He then moved to Paris where he enrolled in university and in a preparatory class at the lycée Voltaire to gain a place at the IDHEC.

He retired from live concerts in 1977 but continued to release successful albums displaying a wide range of musical influences.

In his later career, Simon continued to compose music, but at a less regular rate, preferring to devote more time to his writing.

He told the story of Afghan women imprisoned by the Taliban in Kabul in Les Souffrantes and defended the criminal Florence Rey in Pardonnez.

In July 2007, he reappeared on the live music scene after 30 years of absence at Francofolies de La Rochelle, and then at Spa.

On 12 March 2008, he played at the Olympia, giving a concert of more than two hours, mainly made up of the songs on his most recent album but also including classics such as Amazoniaque, J’ai rêvé New York, Diabolo menthe and Au pays des merveilles de Juliet.

He paid homage to his influences: Georges Brassens, Serge Gainsbourg, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.

[4] In 2018 he released Génération(s) éperdue(s), a double album made up in part of his concert at the Olympia, and finished by his covers of the biggest hot songs of the new generation: Christine and the Queens, Woodkid, Clou, Flavien Berger, SoKo, Moodoid, Juliette Armanet, Lilly Wood and the Prick, Radio Elvis.

[4] He was in a relationship with comedian Pascale Rocard, before until 2015 being with painter, photographer and actress Patrice-Flora Praxo, to whom he devoted the songs La Métisse and Patrice on his album Rumeurs.