Trivia

Her father Richard L. Simon was the president and co-founder of the Simon & Schuster publishing house.

With her 1988 hit "Let the River Run" from the film Working Girl (1988), she became the first artist in history to win a Grammy Award, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for a song composed and written, as well as performed, entirely by a single artist.

Her father was of German Jewish descent. Her maternal grandfather, Frederick Adolph Heinemann, was of German origin. Her maternal grandmother, Ofilia "Elma Marie" "Chibie" Oliete/Ollright, was from Cuba, and was mostly of Spanish and African background. DNA research performed by the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2012) indicated that Carly is of 10% African and 2% Indigenous descent, meaning that her maternal grandmother was likely of around 40% African ancestry.

In 2003 she held an auction for a charity on Martha's Vineyard at which she offered to tell the high bidder who the song "You're So Vain" is about. The winning bidder was Dick Ebersol, then-chairman of NBC Sports & Olympics, who paid $50,000. Ebersol had to sign a confidentiality agreement but was allowed to give one hint: The man's name contains the letter E. Carly has since added an additional hint: The man's name also contains the letter A.

Her song "You're So Vain" (released in late 1972) was a #1 pop hit in early 1973.

Children with James Taylor: Sally Taylor (b. 7 January 1974) and Ben Taylor (b. 22 January 1977).

One of the few singer-songwriters from her generation to own all her music.

The third of four children. Brother Peter Simon (1947-2018) was a photojournalist; sister Lucy Simon (1940-2022) a singer; sister Joanna Simon (1936-2022) an opera singer, Emmy-winning arts correspondent for PBS News Hour (1975) and the VP of Fox Residential Group real estate.

In support of her album "Moonlight Serenade" (July 2005), she said would will be making public appearances, in direct defiance of her long-standing stage fright, about which she now says she "no longer has time for that negativity".

Her sisters Lucy Simon and Joanna Simon both died of cancer one day apart from each other (Lucy on October 20, 2022 and Joanna on October 19, 2022).

Won the 1972 Grammy for Best New Artist

Carly's mother, Andrea Heinemann Simon, and Carly's close friend, Jacqueline Kennedy, died four months apart. Carly wrote "Like a River" for her mother and "Touched by the Sun" for Jackie. Both songs appear on her 1994 "Letters Never Sent" album.

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994.

In October 1997 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and reconstructive surgery.

Carly's daughter Sally Taylor gave birth to Simon's first grandchild, Bodhi Taylor Bragonier, in 2007.

Son Ben Taylor is the lead singer of The Ben Taylor Band. They were the support for Sheryl Crow on her 2003 European tour.

Has released musical albums (including CDs) on the Elektra, Warner Brothers, Epic, Arista, Rhino, Columbia, Hear Music and Iris labels.

Received an honorary degree from Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA).

Is mentioned in the song "Life Is a Rock But the Radio Rolled Me" by Reunion.

Awarded the ASCAP Founders Award in 2012.

In November 2001 "Let the River Run," her award-winning theme song from Working Girl (1988), was used in a memorable public service ad produced for the U.S. Postal Service. The ad, entitled "Pride," was a response to the 9/11 and anthrax attacks of 2001, and was intended to restore confidence and improve morale for the USPS.

Ranked #28 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll