Most of the celebrities who have poured out their feelings about Muhammad Ali over the last few days had a little time to absorb the news before they had to talk about it. That wasn't true for Paul Simon.

According to Rolling Stone, the singer was at a concert in Berkeley, California, which was part of the tour for his recently released album Stranger to Stranger.

Ali's death became public while Simon was on stage, and he took it upon himself to let the audience know.

Stopping mid-song, Simon told the crowd, "I'm sorry to tell you this way, but Muhammad Ali has passed away."

Simon chose a fitting track for breaking the news. He was singing the classic "The Boxer" when he made the revelation, transitioning from the announcement back into the lyric "In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade . . ."