Growing up as a Simon meant living in a house where the walls practically vibrated with ambition, intellect, and high-stakes creativity. Most people hear the name and immediately hum the opening bars of "You're So Vain," but the story of the older sister Carly Simon grew up idolizing is actually two stories—those of Joanna and Lucy.
Honestly, the Simon sisters weren't just "siblings of a star." They were stars in their own right, and their lives ended in a sequence so surreal it feels like a plot point from a dark Victorian novel.
The Secret Shares and the Silent Pact
Carly often described her sisters as the "co-keepers of each other’s memories." Imagine that for a second. You spend eighty years building a life, and the only people who truly know the "you" before the fame are your sisters. Then, within 24 hours, that collective memory bank is almost entirely wiped out.
In October 2022, the music world went quiet for a moment. Joanna Simon, the eldest, died of thyroid cancer at 85. Just one day later—literally the very next day—Lucy Simon, the middle sister, passed away from metastatic breast cancer at 82.
Carly was left as the last one standing.
It’s the kind of grief that doesn’t just hurt; it disorients. Their younger brother, Peter, a famed photographer, had already died in 2018. The "direct offspring" of Richard Simon (the co-founder of Simon & Schuster) were suddenly down to one.
Joanna Simon: The Opera Star Who Dated Walter Cronkite
Joanna was the formidable one. While Carly was struggling with a stutter and stage fright, Joanna was out there conquering the opera world with a "smoky" mezzo-soprano that could stop a heart.
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She wasn't just some socialite singing in a parlor. We’re talking professional debuts at the New York City Opera as Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro. She performed with the Vienna Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic.
But here’s the thing about Joanna: she was restless.
After she retired from the stage, she didn't just sit in a penthouse. She pivoted to journalism. She became an arts correspondent for PBS's MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour and actually won an Emmy for a report on bipolar disorder and creativity. She was also the long-time companion of news legend Walter Cronkite in his final years.
Basically, she lived three lives in the time most of us live half of one.
Lucy Simon: The Woman Who Wrote the Soundtrack to Your Childhood
If Joanna was the high-culture icon, Lucy was the melodic soul. Before Carly was a solo force, she and Lucy were "The Simon Sisters."
They were a folk duo in Greenwich Village during the early '60s. You’ve maybe heard their hit "Wynken, Blynken and Nod"? That was Lucy’s composition. They’d open for big acts, two sisters harmonizing in a way only people with the same DNA can.
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But Lucy eventually stepped back to start a family. When she returned, she didn't just come back to folk; she went for the juggernaut that is Broadway.
- The Secret Garden: Lucy composed the music for this legendary musical. She was only the third woman to ever compose a Broadway show.
- The Grammys: She won two for children’s albums (In Harmony and In Harmony 2).
- Doctor Zhivago: She spent years bringing this epic to the stage.
She was a "nurturing soul," according to her daughter Julie, but she was also a fighter. She worked on new musical projects even as her Stage 4 cancer progressed. She refused to stop creating until the very end.
The Competitive Love of the Simon House
You can't talk about an older sister Carly Simon looked up to without talking about the pressure of the Simon household. Their father, Richard, was a publishing titan. Their mother, Andrea, was a civil rights activist.
The house in Riverdale was a revolving door for the 1950s elite. George Gershwin played their piano. Jackie Robinson was a family friend.
In that environment, you didn't just "do" music; you mastered it. There was a lot of love, but there was also a shadow. Carly has been open about her struggles with anxiety, and part of that stemmed from trying to find her own voice alongside sisters who were already so established.
Joanna was the "serious" artist. Lucy was the "sweet" one. Carly had to find the space in between.
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What This Means for Carly's Legacy Now
When we look back at Carly’s career, we have to see it through the lens of these two women. They weren't just backups. They were the architects of her ambition.
Carly’s statement after their deaths was haunting: "I have no words to explain the feeling of suddenly being the only remaining direct offspring."
It’s a heavy mantle. But if you listen to her music—really listen—you hear the echoes of Lucy’s folk harmonies and the dramatic weight of Joanna’s operatic influence. They are baked into the songs.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
If you want to truly understand the Simon family tree beyond the tabloids, here is how to dive deeper:
- Listen to "The Simon Sisters" early recordings: Find the 1964 version of "Wynken, Blynken and Nod." You’ll hear a version of Carly you didn't know existed.
- Watch Joanna’s PBS work: Her Emmy-winning report on creativity and mental illness is a masterclass in empathetic journalism.
- Spin the Cast Recording of "The Secret Garden": Listen to "Lily’s Eyes." That’s Lucy Simon’s genius at its peak.
- Read "Boys in the Trees": Carly’s memoir gives the most visceral, honest look at the complex, sometimes painful, but always deep bond between these three women.
The story of the Simon sisters is a reminder that even in the brightest spotlight, the most important audience is often the one sitting at the dinner table with you.