Carly Simon Suffered Heartbreak & Tragedy After Losing Both Of Her Sisters One Day Apart

Oct 04, 2023 by apost team

Carly Simon has one of the most distinctive voices in rock music. Rising to fame in the 1970s, Carly was part of the folk music duo The Simon Sisters, along with her late older sister, Lucy Simon.

After releasing three albums with her sister, the two parted ways, and Carly found success as a solo artist. She went on to become the rock music icon that she is today. In 1971, she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, thanks to her self-titled debut album. It also earned her a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her song "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be."

She released her second album, “Anticipation,” which saw even greater commercial success. Her career took off on a global scale with the release of her third album, “No Secrets,” in 1972, which instantly became a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart for five weeks and was certified as Platinum in the United States. 

The album was monumental as it birthed her most iconic song to date – “You’re So Vain.” The song was an instant hit and lasted three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, earning her three Grammy Award nominations, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. 

While her success in her music career has been nothing short of joyful memories and triumphs, the opposite can be said about what happened to Carly when she suffered heartbreak and loss in October 2022. Sadly, Carly lost her two sisters one day apart from cancer. Keep on reading to learn more about Carly and her sisters. 

Carly had two sisters – Lucy and Joanna. Lucy was the second among the three sisters as she was born in May 1940 in New York City. She formed the folk duo The Simon Sisters with Carly, but they eventually drifted apart and pursued solo careers. 

Lucy was best known as a composer for the Broadway musical, “The Secret Garden,” based on Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1991 novel and was received positively by critics. She earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Original Score for it. She also worked on the musical “Doctor Zhivago” in 2011. 

“Lucy and I taught ourselves guitar (three chords each) and hitchhiked up to Provincetown, MA in the summer of '64. We sang at a local bar called The Moors. Our repertoire consisted of folk music, peppered with a few of our own brand-new compositions - the most famous and delightful of which was my sister's musical interpretation of Eugene Field's 'Wynken, Blinken and Nod',” Carly said on her website, talking about her older sister Lucy. 

Joanna, on the other hand, was Carly and Lucy’s eldest sister and was born in June 1936, also in New York City. Similarly, Joanna pursued a career in the arts. Unlike Lucy and Carly, she pursued classical music, and she performed with various prestigious opera companies and orchestras, earning acclaim for her soprano vocal talents.

Joanna was famous in the world of Opera as she performed on national and international stages and garnered critical acclaim from critics and fans alike. She was highly regarded for her expressive and powerful singing at the time. 

apost.com

Sadly, in October 2022, Lucy and Joanna passed away one day apart from each other. Lucy was 82 and Joanna was 85 when they passed away. 

According to Fox News Digital at the time, Lucy died on Oct. 20, 2022, from metastatic breast cancer, while Joanna died on Oct. 19, 2022, a day apart after succumbing to thyroid cancer.  

"I am filled with sorrow to speak about the passing of Joanna and Lucy Simon. Their loss will be long and haunting," Carly shared in a statement that People Magazine had obtained at the time. "As sad as this day is, it's impossible to mourn them without celebrating their incredible lives that they lived. We were three sisters who not only took turns blazing trails and marking courses for one another, we were each other's secret shares. The co-keepers of each other's memories."

At 80, Carly witnessed the death of her siblings. Notably, their younger brother Peter Simon died in 2018 at 71 years old, suffering from lung cancer. 

"I have no words to explain the feeling of suddenly being the only remaining direct offspring of Richard and Andrea Simon," she continued her statement, noting that her sisters had "touched everyone they knew and those of us they've left behind will be lucky and honored to carry their memories forward."

On Nov. 2, 2022, Carly posted her last photo together with her sisters. 

“The last photo of Lucy, Joey, and me together. Memorializing the heartbreaking loss I feel today,” she captioned the memorable photo. 

Condolences on her sisters have poured on Carly’s Instagram account at the time. 

“I am so very sorry for your heartbreaking loss of your beloved sisters. Prayers ❤️,” a user commented. 

“I’m so sorry for the loss of your two sisters, Lucy & Joey. 🤍🙏🏼🕊️,” a fan wrote. 

Are you a fan of Carly Simon? What can you say about the deaths of her sisters? Wasn’t it heartbreaking to witness Carly’s sisters die almost on the same day? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other Carly Simon fans!