Art Garfunkel opened up about stepping away from his legendary music career due a long standing battle with the skin condition psoriasis.
“Psoriasis is something I lived with quietly for many years. It was part of my life even during my most public moments, including on tours, but I rarely, if ever, spoke about it,” Garfunkel, 83, told People in an interview published on Friday, April 4.
The Simon & Garfunkel musician revealed that he underwent numerous treatments for the autoimmune disease, which can cause patches of dry and irritated skin, but had little success until recently. The singer detailed experimenting with “different creams, remedies, even treatments involving UV light and tar” without much relief.
“My treatment journey was long, and it wasn’t easy … I remember being completely covered in tar; what a mess. Some gave me temporary relief, but nothing really lasted — it was a frustrating cycle,” he explained. “The itching always came right back, and so did the scales. It was so uncomfortable.”
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Garfunkel’s health condition even forced him to put his music career on hold because of the strain of having to cover up the physical signs of psoriasis.
“Performing is such a big part of who I am, so having to step back because of my psoriasis was difficult,” he remembered. “I could be in front of thousands of people but still have to cover up. It can affect your confidence, your comfort in your own skin, and it isolates you in ways people don’t always see.”
However, Garfunkel said he’s now comfortable appearing in public again after using Ilumya, a pharmaceutical treatment that manages moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. As he begins this new chapter in his life, the musician credited his wife of 37 years, Kim Garfunkel, and his family with offering him unwavering support.
“With a treatment that works for me, and the support from the love of my life, Kim, and the rest of my family, I am in a different place,” he said. “I realized that sharing my story might help someone else who is still in the thick of it. By revealing my story, I want to reach someone who is struggling with psoriasis and let them know you are not alone and that there is hope to place psoriasis in the rearview mirror of your life.”
Garfunkel returned to the stage with the release of 2024’s Father and Son, a collaborative album with his son Art Garfunkel Jr. In December 2024, Garfunkel shared exciting news that he’d reconciled with longtime musical partner Paul Simon after years of “estrangement.”
“I know we met up recently for the first time in years,” Garfunkel shared during an episode of Live With Kelly and Mark. “We had a period of estrangement for some years until — he has a son that moved into the place that I live in and I knew I was going to run into Harper [Simon] and Harper set up a dinner and Paul and I hung out, first time in years. And it was very touching.”
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Simon, 83, announced huge news of his own in February by confirming he was returning from retirement for the 52-date A Quiet Celebration Tour.
Simon had previously said in 2018 that he could no longer perform live regularly due to hearing loss. For his new tour, Simon and his team worked with the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss on a venue and stage setup that wouldn’t cause additional auditory problems.
