Carly Simon is saying goodbye to a dear family friend.
The iconic musician, 82, shared an emotional Instagram tribute on Wednesday, Jan. 21 to mourn the loss of her godson John Forté, a fellow musician who she said was her sonBenTaylor‘s “closest friend.”
A Grammy-nominated musician, Forté was found dead at his Massachusetts home on Monday, Jan. 12. He was 50 years old and just a week and a half away from turning 51.
Sharing a photo of Forté playing music while surrounded by a small crowd on a boat, Simon reflected on some of her favorite memories with her late friend, who lived with her in her family home on Martha’s Vineyard during the summer of 2001.
The “You’re So Vain” singer recalled that Forté had been “under house arrest” at the time, a situation that “would inspire both of us in our writing that summer,” Simon said.
Forte had been arrested in 2000 and charged with possession of liquid cocaine and drug trafficking. He was initially sentenced to 14 years in prison, but his sentence was later commuted by then-President George W. Bush in 2008.
“Time passed, John went away for 7 years to serve an undeserved sentence. The songs, letters, and poems which he wrote while incarcerated are some of the most searing and beautiful words put into song that I have ever heard,” Simon continued in her heartfelt post on Wednesday. “They will be listened to for a very long time. His two children will fall in love with their Daddy in a way, heartbroken, having been too young at the time of their father’s death.”
Forté was a father to two young children with wife Lara Fuller: daughters Wren, 8, and Haile, 5.
Simon continued in her tribute, “On Sunday, I listened to what I thought was the full collection of his commercially available music. Some of them were co-written with Ben. Some are love songs. Some are rebellious. Some are stabbing; some are gentle. Most of them made me cry.”
“When Instagram started to fill with posts from people who knew and loved him, I was moved to see just how many admiring fellow artists, friends and fans were affected by generous personality and spirit,” Simon added, noting that she is “grateful” for the time Forté got to live as a “free man.”
“There is so much more to say. For now, I feel a deep bond with those who share with me and his family this love and pain,” Simon’s post concluded.
Related: Paul McCartney Mourns the Loss of ‘Great Musician’ Who Was an ‘Inspiration’
This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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