Rod Stewart
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2008-07-15T16:02:05Z
Jaysweet
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/Pink!Teen|Pink!Teen]] ([[User talk:Pink!Teen|talk]]) to last version by Angelastic
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| Name = Rod Stewart
| Img = Rod stewart 05111976 12 400.jpg
| Img_capt = Rod Stewart in [[Oslo]] 1976<br />Photo: Helge Øverås
| Img_size = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels. Set the value as a number without "px". -->
| Landscape =
| Background = solo_singer
| Birth_name = Roderick David Stewart
| Alias = Rod the Bod<br/>Rod the Mod
| Born = {{birth date and age|1945|01|10}}
| Died =
| Origin = [[London]], [[England]]
| Instrument = [[Singing|Vocals]], [[guitar]], [[banjo]], [[harmonica]]
| Genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[pop music|pop]], [[blues-rock]]
| Occupation = [[Singer-songwriter]], [[musician]]
| Years_active = 1962-Present
| Label = [[Vertigo Records]]<br/>[[Mercury Records]]<br/>[[Riva Records]]<br/>[[Warner Bros. Records]]<br/>[[Atlantic Records]]<br />[[J Records]]
| Associated_acts = [[The Faces]]<br>[[The Jeff Beck Group]]
| URL = [http://www.rodstewart.com/ RodStewart.com]
| Notable_instruments =
}}
'''Roderick "Rod" David Stewart''', [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (born [[January 10]], [[1945]]), is a [[singer]] and [[songwriter]] born and raised in [[London]], [[England]] and currently residing in [[Epping]]. He has [[Scotland|Scottish]] and [[England|English]] parentage.
With a distinctive, raspy voice, Stewart came to prominence in the late 1960s and early '70s with [[The Jeff Beck Group]] and then [[The Faces]] and began a solo career in 1969, with his debut album ''[[An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down]]''.
With his career in its fifth decade, Stewart has achieved numerous hit singles worldwide, most notably in the UK, where he has garnered six consecutive number one albums and his tally of 62 hit singles include 24 that reached the top 10, six of which gained the number one position. It has been estimated that Stewart's album and single sales total more than 250 million,<ref>[http://www.barrystickets.com/concert-tickets/rod-stewart-tickets.php] Barry's Tickets; Accessed December 2006; Claims 250 million records</ref> earning him a place on the [[list of best-selling music artists]]. His biggest-selling song was the 1978 [[disco]] hit "[[Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?]]", which was atypical of his earlier output, marking the beginning of a blatantly commercial era for Stewart, and which actually damaged his credibility amongst many critics and longtime fans.<ref>[http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:3vfixvq5ld0e Mason, Stewart, "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"] from [[Allmusic]].com</ref>
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== Biography ==
=== Early life ===
Stewart was born the youngest of five children in [[Archway, London|Archway]], [[North London]], [[England]] to parents Robert and Elsie Stewart, who ran a [[newsagent]].<ref name="BBC04">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3964169.stm Enduring career of Rod the Mod]. BBC News, 29 October 2004</ref> Rod was the first of his siblings (two brothers, two sisters) to be born in England after the family moved from Scotland. He attended the [[Fortismere School|William Grimshaw School]] in [[Hornsey]].<ref> Dafydd Rees & Luke Crampton,''Q Encyclopedia of Rock Stars'', (1996), Dorling Kindersley, ISBN 0-7513-0393-3</ref>
The Stewart family were great fans of the singer [[Al Jolson]] and would sing and play his hits. Rod collected his records, read books about him and was influenced by his performing style<ref name="VisualDoc"> ''Rod Stewart the Visual Documentary'' by John Gray, (1992), Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-2906-8</ref>. He decided to take up guitar at the age of eleven and joined a skiffle group with schoolfriends called the Kool Kats<ref name="VisualDoc"/>, playing [[Lonnie Donegan]] and [[Chas McDevitt]] hits.
=== 1960–1969 ===
After he left school Rod Stewart worked briefly as a [[screen printing|silk screen printer]]<ref name="VisualDoc"/>. He also had trials with [[Association football|football]] clubs including [[Brentford F.C.|Brentford]] (based in [[London#West London|West London]]).<ref name="BBC04"/> He then worked as a grave digger<ref>[http://www.spinner.com/2007/04/27/20-worst-pre-rock-star-jobs-no-7/ 20 Worst Pre-Rock Star Jobs: No. 7 - Spinner.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, fence erector and sign writer. He was also an active supporter of [[CND]] at this time. He joined protest marches to [[Aldermaston]] and was arrested when he took part in sit ins for the cause <ref name="VisualDoc"/>. He soon switched to a career in music joining folk singer [[Wizz Jones]] in the early 1960s [[busking]] and travelling around Europe; this resulted in his being deported from [[Spain]] for [[vagrancy]].<ref name="BBC04"/>.
In the spring of 1962, he helped to found The [[Ray Davies]] Quartet, later known as the successful British band [[The Kinks]], as their lead singer. He performed with the group on at least one occasion, but was soon dropped due to complaints about his voice from then-drummer John Start's mother as well as musical and personality differences with the rest of the band. This has been denied by both Ray and Dave Davies; however he did play on a football team with Ray at that time.
After returning to [[London]] he also joined Jimmy Powell & the Five Dimensions in 1964 as a vocalist and [[harmonica]] player. Together they recorded a single for [[Pye Records]]. [[Long John Baldry]] discovered him drunk and [[busking]] for his train fare and invited him to join The Hoochie Coochie Men which recorded a single "[[Good Morning Little Schoolgirl]]", which failed to enter the charts. The Hoochie Coochie Men evolved into [[Steampacket]] featuring Stewart, Baldry, [[Julie Driscoll]], [[Brian Auger]], Mickey Waller and [[Rick Brown]]. Steampacket toured with [[the Rolling Stones]] and [[the Walker Brothers]] on tour in the summer of 1965. They also recorded tracks that weren't released as an album until 1970, after Stewart had become well known in musical circles. Stewart earned the nickname "Rod the Mod" during that period, as a result of his appearance in a 1965 BBC documentary on the [[Mod (lifestyle)|mod]] [[subculture]].
Steampacket broke up in early 1966 with Stewart joining Shotgun Express as lead vocalist with Beryl Marsden. Amongst the members of Shotgun Express were [[Mick Fleetwood]] and [[Peter Green (musician)|Peter Green]] (who would go on to form [[Fleetwood Mac]]), and [[Peter Bardens]]. Shotgun Express released one single before disbanding.
Stewart then joined the [[Jeff Beck Group]] as vocalist, where he first played with [[Ronnie Wood]]. In 1968 their first album ''[[Truth (album)|Truth]]'' became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic and the group toured extensively. The second album ''[[Beck-Ola (Cosa Nostra)|Beck-Ola]]'' also was a hit in 1969 but the group members had parted ways by the end of the year. Much of Stewart's sense of phrasing was developed during his time with the Jeff Beck Group.
=== 1969–1975 ===
The US band [[Cactus (band)|Cactus]] offered Stewart a job as lead singer but he and [[Ronnie Wood]] decided instead to join [[Faces (band)|Faces]] (the remnants of [[Small Faces]] after the departure of singer [[Steve Marriott]]).
Stewart also signed a solo recording contract with [[Mercury Records]]. ''[[An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down]]'' became his first solo album in 1969 (it was known as ''The Rod Stewart Album'' in the US). It established the template for his solo sound: a heartfelt mixture of [[folk music|folk]], [[rock music|rock]], and [[country blues]], inclusive of a British [[working-class]] sensibility, with both original material ("Cindy's Lament" and the title song) and cover versions ([[Ewan MacColl]]'s "[[Dirty Old Town]]" and [[Mike d'Abo]]'s "[[Handbags and Gladrags]]").
The Faces released their debut album ''[[First Step (album)|First Step]]'' in early 1970 with a rock and roll style similar to the Rolling Stones that was a major departure from the psychedelic-tinged pop of [[Small Faces]]. While the album did better in the UK than in the US, the Faces quickly earned a strong live following. Stewart released his second album, ''[[Gasoline Alley (album)|Gasoline Alley]]'' that autumn ([[Elkie Brooks]] later achieved a hit with a version of the title track in 1983). Rod's approach was similar to his first album, as exemplified by the title track; and [[mandolin]] was introduced into the sound. He then launched a solo tour.
Stewart sang guest vocals for the Australian group [[Python Lee Jackson]] on "In a Broken Dream" in 1970. His payment was a set of seat covers for his car. It was re-released in 1972 to become a worldwide hit.
[[Image:S168912.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The single cover to "Maggie May"]]Stewart's 1971 solo album ''[[Every Picture Tells a Story]]'' made him a household name when the B-side of his minor hit "[[Reason to Believe]]", "[[Maggie May]]", started receiving radio play. The album and the single hit number one in both the US and the UK simultaneously, a chart first, in September. A loss of innocence tale set off by a striking mandolin part (by Ray Jackson of [[Lindisfarne (band)|Lindisfarne]]), "Maggie May" was also named in [[The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's]] ''500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll'', which is one of three songs by him to appear on that list. The rest of the album was equally strong, with "Mandolin Wind" again showcasing that instrument; "[[(I Know) I'm Losing You]]" adding hard-edged [[soul music|soul]] to the mix; and "[[Tomorrow Is a Long Time]]", a cover of a [[Bob Dylan]] song. But the ultimate manifestation of the early Stewart solo style was the Stewart-Wood-penned "Every Picture Tells a Story" itself: powered by Mick Waller's drumming and a mostly acoustic arrangement, it is a fast, rocking, headlong romp relating the [[picaresque]] adventures of the singer.
The second Faces album, ''[[Long Player (album)|Long Player]]'', was released in early 1971 and enjoyed greater chart success than ''First Step''. The Faces also got their only US Top 40 hit with "Stay With Me" from their third album ''[[A Nod Is as Good as a Wink...To a Blind Horse]]'' released in late 1971. This album reached the Top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic on the back of the success of ''Every Picture Tells A Story''. Throughout this period there was a marked dichotomy between Stewart's solo and group work, the former being meticulously crafted while the latter tended towards the boozy and sloppy.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} [[Steve Jones (musician)|Steve Jones]] from [[The Sex Pistols]] regarded The Faces very highly and named them as a main influence on the British [[punk rock]] movement.{{Fact|date=June 2008}}
The Faces toured extensively in 1972 with growing tension in the band over Stewart's solo career enjoying more success than the band's. Stewart released ''[[Never a Dull Moment]]'' in the same year. Repeating the ''Every Picture'' formula for the most part, it reached number two on the US album charts and number one in the UK, and enjoyed further good notices from reviewers. "You Wear It Well" was a hit single that reached number 13 in the US and went to number one in the UK, while "Twisting the Night Away" made explicit Stewart's debt to [[Sam Cooke]].
For the body of his early solo work Stewart earned tremendous critical praise. ''[[Rolling Stone]]''’s 1980 ''Illustrated History of Rock & Roll'' includes this in its Stewart entry:
:Rarely has a singer had as full and unique a talent as Rod Stewart [...] a writer who offered profound lyricism and fabulous self-deprecating humour, teller of tall tales and honest heartbreaker, he had an unmatched eye for the tiny details around which lives turn, shatter, and reform [...] and a voice to make those details indelible. [... His solo albums] were defined by two special qualities: warmth, which was redemptive, and modesty, which was liberating. If ever any rocker chose the role of Everyman and lived up to it, it was Rod Stewart.
The Faces released their final album ''[[Ooh La La (album)|Ooh La La]]'' which reached number one in the UK and number 21 in the US in 1973. The band toured Australasia, Japan, Europe and the UK in 1974<ref name="nzentgrafwoodworks">{{cite web |last =Zentgraf |first=Nico |title=Woodworks 1957-1975 |url=http://www.nzentgraf.de/books/tcw/works1.htm|accessdate=2008-06-14 | }}</ref> to support the album and the single "Pool Hall Richard".
