Legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon has signed off on a biography about his life to be written by music critic Robert Hilburn. According to The Associated Press, Simon & Schuster will be publishing the as-of-yet untitled biography, though no release date has yet been revealed.
"I thought seriously about writing my own memoir, but I'd rather devote my time to making music, which continues to hold my full attention," Simon explained in a statement. "I'm confident Robert Hilburn will write an insightful book. I enjoyed and admired his biography of Johnny Cash and I think he'll tell my story well."
Hilburn is an obvious choice for Simon to write his biography, as the two have known each other since the '70s and have worked together before, with Hilburn writing a piece for the Los Angeles Times about Simon's 1987 concert in Zimbabwe in support of his classic 1986 album Graceland. Other famous works by Hilburn include his 2009 memoir Corn Flakes with John Lennon (And Other Tales from a Rock 'n' Roll Life), as well as his aforementioned biography of Johnny Cash from 2013.
In a statement, Hilburn promises that his Paul Simon biography will be "a gripping, inspiring portrait of an artist, including the toughness and heart it require to avoid giving in to the many factors - from rejection to self-doubt to writer's block and complacency - that have derailed so many pop artists."
This news of a Paul Simon biography comes just a week after it was revealed that the singer would be getting his very own exhibit in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. The exhibit will include various pieces of Simon's history, including instruments, photographs, outfits, and lyrics. Simon has been inducted into the rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, both as a solo artist and as a member of Simon & Garfunkel.
