SNL50: The Anniversary Special is billed to be a star-studded affair, and it opened on Sunday with some big guns: Sabrina Carpenter joined Paul Simon to perform a tender rendition of Simon and Garfunkel’s 1966 classic, “Homeward Bound.”
Before launching into the song that appears on the duo’s third studio album — Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme — Simon told Carpenter, “I sang this song with George Harrison on SNL in 1976.” Carpenter cheekily responded with, “I was not born then… and neither were my parents.” That didn’t hold her back from beautifully harmonizing with Simon and trading verses with him as he gently plucked the melody on an acoustic guitar.
They ended with the famous line: “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!” (Yes, it’s Sunday, but totally appropriate given the 50th anniversary celebration its marking).
The special is set to feature other musical guests, including Paul McCartney, Bad Bunny, and Miley Cyrus. It will also feature an array of stars, including alumni Kristen Wiig, Adam Sandler, Eddie Murphy, Will Farrell, Amy Poehler, Andy Samberg, Chris Rock, Fred Armisen, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, Jason Sudeikis, Jimmy Fallon, Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson, Laraine Newman, Maya Rudolph, Molly Shannon, Pete Davidson, Seth Meyers, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, and Will Forte. Plus fan-favorite previous hosts like Dave Chappelle, Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Tom Hanks.
Watch Paul Simon and George Harrison perform “Homeward Bound” on SNL in 1976:
