Musical duo Simon & Garfunkel recently had emotional reunion after years of silence

The sound of silence, no more: Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, who as folk duo Simon & Garfunkel were one of the most popular American musical acts of the 20th century, recently reunited after years without speaking.

During an interview this month with British newspaper The Times, Garfunkel said that he and his former musical partner recently had an emotional conversation over lunch, calling it the "first time we'd been together in many years."

"I looked at Paul and said, 'What happened? Why haven't we seen each other?' Paul mentioned an old interview where I said some stuff. I cried when he told me how much I had hurt him," said 83-year-old Garfunkel.

"Looking back, I guess I wanted to shake up the nice guy image of Simon & Garfunkel. Y'know what? I was a fool!"

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Simon & Garfunkel became critical and commercial darlings in the 1960s with a string of hits including The Sound of Silence, Mrs. Robinson, Homeward Bound and America.

They released their final album Bridge Over Troubled Water in 1970 and broke up that same year.

The split was acrimonious, with some speculating that Simon wanted to assert more creative control over his musical output, while Garfunkel wanted a break from music to pursue an acting career.

Simon went on to have a successful solo career with albums like Graceland and Still Crazy After All These Years. Garfunkel famously worked as a math teacher in the early '70s before pursuing a solo career of his own.

The possibility of a reunion, new music

During the Times interview, Garfunkel said he and Simon have made plans to meet again soon. "Will Paul bring his guitar? Who knows," the vocalist said.

"For me, it was about wanting to make amends before it's too late. It felt like we were back in a wonderful place. As I think about it now, tears are rolling down my cheeks. I can still feel his hug."

The two reunited on and off over the years, including for a massive 1981 concert in New York's Central Park, and again in 2003 for a reunion concert tour named after their song, Old Friends.

But they've long had a tumultuous relationship, which has sometimes involved trading barbed insults in public. In a 2015 interview, for example, Garfunkel called Simon "a monster with a Napoleon complex."

The last time they performed together was at a 2010 American Film Institute event honouring director Mike Nichols, whose 1967 film The Graduate featured a soundtrack by Simon & Garfunkel.

Garfunkel's musician son, Art Garfunkel Jr., said during the same interview that he thinks "there is a possibility" of a musical reunion between Simon & Garfunkel.

"I'm speaking hypothetically here, but maybe a big TV [or] charity event," said Junior.

"And with a bit of encouragement from their peers in the music industry, that could lead to some new material. A new generation discovering the beautiful music they make together."