It’s finally happening, Paul Simon is stepping down from touring, and it’s likely to be one of the saddest things for those that have or haven’t seen his live shows. He’s been such an icon for so many years that to think of him not being on the stage anymore is kind of depressing, but at this point in his life Simon is thinking that he wants to spend more time with family and simply play within reach of his home. You can’t blame the man, he’s had a stellar career and has brought inspiration and entertainment to so many that he’s easily due to relax. But the list of his final shows should be something that fans should be looking at intently.
There comes a time for every performer when they realize that it’s simply time to let it go. Paul Simon is obviously feeling that he needs to spend a little more time at home, but he’s still apprehensive, at least a little bit, about leaving the touring scene as well. Elton John has announced that he’ll be taking his last tour eventually, and Neil Diamond has done the same. For some it’s simply a byproduct of getting older and needing to take some downtime for their health and to relax a bit, but for Simon it seems like it might just be time. After losing his lead guitarist he did a lot of thinking and at this time he’s come to the conclusion that it might be time to stick closer to home finally. No one can rightfully blame him for this since after such a long career it’s easy to say that he should be allowed to enjoy his life.
The loss of his friend and lead guitarist isn’t the only reason why he’s retiring but it is a factor since it’s likely made him realize just what’s important in life and what he still has that he’d like to hold onto. Singers age just like anyone else but tend to age just a little quicker at times when they’re on tour from day to day and month to month without much of a rest in between. It’s a harder life that people don’t always understand and a demanding schedule that can take a serious toll on a body. Added to that the time they spend away from home and family and it’s no wonder that some of them show up on documentaries detailing how hard their lives have been no matter how wonderful they might seem. When you spend that much time away from loved ones it’s very difficult to have anything of a life outside of your profession and even harder to really connect with those that might need you in their lives.
A lot of performers have still managed to do this somehow but it’s a very delicate balance that requires a lot of patience and time. Paul Simon is at this time thinking that he needs more of the latter when it comes to his family, and while we’ll miss him on the touring scene it will no doubt be a relief to his family that he’s closer and can spend more time with them.
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