Abbey Simon was born on 8 January 1920 in New York City, New York, USA. He was married to Dina Levinson. He died on 18 December 2019 in Geneva, Canton de Genève, Switzerland.
He studied at the Curtis Institute as a child prodigy. He won the Walter W. Naumburg Foundation piano competition, leading to a debut recital at Town Hall in Manhattan. He subsequently served in the Army.