The star-studded “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” opened with a moving duet from Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon.
The pair performed “Homeward Bound” to start the Sunday night special, which Simon played on the show in 1976 with George Harrison. Carpenter quipped that she wasn’t born then — and neither were her parents.
Simon wrote the song during his time in Simon & Garfunkel; it debuted on the duo’s 1966 album “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.”
After the performance, Simon and Carpenter said the iconic show-opening line, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”
Carpenter made her “Saturday Night Live” debut on the Season 49 finale on May 18, 2024, where she performed her hit “Espresso” and both “Feather” and “Nonsense.” Additionally, she appeared in a “Scooby-Doo” sketch. She also appeared later in “SNL50” in the night’s Domingo sketch.
Simon has had a long history with “Saturday Night Live,” hosting the show four times and performing music 13 times.
“SNL50” is a hugely-star studded affair, with appearances from cast members through the years including Martin Short, Steve Martin, Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, Kenan Thompson, Fred Armisen and many more. Musical guests also include Lil Wayne and The Roots, Paul McCartney and more.
Prior to this live special, the series celebration included “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night”, a four-part documentary about the making of the show, as well as a doc about the music called “Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music.” On Friday, Peacock aired a livestream of “SNL50: The Homecoming Concert,” which took place at Radio City Music Hall.
Watch a clip of the performance below.
Watch the 1976 performance with Simon and Harrison below.
