Art Garfunkel Jr. and “Across America” – 30 Years Since the Television Broadcast
On October 14, 1996, “Art Garfunkel: Across America” was broadcast for the first time on the Disney Channel. For Art Garfunkel Jr., the television special is connected to a special moment from his childhood. In April 1996, he was five years old and present during the recordings on Ellis Island in New York. In connection with the project, he also participated in the official music video for “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy).”
“Across America” combines concert footage from Ellis Island with images from across the United States and personal stories about the journey Art Garfunkel undertook in stages across the country over several years. The concerts on April 12 and 13, 1996, marked the conclusion of this extraordinary endeavor. The television special provides insight into the musical performance as well as the personal experiences Art Garfunkel gathered along the way.
For Art Garfunkel Jr., the broadcast offers a glimpse into an early phase of his life when he was already coming into contact with his father’s musical productions. His involvement surrounding the recordings and the music video is a special part of this memory. Years later, he developed into a singer with his own musical career.
With his debut album Wie Du in 2021 and subsequent releases Evergreen and Father and Son, Art Garfunkel Jr. set his own musical accents. The joint album with his father in 2024 placed the connection between both artists at the center musically as well.
Thirty years after its initial premiere on the Disney Channel, “Across America” serves as a reminder of an early moment in Art Garfunkel Jr.’s childhood and his encounter with his father’s musical work at the time. From this early experience and his own later releases, a personal connection emerges between his childhood and his life as an artist today.
