Paul Simon To Retire With A Farewell Tour In May

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Paul Simon is calling it quits after more than 50 years of performing. On Monday, Simon announced his “Homeward Bound—Farewell Tour,” beginning in May, making him the third musical icon to announce his retirement this year, following Elton John and Neil Diamond.

"I've often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where I'd consider bringing my performing career to a natural end. Now I know: It feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating and something of a relief," said the 76-year-old songwriter. "I love making music, my voice is still strong, and my band is a tight, extraordinary group of gifted musicians.”

Simon is one of the most famous singer-songwriters ever, earning 16 Grammy Awards and selling more than 100 million records. Three of his albums — Bridge over Troubled Water, Still Crazy after All These Years, and Graceland — were Album of the Year honorees. He has been in the public eye since the early 60s when his folk duo Simon & Garfunkel had three number one hits. His seminal album “Graceland” was named by Rolling Stone among the top 100 albums of all time.

“Few albums have had humbler beginnings, been as musically adventurous, generated as much political controversy or been as warmly received by the public as Paul Simon's Graceland,” according to Rolling Stone. “The album's scintillating blend of lively beats and thoughtful lyrics, as well as its seamless fusion of the familiar and the exotic, restored Simon's career and brought African music, and particularly South African music, to a broader international audience.”

Simon is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and has been inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, as both a member of Simon & Garfunkel and as a solo artist.

"I am very grateful for a fulfilling career and, of course, most of all to the audiences who heard something in my music that touched their hearts,” Simon wrote to his fans Monday.

Tickets for the “Homeward Bound—Farewell Tour,” go on sale Friday.

Photo: Singer-songwriter Paul Simon performs on stage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center, July 25, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An estimated 50,000 people are expected in Philadelphia, including hundreds of protesters and members of the media. The four-day Democratic National Convention kicked off July 25. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)