Art Garfunkel Delivers the Night's Defining Finale at the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Art Garfunkel delivered one of the most emotionally charged moments of Grammy Week when he closed the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala, widely regarded as the most famous and exclusive party in Hollywood, with a transcendent performance of Bridge Over Troubled Water—the iconic anthem from his tenure as lead singer of Simon & Garfunkel.
The performance brought the room to its feet. Yet its power extended far beyond nostalgia.
A Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and eight-time Grammy Award winner, Garfunkel was introduced as "the voice that defined an era before your algorithm existed," a line that drew immediate recognition from an audience of artists, executives, and cultural leaders.

The moment carried heightened resonance following Garfunkel's return to the stage last year in Israel, where he performed for more than 50,000 people amid active conflict. The icon was joined in the Middle East by his wife Kathryn, sons Beau and Art Jr. During the concert, missile alarms and targeted rocket fire were reported in the region, forcing security interventions and underscoring the very real danger surrounding the event. Garfunkel refused to retreat, completing the performance as an act of resolve, presence, and solidarity—becoming the first Western artist to perform in Israel following the October terrorist attacks.

"My voice is a gift from God," Garfunkel said. "It is time to use it, whenever possible, as an instrument of peace."

That courage reverberated in Los Angeles. So profound was the response that the Recording Academy inserted "Bridge Over Troubled Water" into the Grammys telecast opening, accompanying the introduction of Recording Academy President Harvey Mason Jr. —a rare editorial decision signaling the song's renewed relevance as both cultural touchstone and living statement.

In a week dominated by spectacle, Art Garfunkel offered something rare: a performance with a history of courage and reprised in peace without losing its truth.

Joining Garfunkel onstage was his son, Art Garfunkel Jr., one of Germany's most successful recording artists, creating a multigenerational moment that reflected legacy not as memory—but as continuation.

The Clive Davis performance also served as a preview of Garfunkel's upcoming international tour, (What a) Wonderful World, launching in Grand Turk, where he will appear as a key headliner of the Rock Legends Series, presented annually by Native American Heritage Association (NAHA) aboard Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas. The event is created by NAHA, a 501(c)3 dedicated to supplying emergency needs for Native American families.
Art & Kathryn Luce Garfunkel are partnered exclusively with Carrberry Companies for artist management, iconography, design initiatives, including strategic plans for a new Kathryn Luce Garfunkel endeavor, KLG. stewarding a new chapter of global touring and cultural diplomacy for one of music's most revered voices.

The Garfunkels are represented exclusively by Carrberry Companies and v2 Entertainment Group.

Media contact for Art Garfunkel:

Victoria Varela, CEO
v2 Entertainment Group
620 Fifth Avenue – 20^th Floor
NY NY 10111
Tel: 212 332-3470
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Carrberry Companies