Facebook.com/OfficialArtGarfunkelPageArt Garfunkel's return from the vocal troubles that sidelined him from performing for more than two years hasn't exactly gone as smoothly as he'd hoped.  After playing his first scheduled show this year, an August 11 gig in Williamstown, Massachusetts, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee had to postpone a bunch of subsequent concerts because of what he describes as a severe cold.  Now, Garfunkel, who recently released an acclaimed two-CD compilation titled, simply, The Singer, is ready to get back out on the road.

"I have a lot of fall work that I'm excited to do, more than excited," the 70-year-old folk-rock legend notes in a recent interview with ABC News Radio.  "I'm a nervous, restored performer who wants to prove to myself and the audience that this is my life."

First up for Garfunkel is a trio of shows scheduled in Sweden this week as part of a concert series called Night of the Proms.  The singer explains that one of his old promoters began the series about two decades ago, and he was among the first stars to serve as a headliner.

"He's very personally grateful that I helped him get off to a big formula that he's made a whole career out of," he points out.  "And here it is, 20 years later, and I'm gonna work for him in Stockholm."

After that, Garfunkel has a run of U.S. dates lined up, beginning with an October 5 appearance in Morristown, New Jersey.

While the veteran artist admitted in recent interviews that his vocal struggles have forced him to face the possibility that he may have give up his performing career, it's something he's very loathe to do.

"I don't know who I am if I'm not a singer, you know?" he stresses.  "I've been a singer since I was five.  It's a very important part of my core, my identity…To carry on is to sing." 

The Singer is a career-spanning collection that features highlights from Garfunkel's work with Paul Simon, selections from his many solo albums and two brand-new tunes recorded earlier this year.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio