on the Subway Wall"/"Little Star" from Yo Frankie which peaked at number 97 in October 1990. After Graceland , Simon extended his roots with
3276-775: The Arabian Peninsula ( Magan , Sheba , Ubar ). The Near East was first largely unified under the Neo Assyrian Empire , then the Achaemenid Empire followed later by the Macedonian Empire and after this to some degree by the Iranian empires (namely the Parthian and Sassanid Empires ), the Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire . The region served as the intellectual and economic center of
3402-547: The Baháʼí Faith . Throughout its history the Middle East has been a major center of world affairs; a strategically, economically, politically, culturally, and religiously sensitive area. The region is one of the regions where agriculture was independently discovered, and from the Middle East it was spread, during the Neolithic, to different regions of the world such as Europe, the Indus Valley and Eastern Africa. Prior to
3528-614: The Brazilian -flavored The Rhythm of the Saints . Sessions for the album began in December 1989 in Rio de Janeiro and New York and featured guitarist J.J. Cale , and Brazilian and African musicians. The tone of the album was more introspective and low-key than the upbeat feel of Graceland . Released in October 1990, the album received excellent reviews and sold well, peaking at number 4 in
3654-587: The Cashbox album charts. It was released in 1974 as a live album, titled Live Rhymin' , and contained elements of world and religious music. His next album, produced by Simon and Phil Ramone , was Still Crazy After All These Years , released in October 1975. The mood of the album, written after Simon's divorce, was darker, and contained "Gone at Last" (a Top 25 hit) and the Simon & Garfunkel reunion track "My Little Town" (a number 9 on Billboard ). The album
3780-532: The Central Powers , was defeated by the British Empire and their allies and partitioned into a number of separate nations, initially under British and French Mandates . Other defining events in this transformation included the establishment of Israel in 1948 and the eventual departure of European powers, notably Britain and France by the end of the 1960s. They were supplanted in some part by
3906-568: The Children's Health Fund , a nonprofit organization that provides medical care to children. Simon was born on October 13, 1941, in Newark, New Jersey , to Hungarian-Jewish parents. His father, Louis (1916–1995), a professor of education at the City College of New York , was a double-bass player and dance bandleader who performed under the name Lee Sims. His mother, Belle (1910–2007),
Fox Oakland Theatre - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-532: The George McGovern 1972 presidential campaign , and he and Garfunkel reunited in mid-June that year at Madison Square Garden in another political concert for McGovern. Garfunkel joined Simon again on the 1975 Top 10 single " My Little Town ". Simon wrote this song for Garfunkel, whose solo output Simon felt lacked "bite", and it was included on Simon's album Still Crazy After All These Years and Garfunkel's album Breakaway . Contrary to popular belief,
4158-574: The Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, awarded by the Library of Congress , and he later performed as part of a gala of his work. After living in Montauk, New York , for many years, Simon relocated to New Canaan , Connecticut. Simon is one of a small number of performers who are named as the copyright owner on their recordings (most records have the recording company as the named owner of
4284-693: The International Organization for Migration , there are 13 million first-generation migrants from Arab nations in the world, of which 5.8 reside in other Arab countries. Expatriates from Arab countries contribute to the circulation of financial and human capital in the region and thus significantly promote regional development. In 2009 Arab countries received a total of US$ 35.1 billion in remittance in-flows and remittances sent to Jordan , Egypt and Lebanon from other Arab countries are 40 to 190 per cent higher than trade revenues between these and other Arab countries. In Somalia ,
4410-587: The Levant , Mesopotamia , and the Socotra Archipelago . The region includes 17 UN -recognized countries and one British Overseas Territory . Various concepts are often paralleled to the Middle East, most notably the Near East , Fertile Crescent , and Levant . These are geographical concepts, which refer to large sections of the modern-day Middle East, with the Near East being the closest to
4536-736: The Nile Delta in Egypt, the Tigris and Euphrates watersheds of Mesopotamia , and the basin of the Jordan River that spans most of the Levant. These regions are collectively known as the Fertile Crescent , and comprise the core of what historians had long referred to as the cradle of civilization (multiple regions of the world have since been classified as also having developed independent, original civilizations). Conversely,
4662-517: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Another Simon & Garfunkel reunion took place in September 1993 and Columbia released Paul Simon 1964/1993 . Originally a three-disc compilation, this became a reduced version on the two-disc album The Paul Simon Anthology one month later. In 1995, Simon appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and performed the song "Ten Years", which he had composed for
4788-536: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , and has been the recipient of sixteen Grammy Awards , including three for Album of the Year. Two of his works, Sounds of Silence and Graceland , were inducted into the National Recording Registry for their cultural significance, and in 2007, the Library of Congress voted him the inaugural winner of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song . He is a co-founder of
4914-581: The Sassanid Empire . However, it would be the later Islamic Caliphates of the Middle Ages , or Islamic Golden Age which began with the Islamic conquest of the region in the 7th century AD, that would first unify the entire Middle East as a distinct region and create the dominant Islamic Arab ethnic identity that largely (but not exclusively) persists today. The 4 caliphates that dominated
5040-787: The Somali Civil War has greatly increased the size of the Somali diaspora , as many of the best educated Somalis left for Middle Eastern countries as well as Europe and North America . Non-Arab Middle Eastern countries such as Turkey , Israel and Iran are also subject to important migration dynamics. A fair proportion of those migrating from Arab nations are from ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution and are not necessarily ethnic Arabs, Iranians or Turks. Large numbers of Kurds , Jews , Assyrians , Greeks and Armenians as well as many Mandeans have left nations such as Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey for these reasons during
5166-491: The first native Hebrew speaker being born in 1882. Greek is one of the two official languages of Cyprus , and the country's main language. Small communities of Greek speakers exist all around the Middle East; until the 20th century it was also widely spoken in Asia Minor (being the second most spoken language there, after Turkish) and Egypt. During the antiquity, Ancient Greek was the lingua franca for many areas of
Fox Oakland Theatre - Misplaced Pages Continue
5292-724: The 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in 2011, he performed " The Sound of Silence " at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York, on the site of the destroyed World Trade Center . On February 26, 2012, Simon paid tribute to fellow musicians Chuck Berry and Leonard Cohen , who had received the first annual PEN Awards for songwriting excellence at the JFK Presidential Library in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2012, Simon released
5418-533: The 1981 Concert in Central Park . In 1986, Simon released his most successful and acclaimed album, Graceland , incorporating South African influences. " You Can Call Me Al " became one of Simon's most successful singles. Graceland was followed by The Rhythm of the Saints (1990), and a second Concert in the Park in 1991, without Garfunkel, which was attended by half a million people. In 1998, Simon wrote
5544-448: The 25th anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In October 2009, Dion performed " The Wanderer " with Simon at the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert . In April 2010, Simon & Garfunkel performed together again at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival . Simon released a new song called "Getting Ready for Christmas Day" on November 10, 2010. The song
5670-432: The Arabic equivalent of Middle East (Arabic: الشرق الأوسط ash-Sharq al-Awsaṭ ) has become standard usage in the mainstream Arabic press. It comprises the same meaning as the term "Middle East" in North American and Western European usage. The designation, Mashriq , also from the Arabic root for East , also denotes a variously defined region around the Levant , the eastern part of the Arabic-speaking world (as opposed to
5796-421: The Banjo" Eddie Peabody . House Music was provided by the Hermie King band with 20 members, and by an organist playing the house organ, a Wurlitzer Opus 1960 with 3 manuals and 15 ranks of pipes. A staff of 150 was required to run the theater. In March 1929, the theater was renamed the "Fox Oakland" when William Fox bought the West Coast Theatres chain and merged it with his Fox Theatres chain. The launch of
5922-417: The Big Apple to The Big Easy – The Concert for New Orleans (eventually released as a DVD) for Hurricane Katrina victims. In 2004, Simon's studio albums were re-released, both individually and as a collection in a limited-edition, nine-CD boxed set, Paul Simon: The Studio Recordings 1972–2000 . Simon was then working on a new album with Brian Eno called Surprise , which was released in May 2006. Most of
6048-550: The Decemberists , and Van Morrison since 2009. President Barack Obama spoke at the Fox during his 2012 Reelection Campaign. The Oakland Fox Theatre is the home of the Oakland School for the Arts , a charter school founded in 2002 which enrolls students from 6-12th grade specializing in the arts. In 2011 Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe opened their second location in the building: it is co-owned by Green Day 's Mike Dirnt . Rudy's closed on Thursday, July 26, 2018. With terra cotta, rich colors, intricate gold accents, and distinctive dome,
6174-412: The Fox Oakland's last day is the Marlon Brando spy melodrama, Morituri ". During the next seven years the theater opened sporadically for movies and special events, but never found a market that could support the required overhead and maintenance. In 1973 the theater building was twice the victim of arson after the owner refused to hire a quota of Black Panthers and pay for their "protection". In 1977
6300-417: The Fox was expected to earn high earnings in the downtown district. Reestablishing the movie industry, the Fox offered the opportunity to stray from the silent films and helped introduce the "talkies" by having a live stage show. Attendance significantly dropped in the 1960s and on September 14, 1965 the Fox closed, "temporarily," according to the San Francisco Chronicle , "The movie ... which will be shown on
6426-410: The Levant, all originated in the Fertile Crescent and Nile Valley regions of the ancient Near East. These were followed by the Hittite , Greek , Hurrian and Urartian civilisations of Asia Minor ; Elam , Persia and Median civilizations in Iran , as well as the civilizations of the Levant (such as Ebla , Mari , Nagar , Ugarit , Canaan , Aramea , Mitanni , Phoenicia and Israel ) and
SECTION 50
#17327717712046552-407: The Levantine coast and most of Turkey have relatively temperate climates typical of the Mediterranean , with dry summers and cool, wet winters. Most of the countries that border the Persian Gulf have vast reserves of petroleum . Monarchs of the Arabian Peninsula in particular have benefitted economically from petroleum exports. Because of the arid climate and dependence on the fossil fuel industry,
6678-425: The Mann Theater Group sold the theater at auction to Mario and Erma DeLucchi for $ 340,000. A few months after the purchase, Mr. DeLucchi died of a heart attack and plans for a restoration of the theater never took off. With the support of then-Oakland Mayor Lionel Wilson the building was designated an Oakland City Landmark in 1978 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places the following year. In 1996,
6804-481: The Middle East for more than 600 years were the Rashidun Caliphate , the Umayyad caliphate , the Abbasid caliphate and the Fatimid caliphate . Additionally, the Mongols would come to dominate the region, the Kingdom of Armenia would incorporate parts of the region to their domain, the Seljuks would rule the region and spread Turko-Persian culture, and the Franks would found the Crusader states that would stand for roughly two centuries. Josiah Russell estimates
6930-416: The Middle East in its geographical meaning. Due to it primarily being Arabic speaking, the Maghreb region of North Africa is sometimes included. The countries of the South Caucasus – Armenia , Azerbaijan , and Georgia – are occasionally included in definitions of the Middle East. " Greater Middle East " is a political term coined by the second Bush administration in
7056-421: The Middle East is both a major contributor to climate change and a region that is expected to be severely adversely affected by it. Other concepts of the region exist, including the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA), which includes states of the Maghreb and the Sudan . The term the " Greater Middle East " also includes parts of East Africa , Mauritania , Afghanistan , Pakistan , and sometimes
7182-504: The Middle East. Arabic, with all its dialects, is the most widely spoken language in the Middle East, with Literary Arabic being official in all North African and in most West Asian countries. Arabic dialects are also spoken in some adjacent areas in neighbouring Middle Eastern non-Arab countries. It is a member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic languages. Several Modern South Arabian languages such as Mehri and Soqotri are also spoken in Yemen and Oman. Another Semitic language
7308-407: The Middle East. Arabs constitute the main ethnic group in the region, followed by Turks , Persians , Kurds , Azeris , Copts , Jews , Assyrians , Iraqi Turkmen , Yazidis , and Greek Cypriots . The Middle East generally has a hot, arid climate, especially in the Arabian and Egyptian regions. Several major rivers provide irrigation to support agriculture in limited areas here, such as
7434-408: The Middle East. For the period between the 1970s and 1990s, the Arab states of the Persian Gulf in particular provided a rich source of employment for workers from Egypt, Yemen and the countries of the Levant, while Europe had attracted young workers from North African countries due both to proximity and the legacy of colonial ties between France and the majority of North African states." According to
7560-403: The Oakland Redevelopment Agency bought the building for $ 3 million. In 1999 a group of concerned citizens formed the Friends of The Oakland Fox and some badly needed restoration work began. In December 2004, the Oakland Redevelopment Agency received a $ 2.9 million grant for further restoration of the theater. When mayor Jerry Brown needed to find a new home for the Oakland School for the Arts ,
7686-561: The Oakland Redevelopment Agency in raising funding for the elaborate $ 75 million restoration process. February 2009 marked the beginning of a new era for the Fox. After being neglected for forty years, the once glamorous theater made its comeback as a 2,800-seat concert hall. Accentuating its revival, the theater's grand opening night featured a "roaring twenties" theme celebrating the newly renovated theater MC'ed by Oakland native, comedian Don Reed (East 14th, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Snap Judgment). The first paid performance after reopening
SECTION 60
#17327717712047812-420: The One received favorable reviews, reached both the British and American Top 20, and received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year . Simon toured extensively to promote the album, and one performance in Paris was released to home video. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in America, Simon sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" on America: A Tribute to Heroes , a multi-network broadcast to benefit
7938-400: The Roman Empire and played an exceptionally important role due to its periphery on the Sassanid Empire . Thus, the Romans stationed up to five or six of their legions in the region for the sole purpose of defending it from Sassanid and Bedouin raids and invasions. From the 4th century CE onwards, the Middle East became the center of the two main powers at the time, the Byzantine Empire and
8064-407: The September 11 Telethon Fund, and performed "The Boxer" at the start of the first episode of Saturday Night Live after September 11. In 2002, he wrote and recorded " Father and Daughter ", the theme song for the animated family film The Wild Thornberrys Movie . The track was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song . In 2003, Simon and Garfunkel performed together again when they received
8190-410: The Simon & Garfunkel catalog. In February 2009, Simon performed back-to-back shows in New York City at the recently renovated Beacon Theatre . He was joined by Art Garfunkel and the cast of The Capeman in the first show. The band included Graceland bassist Bakithi Kumalo . In May 2009, Simon toured with Garfunkel in Australia, New Zealand and Japan; and in October 2009 they appeared together at
8316-400: The South Caucasus and Central Asia . The term "Middle East" may have originated in the 1850s in the British India Office . However, it became more widely known when United States naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan used the term in 1902 to "designate the area between Arabia and India". During this time the British and Russian empires were vying for influence in Central Asia ,
8442-539: The U.S. and number 1 in the UK and Japan, and later produced another Top 30 hit, " Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard ". Simon's next project, the pop-folk album There Goes Rhymin' Simon , was released in May 1973. The lead single, " Kodachrome ", was a number 2 hit in America. The follow-up, the gospel-flavored " Loves Me Like a Rock ", topped the Cashbox charts. Other songs like " American Tune ", or "Something So Right" (a tribute to Simon's first wife Peggy), became part of his repertoire. The album reached number 1 on
8568-416: The U.S. and number 1 in the UK. The lead single, "The Obvious Child", featuring the Grupo Cultural Olodum , became Simon's last Top 20 hit in the UK and appeared near the bottom of the Billboard Hot 100 . Although not as successful as Graceland , The Rhythm of the Saints received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. Simon's ex-wife Carrie Fisher said in her autobiography Wishful Drinking , that
8694-402: The United Nations ). Simon denied that he had gone to South Africa to "take money out of the country", and stated that he paid the black artists and split royalties with them, and was not paid to play to a white-only audience. The United Nations Anti-Apartheid Committee supported Graceland , as it showcased black South African musicians and offered no support to the South African government, but
8820-482: The United States. In 1980, Simon released One-Trick Pony , his first album with Warner Bros. Records and his first in almost five years. The album was paired with the motion picture of the same name , which Simon wrote and starred in. It produced his last Top 10 hit, the upbeat "Late in the Evening" (also a number 1 hit on the Radio & Records American charts), but did not sell well. In 1981, Simon & Garfunkel included eight songs from Simon's solo career in
8946-412: The World or The Myth of Fingerprints". Before leaving for Johannesburg, Simon contributed to " We Are the World ", a charity single for African famine relief. The resulting album, Graceland , became Simon's most successful studio album and his highest-charting album in over a decade. It was estimated to have sold more than 16 million copies worldwide. Graceland won the 1987 Grammy for Album of
9072-565: The Year . In 2006, the album was added to the United States' National Recording Registry as "culturally, historically or aesthetically important". Simon faced accusations that he had broken the cultural boycott imposed by the rest of the world against the apartheid regime in South Africa by organizations such as Artists United Against Apartheid , anti-apartheid musicians (including Billy Bragg , Paul Weller and Jerry Dammers ), and James Victor Gbeho (then Ghanaian Ambassador to
9198-830: The area from Mesopotamia to Burma , namely, the area between the Near East and the Far East. In the late 1930s, the British established the Middle East Command , which was based in Cairo , for its military forces in the region. After that time, the term "Middle East" gained broader usage in Europe and the United States. Following World War II, for example, the Middle East Institute was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1946. The corresponding adjective
9324-517: The bestselling album of all time . Simon & Garfunkel also contributed to the soundtrack of the Mike Nichols film The Graduate (1967), starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft . While writing " Mrs. Robinson ", Simon toyed with the title "Mrs. Roosevelt". When Garfunkel reported this indecision over the song's name to the director, Nichols replied, "Don't be ridiculous! We're making
9450-480: The borders of India or command the approaches to India." After the series ended in 1903, The Times removed quotation marks from subsequent uses of the term. Until World War II , it was customary to refer to areas centered around Turkey and the eastern shore of the Mediterranean as the " Near East ", while the " Far East " centered on China , India and Japan . The Middle East was then defined as
9576-549: The combination of doo-wop , rockabilly and Caribbean music that the album contained, but Songs from The Capeman was a failure, and for the first time in Simon's career he did not reach the Top 40 of the Billboard charts. The cast album was never released on CD but eventually became available online. After The Capeman , Simon's career was in an unexpected crisis, but he continued to record new material. In 1999, he embarked on
9702-534: The country and are generally different from the English terms. In German the term Naher Osten (Near East) is still in common use (nowadays the term Mittlerer Osten is more and more common in press texts translated from English sources, albeit having a distinct meaning). In the four Slavic languages, Russian Ближний Восток or Blizhniy Vostok , Bulgarian Близкия Изток , Polish Bliski Wschód or Croatian Bliski istok (terms meaning Near East are
9828-515: The country is one of the region's largest and most populous. It belongs to the Indo-Iranian branch of the family of Indo-European languages . Other Western Iranic languages spoken in the region include Achomi , Daylami , Kurdish dialects, Semmani , Lurish , amongst many others. The close third-most widely spoken language, Turkish , is largely confined to Turkey, which is also one of the region's largest and most populous countries, but it
9954-652: The economy of the Western world [...] Within this contextual framework, the United States sought to divert the Arab world from Soviet influence. Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the region has experienced both periods of relative peace and tolerance and periods of conflict particularly between Sunnis and Shiites . Arabs constitute the largest ethnic group in the Middle East, followed by various Iranian peoples and then by Turkic peoples ( Turkish , Azeris , Syrian Turkmen , and Iraqi Turkmen ). Native ethnic groups of
10080-480: The emerging independent countries of the Islamic world . However, the usage "Near East" was retained by a variety of academic disciplines, including archaeology and ancient history . In their usage, the term describes an area identical to the term Middle East , which is not used by these disciplines (see ancient Near East ). The first official use of the term "Middle East" by the United States government
10206-457: The facility to concentrate in force if occasion arise, about Aden , India, and the Persian Gulf. Mahan's article was reprinted in The Times and followed in October by a 20-article series entitled "The Middle Eastern Question", written by Sir Ignatius Valentine Chirol . During this series, Sir Ignatius expanded the definition of Middle East to include "those regions of Asia which extend to
10332-409: The farther west countries while Middle East referred to the eastern ones, but that now they are synonymous. It instructs: Use Middle East unless Near East is used by a source in a story. Mideast is also acceptable, but Middle East is preferred. European languages have adopted terms similar to Near East and Middle East . Since these are based on a relative description, the meanings depend on
10458-786: The first decade of the 21st century to denote various countries, pertaining to the Muslim world , specifically Afghanistan , Iran , Pakistan , and Turkey . Various Central Asian countries are sometimes also included. The Middle East lies at the juncture of Africa and Eurasia and of the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea (see also: Indo-Mediterranean ). It is the birthplace and spiritual center of religions such as Christianity , Islam , Judaism , Manichaeism , Yezidi , Druze , Yarsan , and Mandeanism , and in Iran, Mithraism , Zoroastrianism , Manicheanism , and
10584-583: The first officially copyrighted Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel song. It is now in the Library of Congress . In 1957, in their mid-teens, they recorded the song "Hey, Schoolgirl" under the name "Tom & Jerry", a name that was given to them by their label, Big Records. The single reached number 49 on the pop charts. After graduating from Forest Hills High School , Simon majored in English at Queens College and graduated in 1963. Garfunkel studied mathematics education at Columbia University in Manhattan . Simon
10710-561: The formation of civilizations, advanced cultures formed all over the Middle East during the Stone Age . The search for agricultural lands by agriculturalists, and pastoral lands by herdsmen meant different migrations took place within the region and shaped its ethnic and demographic makeup. The Middle East is widely and most famously known as the cradle of civilization . The world's earliest civilizations, Mesopotamia ( Sumer , Akkad , Assyria and Babylonia ), ancient Egypt and Kish in
10836-869: The funeral of Victoria Leigh Soto , a teacher killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting . On June 14, 2013, on Sting 's Back to Bass Tour , Simon performed " The Boxer " and Sting's " Fields of Gold " with Sting. In September 2013, Simon delivered the Richard Ellmann Lecture in Modern Literature at Emory University . In 2014, Simon embarked on a joint 21-date concert tour of North America, titled On Stage Together , with English musician Sting . The tour continued in 2015 with ten shows in Australia and New Zealand and 23 concerts in Europe. Simon made
10962-526: The highest in the world, and the international oil cartel OPEC is dominated by Middle Eastern countries. During the Cold War, the Middle East was a theater of ideological struggle between the two superpowers and their allies: NATO and the United States on one side, and the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact on the other, as they competed to influence regional allies. Besides the political reasons there
11088-631: The largest concert audiences in history. He later remembered the concert as "the most memorable moment in my career." The success of the show led to a live album and an Emmy -winning TV special. Simon embarked on the Born at the Right Time Tour and promoted the album with further singles, including "Proof", which was accompanied by a humorous video that featured Chevy Chase and Steve Martin . On March 4, 1992, Simon performed in his own episode of MTV Unplugged . Simon and Garfunkel were inducted into
11214-522: The last century. In Iran, many religious minorities such as Christians , Baháʼís , Jews and Zoroastrians have left since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 . The Middle East is very diverse when it comes to religions , many of which originated there. Islam is the largest religion in the Middle East, but other faiths that originated there, such as Judaism and Christianity , are also well represented. Christian communities have played
11340-598: The late 20th century, it has been criticized as being too Eurocentric . The region includes the vast majority of the territories included in the closely associated definition of West Asia , but without the South Caucasus . It also includes all of Egypt (not just the Sinai ) and all of Turkey (including East Thrace ). Most Middle Eastern countries (13 out of 18) are part of the Arab world . The most populous countries in
11466-585: The mistakes he had made: "You can teach somebody about writing songs. You can't teach someone how to write a song ... I'd go to a course if the Beatles would talk about how they made records because I'm sure I could learn something." Simon pursued solo work, reuniting occasionally with Garfunkel for various projects. He gave a solo performance at the Cleveland Arena in April 1972 in a benefit concert for
11592-404: The only appropriate ones for the region. However, some European languages do have "Middle East" equivalents, such as French Moyen-Orient , Swedish Mellanöstern , Spanish Oriente Medio or Medio Oriente , Greek is Μέση Ανατολή ( Mesi Anatoli ), and Italian Medio Oriente . Perhaps because of the political influence of the United States and Europe, and the prominence of Western press,
11718-529: The pop charts as Jerry Landis, with the novelty song "The Lone Teen Ranger". Both chart singles were released on Amy Records . In early 1964, Simon and Garfunkel auditioned for Columbia Records , whose executive Clive Davis signed them to produce an album. Columbia decided to call them Simon & Garfunkel instead of Tom & Jerry, and according to Simon, this was the first time artists' surnames had been used in pop music without their first names. Simon and Garfunkel's first LP, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. ,
11844-580: The population of what he calls "Islamic territory" as roughly 12.5 million in 1000 – Anatolia 8 million, Syria 2 million, and Egypt 1.5 million. From the 16th century onward, the Middle East came to be dominated, once again, by two main powers: the Ottoman Empire and the Safavid dynasty . The modern Middle East began after World War I , when the Ottoman Empire, which was allied with
11970-585: The recording). This development followed the successful $ 200 million lawsuit against RSO Records by the Bee Gees , the largest successful lawsuit against a record company by an artist or group. All of Simon's solo recordings, including those originally issued by Columbia Records , are currently distributed by Sony Records ' Legacy Recordings unit. His albums were issued by Warner Music Group until mid-2010, when Simon moved his catalog of solo work from Warner Bros. Records to Sony/Columbia Records , which holds
12096-416: The region are Egypt, Turkey, and Iran, while Saudi Arabia is the largest Middle Eastern country by area. The history of the Middle East dates back to ancient times , and it was long considered the "cradle of civilization". The geopolitical importance of the region has been recognized and competed for during millennia. The Abrahamic religions, Judaism , Christianity , and Islam , have their origins in
12222-439: The region as including only Egypt , Syria, Israel , Lebanon , Jordan , Iraq, Saudi Arabia , Kuwait , Bahrain , and Qatar . Since the late 20th century, scholars and journalists from the region, such as journalist Louay Khraish and historian Hassan Hanafi have criticized the use of "Middle East" as a Eurocentric and colonialist term. The Associated Press Stylebook of 2004 says that Near East formerly referred to
12348-662: The region include, in addition to Arabs, Arameans , Assyrians , Baloch , Berbers , Copts , Druze , Greek Cypriots , Jews , Kurds , Lurs , Mandaeans , Persians , Samaritans , Shabaks , Tats , and Zazas . European ethnic groups that form a diaspora in the region include Albanians , Bosniaks , Circassians (including Kabardians ), Crimean Tatars , Greeks , Franco-Levantines , Italo-Levantines , and Iraqi Turkmens . Among other migrant populations are Chinese , Filipinos , Indians , Indonesians , Pakistanis , Pashtuns , Romani , and Afro-Arabs . "Migration has always provided an important vent for labor market pressures in
12474-534: The rising influence of the United States from the 1970s onwards. In the 20th century, the region's significant stocks of crude oil gave it new strategic and economic importance. Mass production of oil began around 1945, with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates having large quantities of oil. Estimated oil reserves , especially in Saudi Arabia and Iran, are some of
12600-518: The second half of the 1970s on various projects, including writing music for the film Shampoo , which became the music for the song "Silent Eyes" on the Still Crazy album, and acting (he was cast as Tony Lacey in Woody Allen 's film Annie Hall ). He achieved another hit with " Slip Slidin' Away ", the lead single of his 1977 compilation Greatest Hits, Etc. , which reached number 5 in
12726-428: The set list of their September 19 concert in Central Park . Five were rearranged as duets and Simon performed the other three solo. The resulting live album, TV special and videocassette (later DVD) releases were all major hits. Following the success of The Concert in Central Park, Simon & Garfunkel returned to the studio, planning to record an album of new material. This would have been their first new recordings as
12852-501: The song " She Moves On " was about her. "If you can get Paul Simon to write a song about you, do it. Because he is so brilliant at it." The success of both albums allowed Simon to stage another concert in New York. On August 15, 1991, almost a decade after his concert with Garfunkel, Simon staged a second concert in Central Park with African and South American bands. The success of the concert surpassed all expectations, and over 750,000 people were reported to have attended, making it one of
12978-818: The song was not based on Simon's early life in New York City. Simon also provided guitar on Garfunkel's 1973 album Angel Clare , and added backing vocals to the song " Down in the Willow Garden ". Simon's next album, Paul Simon , was released in January 1972, following his first experiment with world music , the Jamaican-inspired song " Mother and Child Reunion ", which reached both the American and British Top 5. The album received universal acclaim and critics praised its variety of styles and confessional lyrics. Paul Simon reached number 4 in
13104-610: The songs on the album were inspired by the September 11 terrorist attacks , and the Iraq invasion and the war that followed. Simon also took inspiration from having reached the age of 60 in 2001, which he humorously referred to in "Old" from You're the One . Surprise was a commercial hit, reaching number 14 on the Billboard 200 and number 4 in the UK. Most critics praised the album, and Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic wrote "Simon doesn't achieve his comeback by reconnecting with
13230-529: The sound and spirit of his classic work; he has achieved it by being as restless and ambitious as he was at his popular and creative peak." The album was supported by the Surprise Tour in 2006. In March 2004, Walter Yetnikoff published a book called Howling at the Moon , in which he criticized Simon and his previous business partnership with Columbia Records . In 2007, Simon was the inaugural recipient of
13356-532: The story of a real-life Puerto Rican youth, Salvador Agron , who wore a cape while committing two murders in New York in 1959. He became a writer while in prison. Featuring Marc Anthony as the young Agron, and Rubén Blades as the older Agron, the play was not a success and received terrible reviews and poor box office receipts. Simon recorded an album of songs from the show which was released in November 1997. The album received mixed reviews. Some critics praised
13482-623: The tenth anniversary of the show. In 1995 he also featured in the Annie Lennox version of his 1973 song "Something So Right", which appeared briefly on the UK Top 50 after it was released as a single. Simon had been involved in creating a musical, The Capeman , that eventually opened on January 29, 1998. He had worked enthusiastically on the project for many years, and described it as "a New York Puerto Rican story based on events that happened in 1959—events that I remembered." The musical told
13608-648: The term in his article "The Persian Gulf and International Relations", published in September 1902 in the National Review , a British journal. The Middle East, if I may adopt a term which I have not seen, will some day need its Malta , as well as its Gibraltar ; it does not follow that either will be in the Persian Gulf. Naval force has the quality of mobility which carries with it the privilege of temporary absences; but it needs to find on every scene of operation established bases of refit, of supply, and in case of disaster, of security. The British Navy should have
13734-629: The theater was used during the filming of the horror film Nightmare in Blood directed by John Stanley. In 1983 and 1984 the Dickens Fair used the theater for Victorian England reenactments, setting up a mock village. By 1975 the building was in such disrepair that the City's Public Works Department presented a plan for the City to purchase the property, demolish the building, and create a parking lot. However, their plans floundered and on Jan. 24, 1978
13860-550: The theater's design redefined architecture in the 1920s. The interior of the Fox Theatre was delicately crafted and said to be described as "mystical". With its intriguing resemblance of an Indian temple, the Fox Theatre was a fascinating attribute to downtown Oakland. At this time, theaters across the nation strived to be more than just a typical building. The designs of various theaters were inspired greatly by Middle Eastern and Indian architecture. Middle Eastern The Middle East (term originally coined in English language)
13986-566: The track with electric guitar, bass guitar and drums and it was released as a single, eventually reaching number 1 on the US pop charts. Wilson did not inform the duo of his plan, and Simon was "horrified" when he first heard it. The success of the single drew Simon back to the US to reunite with Garfunkel, and they recorded the albums Sounds of Silence (1966), Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966) and Bookends (1968). Their final album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970), became at that time
14112-585: The western Middle East and until the Muslim expansion it was widely spoken there as well. Until the late 11th century, it was also the main spoken language in Asia Minor ; after that it was gradually replaced by the Turkish language as the Anatolian Turks expanded and the local Greeks were assimilated, especially in the interior. English is one of the official languages of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. It
14238-690: Was October 27, 1928, after two years of construction. The opening celebration was highly anticipated by the Bay Area residents, as the theater's 3,200 seats made it the largest in Oakland, more than the nearby Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco which held 2,561, and more than the new 1,075-seat Dufwin which had opened three weeks earlier. The first film shown at the Oakland was Fox's The Air Circus , an early sound film. Live performances took place on stage between films and newsreels, including "King of
14364-653: Was Social Distortion. The Oakland Fox Theatre now serves as a school, restaurant, and prominent live concert venue. It has hosted many concerts by artists such as B.B. King , Paul Simon , Korn , Kylie Minogue , the Allman Brothers , Widespread Panic , Bob Dylan , Green Day , Twenty One Pilots , Charli XCX , Marina and the Diamonds , King Crimson , Metallica , Primus , Alice in Chains , Atoms For Peace , Black Star , Lorde , Animal Collective , X Japan ,
14490-742: Was a brother in the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, and attended Brooklyn Law School for one semester in 1963. Between 1957 and 1964, Simon wrote, recorded and released more than 30 songs. He and Garfunkel occasionally reunited as Tom & Jerry to record singles, including "Our Song" and "That's My Story". Most of the songs Simon recorded during that time he performed alone, or with musicians other than Garfunkel. They were released on minor record labels including Amy, Big, Hunt, King , Tribute and Madison. Simon used several pseudonyms for these recordings, usually "Jerry Landis", but also "Paul Kane" and "True Taylor". By 1962, working as Jerry Landis, he
14616-565: Was a frequent writer/producer for several Amy Records artists, overseeing material released by Dotty Daniels, The Vels and Ritchie Cordell . Simon enjoyed moderate success with singles as part of the group Tico and the Triumphs, including "Motorcycle", which reached number 99 on the Billboard charts in 1962. Tico and the Triumphs released four 45s. Marty Cooper, known as Tico, sang lead on several of these releases, but "Motorcycle" featured Simon's vocal. Also in 1962, Simon reached number 97 on
14742-411: Was also the "ideological conflict" between the two systems. Moreover, as Louise Fawcett argues, among many important areas of contention, or perhaps more accurately of anxiety, were, first, the desires of the superpowers to gain strategic advantage in the region, second, the fact that the region contained some two-thirds of the world's oil reserves in a context where oil was becoming increasingly vital to
14868-527: Was an elementary-school teacher. In 1945, his family moved to the Kew Gardens Hills section of Flushing, Queens , in New York City. The musician Donald Fagen described Simon's childhood as that of "a certain kind of New York Jew , almost a stereotype really, to whom music and baseball are very important. I think it has to do with the parents. The parents are either immigrants or first-generation Americans who felt like outsiders, and assimilation
14994-619: Was his only number 1 on the Billboard charts to date. The 18th Grammy Awards named it the Album of the Year , and his performance on it the year's Best Male Pop Vocal . The third single from the album, " 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover ", reached the top spot on the Billboard charts. On May 3, 1976, Simon put together a benefit show at Madison Square Garden for the New York Public Library which raised over $ 30,000. After releasing three successful studio albums, Simon worked in
15120-740: Was in the 1957 Eisenhower Doctrine , which pertained to the Suez Crisis . Secretary of State John Foster Dulles defined the Middle East as "the area lying between and including Libya on the west and Pakistan on the east, Syria and Iraq on the North and the Arabian peninsula to the south, plus the Sudan and Ethiopia ." In 1958, the State Department explained that the terms "Near East" and "Middle East" were interchangeable, and defined
15246-454: Was premiered on National Public Radio , and was included on the album So Beautiful or So What . The song sampled a 1941 sermon by the Rev. J. M. Gates . Simon performed the song live on The Colbert Report on December 16, 2010. In the first show of the final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show on September 10, 2010, Simon performed a song that commemorated the show's 25 years, an update of
15372-650: Was released in March 1966, charting around the same time as Simon and Garfunkel's " Homeward Bound ". The song was a Top 10 hit from their second UK album, Sounds of Silence , and later included on their third U.S. album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme . Radio stations on the American East Coast began receiving requests for the Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. track " The Sound of Silence ". Simon & Garfunkel's producer, Tom Wilson , overdubbed
15498-467: Was released on October 19, 1964. It consisted of 12 songs, five of which were written by Simon. The album initially flopped. In 1965, after the album's release, Simon moved to London and performed in folk clubs. He enjoyed his time in England and said in 1970, "I had a lot of friends there and a girlfriend. I could play music there. There was no place to play in New York City. They wouldn't have me." He
15624-399: Was the key thought—they gravitated to black music and baseball, looking for an alternative culture." Simon said Fagen's description was not far from the truth. Simon played baseball and stickball as a child. He described his father as funny and smart, but said he worked late and did not see his children much. Simon met Art Garfunkel when they were 11 years old and performed together in
15750-563: Was used in English to refer to the Balkans and the Ottoman Empire , while "Middle East" referred to the Caucasus , Persia , and Arabian lands, and sometimes Afghanistan , India and others. In contrast, " Far East " referred to the countries of East Asia (e.g. China , Japan , and Korea ). With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1918, "Near East" largely fell out of common use in English, while "Middle East" came to be applied to
15876-460: Was welcomed by England's bohemian folk scene, learned how to finger-pick acoustic guitar from Martin Carthy , and was introduced to English folk music. He recalled, "I had never heard anything like those old English songs. I was 21, 22, and emotionally open to everything." The folk music he heard in England in the mid-sixties became one of his two big influences. He wrote " Homeward Bound " and " I Am
#203796