The daughter of Richard Simon, co-founder of the Simon and Schuster publishing company, Carly got her start in music singing in coffee houses with her sister Lucy in the early 60s. After an unsuccessful attempt to launch a solo career, Carly burst onto the music scene in 1971 with her first Top 10 hit "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be," which won her the Best New Artist Grammy Award and set the stage for an enormously successful career. After her second hit, "Anticipation," Carly roared to the top of the charts with her album NO SECRETS, and its #1 hit "You're So Vain." Newly married to James Taylor, Carly piled up a series of bestselling albums, including PLAYING POSSUM (1975), which featured controversial cover art of a scantily-clad Carly, although there had always been a sort of subtle sexuality on many of her album covers before (and after); however, none were as blatant as this particular one. Her career marched on, and in 1977, Carly performed her first movie-theme, "Nobody Does It Better," from THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, and it became an international smash. Her sales high continued with 1978's "You Belong To Me" and the album BOYS IN THE TREES, but after the release of her hit "Jesse" in 1980, Carly's career started to wane. Although she released a series of interesting albums in the '80s, none of them were commercial successes. After her divorce from James Taylor, she also retired from performing live. But then in 1987, Carly wrote the theme for HEARTBURN - "Coming Around Again" - and her career was revitalized. The song was a big hit and the album of the same name was a best-seller and charted for well over a year. By that point, she was a legend and was then able to release albums at a more relaxed pace, which allowed her to be more adventurous in her writing and creativity. Since then, all of her work has been very well received, most notable "Let The River Run," which she wrote for WORKING GIRL and won her her first Oscar. Carly's album THE BEDROOM TAPES (2000) reflected her personal trials more overtly than any of her other albums up to that point, particularly a case of writer's block as well as her breast cancer ordeal and the accompanying depression she experienced due to chemotherapy. Nevertheless, Carly is now healthy and content and remains a notable presence in the media and music industry, including her cameo on Janet Jackson's "Son of a Gun," as well as the televised tribute to Beach Boy Brian Wilson.


Has released musical albums (including CDs) on the Elektra, Warner Brothers, Epic, and Arista records. Is the niece of singer 'Peter Dean'. Her father was president and co-founder of Simon & Schuster publishing house. Her song, "You're So Vain", is allegedly about Warren Beatty. Received an honorary degree from Berklee College of Music (Boston, Massachusetts) Won the 1972 Grammy for Best New Artist Diagnosed with breast cancer [October 1997] 2003, fractured her shoulder falling in the bathtub. In support of her latest album, "Moonlight Serenade" (July 2005), she has said she 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". Is mentioned in the song "Life Is a Rock But the Radio Rolled Me" by Reunion. She once said in an interview she never goes anywhere without her plush Daffy Duck toy, Daffy Duck is her all-time favorite cartoon character and she has even hinted in several other interviews that he's the subject of her famous song "You're So Vain". Her daughter, Sally Taylor is expecting Carly's first grandchild in September 2007. Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994. The Simon family home was located in Stamford, Connecticut.