20 Photos Captured Romantic Moments of James Taylor and Carly Simon During the 1970s

James Taylor and Carly Simon met in the early 1970s, during a time when both were rising stars in the singer-songwriter scene. Taylor had already gained fame with songs like “Fire and Rain,” while Simon had hits like “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be.” They married in 1972, at the peak of their fame, and were considered a golden couple of the music world.

Their marriage blended romance and collaboration. Simon often gushed about Taylor in interviews, and both inspired each other musically. Carly even wrote songs like “You’re So Vain” during this era—though not specifically about Taylor, he was often speculated to be part of her lyrical muse.

Taylor and Simon had two children, Ben and Sally, both of whom became musicians. Their home life was artistically vibrant but also reportedly tumultuous at times, due in part to Taylor’s struggles with addiction and the pressure of fame.

They occasionally performed together, and their voices harmonized beautifully. One of the most memorable duets is “Mockingbird” (1974), a cover of the Inez & Charlie Foxx song, which became a hit and remains a standout moment in their shared discography.

By the early 1980s, the marriage began to fray, and they officially divorced in 1983. Carly later revealed in interviews and her memoir Boys in the Trees that she felt emotionally abandoned by Taylor, especially as his addiction issues worsened. Taylor, meanwhile, rarely spoke in depth about their breakup but acknowledged it as a difficult period.

In June 2004, Simon said that she no longer speaks to her ex-husband. “I would say our relationship is non-existent. It’s not the way I want it.” In 2015, following the publication of her memoir, Simon reiterated in an interview that she and Taylor had not spoken in decades, saying, “I still want to heal him, I still want to make him all right. And I love him so much.”

Despite the heartbreak, their relationship left a lasting impact on fans and the music world. They were emblematic of a specific 1970s bohemian ideal—talented, soulful, and seemingly meant to be, even if they couldn’t make it last.