In late 1974 Stewart released his ''[[Smiler (album)|Smiler]]'' album, which proved to be a disappointment.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} In Britain, it reached number one, and the single "Farewell" number seven, but only number 13 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' pop album charts and the single "Mine for Me" only number 91 on the ''Billboard'' pop singles charts. ''Smiler'' is generally regarded as Stewart's weakest album of the 1970s;{{Fact|date=June 2008}} it was also his last original album for Mercury Records. After the release of the double album compilation ''The Best of Rod Stewart'' he switched to [[Warner Bros. Records]] and remained with them throughout the vast majority of his career.
In 1975 the Faces toured the US twice (with Ronnie Wood joining [[The Rolling Stones]]' US tour in between)<ref name="nzentgrafwoodworks"/> before Stewart announced the Faces' break-up at the end of the year.<ref name="tioos-chronicle75">{{cite web |last =McPherson |first=Ian |title=The Rolling Stones Chronicle: 1975 |url= http://www.timeisonourside.com/chron1975.html |accessdate=2008-06-14 | }}</ref>
=== 1975–1981 ===
In 1975, Rod Stewart moved to the US, applying for [[United States citizenship|citizenship]] due to his love affair with [[Britt Ekland]] and a fight with the [[Inland Revenue|UK tax authorities]]. He released the ''[[Atlantic Crossing]]'' album for his new record company, using producer [[Tom Dowd]] and a different sound based on the [[Muscle Shoals]] rhythm section. ''Atlantic Crossing'' marked both a return to form and a return to the Top 10 of the ''Billboard'' album charts. The first single, a cover of the [[Sutherland Brothers]] song "[[Sailing (Rod Stewart song)|Sailing]]", was a massive number one hit in the UK, but it only reached the Top 60 of the US charts. The single returned to the UK Top 10 a year later when used as the theme music for a [[BBC]] documentary [[Sailor (TV series)|series]] about ''[[HMS Ark Royal (R09)|HMS Ark Royal]]'', and having been a hit twice over became, and remains, Stewart's biggest-selling single in the UK. [[Holland-Dozier-Holland]] cover "This Old Heart Of Mine" was also a Top 100 hit in 1976. Musically ''Atlantic Crossing'' showed Stewart was clearly distinguishing his slow material (such as [[Danny Whitten]]'s wrenching "I Don't Want To Talk About It") from his largely by-the-numbers rockers (such as "Three Time Loser"). Additionally in 1976 Stewart covered the [[Beatles]] song “[[Get Back]]” for the ephemeral musical [[Documentary film|documentary]] ''[[All This and World War II]]''.
Later in 1976, Stewart topped the ''Billboard'' singles charts for eight weeks and the Australian singles charts with the glossy seduction ballad "Tonight's the Night", with a steamy accompanying [[music video]] featuring Ekland. It came from the ''[[A Night on the Town (Rod Stewart album)|A Night on the Town]]'' album, which went to number two on the ''Billboard'' album charts and was Stewart's first album to go platinum. By explicitly marking the album as having a "fast side" and a "slow side", Stewart continued the trend started by ''Atlantic Crossing''. "[[The First Cut Is the Deepest]]", a cover of a [[Cat Stevens]] song, went Top 30 in the US in 1977 and number one in the UK (even though "[[God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols)|God Save the Queen]]" by the [[Sex Pistols]] is widely believed to have sold more records in that week). "[[The Killing of Georgie]] (Part 1 and 2)", about the murder of a gay man, was also a Top 40 hit for Stewart during 1977.
''[[Foot Loose & Fancy Free]]'' from 1978 continued Stewart's run of chart success, again reaching number two and featuring much the same sound as from ''A Night on the Town''. "[[You're In My Heart]]" was the hit single, reaching number four in the US. The rocker "Hot Legs" achieved a lot of radio airplay as did the confessional "I Was Only Joking". In appearance, Stewart's look had evolved to include a [[glam rock|glam]] element, including make-up, spandex clothes and the like.
Stewart scored another UK number one and US number one single with "[[Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?]]" which was a crossover hit reaching number five on the ''Billboard'' black charts due to its [[disco]] sound. This was the lead single from 1979's ''[[Blondes Have More Fun|Blondes Have More Fun...or do they?]]'' which went to number one on the ''Billboard'' album charts and sold 4 million albums. It was to be Stewart's last number one album for 25 years.
There are two schools of critical thought about this whole period of Stewart's career. One is exemplified by the same 1980 Rolling Stone ''History'' entry quoted above, as it actually begins:
:Rarely has a singer had as full and unique a talent as Rod Stewart; rarely has anyone betrayed his talent so completely. Once the most compassionate presence in music, he has become a bilious self-parody — and sells more records than ever... full of the rewards he received for his work, and seemingly without noticing, he exchanged passion for sentiment, the romance of sex for a tease, a reach for mysteries with tawdry posturing...
The other school acknowledges that Stewart has never surpassed his earliest work, but states that by ''Never a Dull Moment'' and certainly ''Smiler'' it was clear that that formula had run dry, and that he needed to make a musical change in direction. Furthermore, Stewart's early solo work had inadvertently benefited from The Faces drawing off his less-inspired, straight-rocking party efforts; without The Faces around, this side of him became more manifest in his solo work. Given that, this view concludes that his albums during this period are not so bad and in particular ''Atlantic Crossing'' and ''A Night on the Town'' are more than occasionally inspired.
A focal point of this debate was "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?". To detractors, this was the epitome of Stewart's egotism and the nadir of his career. Supporters defend the music by saying this was Stewart's try at the disco sound, much in the same way as [[Paul McCartney]] did "[[Silly Love Songs]]" or The Rolling Stones did "[[Miss You]]". In interviews, Stewart, while admitting his accompanying look had become "tarty", has defended the lyrics by pointing out that the song is a [[third-person narrative]] slice-of-life portrayal, not unlike those in his earlier work, and that it is not about him. In any case, the song's refrain was identical to Brazilian [[Jorge Ben Jor]]'s earlier "Taj Mahal"; a lawsuit ensued. Stewart donated his royalties from the song to [[UNICEF]], and he performed it at the [[Music for UNICEF Concert]] at the [[United Nations General Assembly]] in 1979.
Rod moved a bit to a more [[New Wave music|New Wave]] direction in 1980 by releasing the album ''Foolish Behaviour''. Not very well received, the album produced one hit single in the song "Passion". In 1981, Stewart added further elements of New Wave and [[synth pop]] to his sound for the ''[[Tonight I'm Yours]]'' album. The title song and "Young Turks" both reached the Top 5 of the Billboard charts with the album going platinum.
In August 1981, [[MTV]] was launched in the US with several of Stewart's videos in heavy rotation.
On 18 December 1981, Stewart played the Los Angeles Forum, along with [[Kim Carnes]] and [[Tina Turner]]. This show was broadcast around the world to a television audience of 35 million.
=== 1982–2001 ===
Stewart's career then went into a relative slump, and his albums between ''Tonight I'm Yours'' (1981) and ''Out of Order'' (1988), received harsh criticism from many critics. He only had three Top 10 singles between 1982 and 1988, although "[[Baby Jane (song)|Baby Jane]]" became his sixth and final UK number one in 1983. The corresponding ''Camouflage'' album went gold in the UK, and the single ''Infatuation'' received considerable play on [[MTV]]. The second single "Some Guys Have All The Luck" reached #15 in the UK and #10 in the US. A reunion with Jeff Beck produced a successful take on [[Curtis Mayfield]]'s "[[People Get Ready (song)|People Get Ready]]", but an attempt to tour together fell apart after a few dates. He reached UK number two in 1986 with "Every Beat Of My Heart", a song designed to be of similar crowd-waving qualities to "Sailing".
In January 1985, he performed at the Rock 'n Rio Festival before an estimated audience of 100,000+. His outstanding performance during a stormy night was described by Stewart himself as “winning the world soccer championship”.
In 1988, he returned with ''Out Of Order'', produced by [[Duran Duran]]'s [[Andy Taylor (guitarist)|Andy Taylor]] and by [[Bernard Edwards]] of [[Chic (band)|Chic]]. "Forever Young" and "Lost in You" from that album were both significant hits on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and mainstream rock charts. ("Forever Young" was an unconscious revision of Bob Dylan's song of the same name; the artists reached an agreement about sharing royalties. The name of the child in the video is Alex Zuckerman.)
In January 1989, Rod set out on the [[South America]]n leg of the Out of Order Tour playing to sell-out audiences throughout South America. Audiences hung on every line, often prompting Rod and the band to stop and listen to the crowd, as it knew every word to every song. In Jalisco Stadium, [[Guadalajara, Jalisco]], [[Mexico]] April 12th, 80,000 people saw Rod's performance, in a show that's been held , in the last 20 years, as one of the greatest Rock Concerts ever in Mexico. In [[Buenos Aires]] the famed [[Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti|River Plate Stadium]], which seats 70,000+, was estimated to have had in attendance more than 90,000, with several thousand outside the stadium. Firehoses were sprayed on the crowd to avoid heat prostration, and the excitement was palpable.
Despite the rigours of traversing South America's questionable highway system with three separate convoys of equipment holding the million-dollar light show and stages (the loss of a truck in a landslide delayed one show in [[Brazil]]), the show went on with a gruelling schedule of performances. Venues in remote, seemingly desolate small towns would fill to standing-room-only capacity in the local soccer stadium, and ring the stadium in a sea of fans electrified by the music, the entertainer, and the fact that he was willing to perform for them.
Stewart's version of the [[Tom Waits]] song "Downtown Train" went to number two of the US singles charts in 1990. This song was taken from a four-CD compilation set called ''Storyteller''. The ''Vagabond Heart'' album continued his comeback with "Rhythm of My Heart" and "Motown Song" both reaching the Top 10. Also in 1990 he recorded "It Takes Two" with [[Tina Turner]] which reached number five on the UK charts.
In 1993, he recorded "All For Love" with [[Sting (musician)|Sting]] and [[Bryan Adams]] for the soundtrack to the movie ''[[The Three Musketeers (1993 film)|The Three Musketeers]]''; the single reached number one on the US charts.
Also in 1993, Stewart reunited with Ronnie Wood and a talented backup group to record an ''[[MTV Unplugged]]'' special. For the first time Stewart assembled a musical line-up whose instrumentation and musical approach could do justice to his earliest solo work. Highlights included a heartfelt "[[Handbags and Gladrags]]", a furious "[[Cut Across Shorty]]", and four selections from ''Every Picture Tells A Story''. The show also featured an acoustic version of [[Van Morrison]]'s "[[Have I Told You Lately]]" which topped the ''Billboard'' adult contemporary chart and went Top 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. A rendition of "[[Reason to Believe]]" also garnered considerable airplay. The ''Unplugged'' album reached number two on the ''Billboard'' album charts.
Stewart was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1994. On 31st December on the same year he played in front on 3.5 million people on [[Copacabana Beach]] in [[Rio]]. This became and still is the largest audience for a gig ever. It has been noted, however, that it was also [[New Year's Eve]].
In 1995, Stewart released ''[[A Spanner in the Works]]'' containing a single written by [[Tom Petty]] "Leave Virginia Alone" which reached the Top 10 of the adult contemporary charts. The latter half of the 1990s was not so commercially successful with ''If We Fall In Love Tonight'' not making much of an impression on the charts.
''[[When We Were the New Boys]]'', his final album on the [[Warner Bros.]] label released in 1998, contained versions of songs by [[Britpop]] acts such as [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]] and [[Primal Scream]], and reached number two on the UK album charts. In 2000, Stewart decided to leave [[Warner Bros. Records]] and moved to [[Atlantic Records]], another division of [[Warner Music Group]]. In 2001, he released his only album "''Human''" on the [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]] label. ''Human'' only just reached the Top 50 in 2001 with the single "I Can't Deny It" going Top 40 in the UK and Top 20 in the adult contemporary. Because of the poor sales, [[Atlantic Records]] dropped him from their roster and he signed to [[Clive Davis]]' new [[J Records]] label. Of note is that Rod was unable to promote ''Human'' properly due to a cancer diagnosis. Indeed, a second single from the album ''Run back into your arms'' was scheduled but never released.
''The Story So Far: the Very Best Of'', a greatest hits album compiled from his time at Warner Bros., went to the Top 10 in the UK and reached number one in places like Belgium and France in 2001.
