What didn't you already know about Rod Stewart? A full biography of the legendary artist

Rod Stewart - is a legendary artist, an icon of the British pop and rock scene. He is a talented songwriter and performer who has won the hearts of millions with his charisma and distinctive, instantly recognisable vocals. Stewart is known as one of the most commercially successful artists in history, with a conservative estimate of over 250 million copies of records all over the world! His albums and singles have reached the prestigious top of the American charts. Billboard Hot 100and in 2016 the man was knighted for his services to music and his charity work. But what is behind all these high-profile achievements? Here is the fascinating story of Rod Stewart's life and success.

Early years

Roderick David "Rod" Stewart came into the world 10 January 1945. in London, in a family of labourers. His father, Robert Joseph Stewarthe was Scottish, and his mother Elsie - an Englishwoman. Stuart was born during the Second World War and was the youngest of five children. The Stuart couple were hardly rich, but they were certainly not poor: as a child Rod was quite spoilt and, in his own words, his childhood was "fantastically happy". He was a diligent student and his favourite hobby was modelling railways. The family loved footballand it's no wonder Rod took to the sport and excelled at it! And there was always music playing in the Stuart household.....

It was basically an American pop singer Al Jolson. As a teenager, Rod was his fan: the guy reviewed all the films with his participation and collected all the records of his idol! As a result, he was influenced by his performing style.

Growing up and learning about music

Before he became a cult star, Stuart dropped out of high school at the age 15 years and worked many jobs, including gravedigger. At the same time, Rod sincerely wanted to become a professional footballer, but fate turned out differently.

The introduction to rock 'n' roll came when Rod heard them singing. Little Richard и Bill Haley. Then his father bought the enthusiastic boy his first guitar, and it happened. in January 1959 years. Rod soon learnt his first song and early in the new decade joined the school band "Kool Kats.".

Musical groups

Today. Rod Stewart is known as a talented and successful solo performer, but he did not start his journey alone. The first significant springboard to the Olympus for him was the band of the influential guitar virtuoso Jeff Beck. As part of it, Stewart also befriended future . "Rolling Stone" Ronnie Wood.! Jeff and Rod's creative ties were severed in the late 60's, after which Wood, who had been sacked by the former, invited his colleague to join the band with him "The Faces".

Along with Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan. и Kenny Jones they played blues-rock, which eventually awakened Stewart's long-standing interest in rhythm and blues. In the early '70s. "The Faces" were incredibly popular in the UK, and some of their recordings from that period are still highly regarded today. But despite their success and popularity, Stuart's soul lay in his solo work. So, in 1971, a record was released. "Every Picture Tells A Story" with the cult hit "Maggie May."which launched Stewart's prolific career as a solo artist.

Solo career

In 1975, Rod Stewart moved to the United States. A year later, he was already at the top of the US charts with the hit song "Tonight's the Night" from the album "A Night on the Town". The music video for the song is still popular: the number of views on YouTube has surpassed the mark 15 million.

In 1978, he released another smash hit - "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?". Stewart released slick pop music until the mid-'80s, and his reputation as an avid party boy was fuelled by endless parties and affairs with models and actresses.

Unlike the '70s, the '80s proved to be a rather difficult period for Rod. Following the platinum "Tonight I'm Yours" 1981 albums were not commercially successful as such. It was not until the end of the decade, when Stewart presented a remake of the famous hit, that the artist had a white streak Tom Waits' "Downtown Train.".

In 1993, Stewart cemented his success with a live album "Unplugged...and Seated."which contained the hit "Have I Told You Lately".

The early noughties presented fans with a bold experiment in the form of the "It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook.". The singer took the risk of taking well known classics, breathing a second life into them and making them his signature pieces!

Later years and family

From 2002 to 2010, Stewart released a string of music albums "The Complete Great American Songbook Volumes"! He subsequently toured extensively and won numerous awards before returning to writing original material in 2013. A perfect example of this period is the disc "Time."which went platinum in the UK and set a new record! However, the joy of triumph and success was overshadowed by personal adversity.

In the early 2000s, Stewart was diagnosed thyroid cancer. The surgery significantly reduced the quality of his voice, which meant Rod had to re-learn how to sing. In 2019, the singer was given another terrible diagnosis: prostate cancer. Immediate treatment began. But not only health problems marred the life of the musician. Rod Stewart is widely known not only for his music, but also for a huge number of his novels! So, the artiste has eight children from five mothers! And the most active follower of his father's rock 'n' roll lifestyle became Shawnwhose mother is an actress and model. Alana Stewart.

In the autumn of 2002, Sean was sentenced to three months in prison for assaulting a man outside a restaurant in Los Angeles. The guy was ordered not only to pay compensation, but also to attend anger management and addiction treatment courses. However, his violent temper made itself felt in 2020. That's when the 39-year-old Shawn went to jail with his father. Stewart Sr. was charged with assault. The incident was eventually hushed up.

Interesting facts

• Rod Stewart is a car collector. In his garage there are both expensive modern and respectable models of the last century. The collection is augmented "Ferrari Enzo, Porsche. and other brands.
• У Stuart there were a lot of women, and consequently a lot of divorces. He even joked once: "Instead of remarrying, I'll find a woman I don't like and just give her a house.".
• The artiste's condition is estimated at £215 million for 2021. This makes Stewart the 12th richest person in the British music industry.