Carly Simon On Painful Past And James Taylor Ignoring Her

NEW YORK — Carly Simon didn't find it easy reading "Girls Like Us," the nonfiction best-seller which interweaves her life story with those of fellow singer-songwriters Joni Mitchell and Carole King.

Simon was the only one of the three who agreed to speak to writer Sheila Weller, who relied heavily on interviews with friends and family to tell their life stories.

"I think Sheila did a terrific job and the book is extremely interesting, but it brought back things that I didn't want to remember and from other people's voices," Simon said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. "I saw things in a way that to me seemed just too harsh, even if they were true."

The book offers a behind-the-scenes look at Simon's 1972-83 life-in-a-fishbowl marriage to James Taylor, when they were pop music's reigning royal couple, as she struggled to get him to break his drug habit while raising their two children, Sally and Ben.

"I know he had a really tough time with drugs and I had a tough time with his drugs, and I had a tough time with Ben who was very, very sick," recalled Simon. "But I was terribly in love and I got a great deal out of that relationship and ... I don't think I would have changed anything except that I wish that James would have been happier with himself obviously. The breakup of that marriage was incredibly sad and difficult for me."

Today, Taylor and Simon both live in the country _ at opposite ends of Massachusetts _ and have ended up recording albums for the same label, Starbucks' Hear Music, with Simon recently releasing the Brazilian-inspired CD "This Kind of Love." Their two children are both singer-songwriters like their parents.

The 60-year-old Taylor, who kicked his drug habit shortly after their marriage ended, lives in the Berkshires with his third wife and two young sons. Simon, 62, whose 20-year marriage to writer-businessman Jim Hart ended in divorce last year, lives in the house that Taylor built on a 40-acre spread in Martha's Vineyard full of flowers and animals.

Taylor does not keep in contact with his former wife and made no mention of their years together in his autobiographical "One Man Band" show released as a CD-DVD last year.

"I'm so erased, so erased," said Simon. "I don't think James has forgotten in any way. If he had forgotten, he wouldn't be behaving in the way he is."

Comments

[Marrigan]

James is a cad. The heroin just made him a drugged-out cad. To obliterate the mother of (two of) his children from his auto-bio and completely ignore her is just plain mean. Carly reminds me of a Katherine Hepburn type woman. Stronger than she looks, classic beauty, enormous talent and a penchant for privacy and a quiet lifestyle. I've admired her for 40 years. Here's hoping there are 40 more for both of us...

[ultrabop]

He's not "behaving" ...just doesn't want to relive the pain of being addicted, trying to exist in a family at the same time.

Interesting that he didn't quit until after the divorce.

[Hitsong]

I'm quite surprised. Knew them both in the 70's. Was at their wedding. James was hopelessly in love with her. I remember when James came down to our house in Puerto Vallarta in 1975. The first thing he did was ask me to take him to a telephone where we would wait for almost two hours to get a call in to Carly. He was sober at the time and still remains one of the smartest men in the music business. It's unfortunate to hear he would do this to Carly. He was the sweetest and most generous person. I hope his sobriety didn't put an end to those attributes. But then again, I used to kid Carly that she was a divining rod for addicts. Perhaps she never fully got the gravity of what that means. And there's always SOMEONE haunting someone....

[JonasH]

Skipping the story, and focusing on the woman, I have to say she doesn't look like she's really 62 years of age. Tres smoking.

[Christabelle]

Carly...we'll always LOVE you best. Always and forever....honest and cool and a lot of people today don't even know him .. Strange how you can love someone long and great and in the end you find out you don't even know them. .Who they were and are....

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

Carly: look at it this way: you're still cute. James? Icky and yucky.

[Mort]

Lots of good memories, and a few not so good mixed in, but that makes for a rich life. You and James have given us much and lived your dreams in the process. Many thanks, and best wishes for many more years.

[falgiano]

JT & Carly each made great music when they were together. i'm grateful for that.

[Aramingo]

Some things you never get over, you just get used to them. Somehow, I have this image of Carly sitting at home with no lights on, her cigarette glowing in the dark....

[Dingoangst]

"til death do us part" has forever been a rather unreal expectation. One learns as much from partings as gatherings. Together is not always togetherness, alone is not always lonely.

[oddjob1993]

Well said, and so true. Thank you. Wish my formerly treasured bride could read this.
19 years divorced and she still thinks it's war. I told her I raised the white flag a long time ago and moved on, but the dust from the bombs won't allow her to SEE.

[provgrays]

Sounds like she acknowledged her old marriage, gained perspective from it and admitted being sad about the marriage ending. Why does anyone on this thread criticize that?

[cBc]

I didn't get, from what Carly said, that she's sitting alone looking out a window, pining away for her long lost James. She did an interview regarding a book about women musicians and their lives, and she's in the book.
So her comments were more about the content of the book.

Always had a soft spot in my heart for "Boys in the Trees". Keep on keepin' on, Carly.

[michie62]

get over it and yourself carly. james has moved on. your children are adults and they probably have their own relationship with their father. I do not talk about or think about my ex, unless my child brings him up. Then only as my son's father.
Move on and out. Life is too short to stay mired in the past.

[rpence]

Bullshit. Just because she's talking about this doesn't mean she's mired in the past. One never truly gets over the kind of difficulties she describes. And Taylor gets plenty of attention--it's about time Carly's side got some, too.

P.S.--You're So Vain, one of the very best 70s singles with great backup singing by none other than Sir Mick.

[lakat]

That whole album was a winner! A lot of wonderful memories were made to Carly's music! I love Sweet Baby James too but hey, a heroin addict is not easy to live with. I empathize with Ms. Simon.

[JustAnOpinion]

I lost the love of my life to a divorce 7 years ago and I anticipate in 20 more years I will still feel the pain. You never get over it. You just don't think about it as often.
I don't believe Carly is 'mired in the past' - just being honest.

Love you Carly.

[Vr6]

Yep, life can twist a gnarly tale - at least there's apparent honesty, live long Carly!

[bob5701]

She was to old for James.

[lakat]

First of all, it's TOO not TO, BOB. Second of all, she is 3 years older than Taylor. She might have been too sophisticated for him but they are essentially the same age. BOB.

[CoulterIsASuccubus]

Oh Jesus Carly. It's been forty freaking years. If you haven't figured out his pathology by now, get help.

[Theda]

Not so strangely, Carly's second husband, Jim Hart, physically resembled James Taylor.
Isn't it interesting how so many divorced people pick new spouses who resemble the previous ones? I guess everyone has a "type" they prefer.
"Spiriteddona" is right, though. Most of us ALL have a relative who acts like we don't exist and wants to "erase" us. We just have to move on and not let their personality disorder or selfishness hurt us.