This Day in 1995: James Taylor and Carly Simon Reunite

22 years ago today, Martha’s Vineyard played host to a reunion that some might well have said would never have happened outside of a wedding or funeral, getting a former music power couple back onstage to croon a few tunes together.

Despite divorcing more than a decade earlier (they announced their split in 1981 and finalized it in 1983), James Taylor and Carly Simon continued to maintain separate residences in the same place: Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Both developed strong ties to the area, and when the Agricultural Society of the area came to them individually and asked if they’d be agreeable to participating in a benefit concert called Livestock ’95, both Taylor and Simon agreed, thereby providing fans with their first live performance together in 16 years.

From The Christian Science Monitor:

“Taylor sang first, backed by a seven-man band and three singers. He shifted easily between his trademark gentle songs and the energy needed for ‘Copperline’ and ‘Shower the People.’ Then as the crowd roared, he said, ‘Let’s get Carly out here.’ She bounded on stage, her 500-watt smile beaming as the two friends embraced. She sang ‘Anticipation,’ and half the audience knew the words. She dedicated the next song, ‘Nobody Does It Better,’ to Taylor, saying, ‘I honestly feel this way about him.’”

Entertainment Weekly put it best when describing the former couple’s performance: “The two danced cheek to cheek in front of another wildly cheering crowd during their signature duet, ‘Mockingbird’ – and for a moment, it seemed the way they always heard it should be.”