Tom & Jerry "Hey Schoolgirl"

A compliment can go a long, long way. A really long way. 50-plus years long.

Just think about the story below. Then think about the kid (or co-worker, or friend, or parent) in your life, who could benefit from some simple, straightforward acknowledgement.

"(He) remembers the time his father first heard him singing to himself in his room, and peeked in: 'That's nice, (Son). You have a nice voice' . . . The compliment was enough to make (him) think he really might want to become a singer."

The boy? Paul Simon.

I was doing a little research, ahead of playing some Simon on the air, when I came across that story, found in Marc Eliot's "Paul Simon: A Life."

Simon turned 70 years old yesterday. He's one of our greatest living songwriters.

This early Simon & Garfunkel tune (when they were billed as Tom & Jerry) may not have indicated to the world that there was a legend in the making.

But a simple compliment from a trusted voice, made all the different.


Hear the song on Youtube.