Mort Lewis, Manager of Simon & Garfunkel, Passed Away

NEW CANAAN, CT-- A legend lived among us and now, whispers in the sound of silence.

Mort Lewis, longtime manager of Simon & Garfunkel and a Bethel resident, passed away on Friday evening, according to a Alice Hutchinson, a family friend. Hutchinson posted a photo album called "Remembering Mort Lewis" that shared that his wife wishes that any donation in his name be made to the Bethel Public Library, 189 Greenwood Ave. Bethel, CT. 06801 .

"Mort was an avid reader with brilliant musical knowledge, had a passion for all things French, a contagious sense of humor and an inspiring devotion to his wife of 42 years, Trisha. His friendship will be missed by all of us who knew him."

Art Garfunkel credited their manager for much of their success when making his induction speech after being accepted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame:

"I can't tell you how much fun it was to make those records all those years. I want to share the fullness I feel with, you don't have a career without a manager who helps you, and gets you touring and puts you on the road, and I have great sentiments of sharing this with Mort Lewis."

Paul Simon said of Lewis at the induction:

"Mort was smart, he was hip - he introduced us to Dave Brubeck, to Paul Desmond, to Lenny Bruce - couldn't have had a better manager."

Lewis was also the manager for jazz great Dave Brubeck in the 50s - 60s, before he went on to manage Simon & Garfunkel. Click here to read a rare interview, one of only two given, with the Boston Globe.

Chris Brubeck, son of the late, great Dave Brubeck shared his sentiments about the loss of Mort Lewis on his father's Facebook page:

"Mort was my dad's manager in the 50s, and then went on to manage the Brothers Four, and Simon & Garfunkel until the 70s. He was like a walking compendium of the funniest stories you could ever hear, and he told them with the true flair of an artist. And God bless his wife, Tricia, who must have heard the same jokes a thousand times and still thought they were funny. Mort was a classy, generous, loyal and loving man, who will be greatly missed by us, and by his many, many friends."

Lewis enjoyed time with friends at Bethel's Sunday night jazz at Pizzeria Lauretano's. He told the News Times in 2012 that he called Lauretano's "The Birdland of Bethel," referring to the New York City nightclub that got its namesake from jazz legend, Charlie Bird Parker, a regular headliner.

Lewis' funeral arrangements will be private, at the request of his family.

Photo credit: Alice Hutchinson