Paul Simon believes modern fame is "very dangerous".
The 74-year singer has been one of the most famous musicians in the world since the 1960s when he was one half of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ duo Simon & Garfunkel with Art Garfunkel.
Paul has never sought out the limelight and his recognition comes from his talents as a songwriter but he worries for many current celebrities whose notoriety is based on nothing more than their personal lives and social media activity.
In an interview with website Drowned In Sound, he said: "I think fame is very, very dangerous, dangerous for people who are around you too. Fame in general, especially today, when it is much more connected to celebrity than it is to achievement – it’s a dangerous thing."
Paul – who is releasing his new album ‘Stranger to Stranger’ next month – insists he is the same person now as he was when he began his career as a unknown artist.
The only major difference for the ‘Cecilia’ hitmaker – who is married to folk singer Edie Brickell – is that he gets to travel in luxury and enjoy the finer things in life, and these are things he appreciates now he’s in his 70s.
He added: "I’m no too different … I don’t think there’s that much difference … But travelling around now – I step outside and somebody opens a door to a Mercedes to me, and I step in. So it’s not the same world.
"You can’t be young when you’re not young, you know? I don’t particularly want to ride the tube and miss the last bus and hitch-hike out in the rain. I’m fine to be spoiled a little bit now."
Paul Simon: Modern celebrity is a very dangerous thing