The song ''Handbags and the Gladrags'' was used as the theme tune for the comedy [[The Office (UK TV series)|The Office]].
=== 2002—Present ===
In recent years Stewart has concentrated on singing 1930s and 1940s pop standards from the "[[Great American Songbook]]", written by songwriters such as [[Irving Berlin]], [[Cole Porter]], and [[George Gershwin]] and [[Ira Gershwin]], with great popular success but middling critical success. These albums have been released on [[Clive Davis|Clive Davis's]] [[J Records]] label and have seen Stewart enjoy album sales equal to the 1970s.
The first album from the songbook series, ''It Had to Be You ... The Great American Songbook'', reached number four on the US album chart, number eight in the UK and number ten in Canada when released in late 2002. The track [[These Foolish Things]] (which is actually a British, not American, song) reached number 13 on the ''Billboard'' adult contemporary charts and number two in Taiwan. "They Can't Take That Away From Me" went Top 20 on the world Internet charts and Top 30 on the adult contemporary charts.
The second series album, ''[[As Time Goes By: the Great American Songbook 2]]'', reached number two in the US, number four in the UK and number one in Canada. "[[Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered]]", a duet with [[Cher]] went Top 20 on the US adult contemporary charts and Top 5 in Taiwan. "Time After Time" was another Top 30 track on the US adult contemporary charts.
A [[musical theater|musical]] called [[Tonight's The Night (2003 musical)|Tonight's The Night]] featuring many of Stewart's songs opened [[November 7]], [[2003]] at [[London]]'s Victoria Palace theatre. It is written and directed by [[Ben Elton]], who previously created a similar production; ''[[We Will Rock You]]'', with music by [[Queen (band)|Queen]].
In 2004, Stewart reunited with Ronnie Wood for concerts of [[The Faces]] material. A Rod Stewart and the Faces best of ''Changing Faces'' reached the Top 20 of the UK album charts. ''Five Guys Walk Into A Bar'', a Faces box set compilation, went into the shops. Stewart has also mentioned working with Wood on an album to be entitled ''You Strum, I'll Sing''.
In late 2004, ''Stardust ... The Great American Songbook 3'', the third album in the series, was released. It was his first US number one album in 25 years, selling over 200,000 albums in its first week. It also debuted at number one in Canada, number three in the UK and Top 10 in Australia. His version of [[Louis Armstrong|Louis Armstrong's]] "What a Wonderful World", featuring [[Stevie Wonder]] has made the Top 20 of the world adult charts. He also recorded a duet with [[Dolly Parton]] for the album - "[[Baby, It's Cold Outside]]". Stewart won his first ever [[Grammy Award]] for this album.
October 18 2005 saw the release of the fourth and final songbook album. [[Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook 4]] it included duets with [[Diana Ross]] and [[Elton John]]. Within weeks of its release, the CD made it to number two on the Top 200 list.
In late 2006, Stewart made his return to rock music and his new approach to country music with the release of ''[[Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time]]'', a new album featuring rock and southern rock milestones from the last four decades, including a cover of [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]]'s "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" which was released as the first single. The album was released on [[October 10]]. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard charts with 184,000 copies in its first week. The number one debut was helped by a concert in NYC that was on MSN music and an appearance on Dancing With The Stars. He performed tracks from his new album Live from the Nokia Theater on October 9th. Control Room broadcast the event Live on MSN and in 117 movie theatres across the country via National CineMedia.
The [[BBC]] quoted in their Breakfast Show on 1 November 2006 that Rod Stewart is one of the top ten biggest-selling artists in recording history, with well over 250,000,000 records sold.
On 12 December, he performed for the first time at The Royal Variety Performance at The London Coliseum in front of HRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, singing another Cat Stevens number, "Father and Son", and the [[Bonnie Tyler]] song [[It's a Heartache]].
On 22 December 2006 Stewart hosted the 8th Annual ''A Home for the Holidays'' special on CBS at 8:00 PM (PST).
In 2007, Rod's son Sean starred in the A&E television show ''[[Sons of Hollywood]]'', in which Rod's role as a parent is a major theme. Rod Stewart performed "[[Sailing (Rod Stewart song)|Sailing]]" and "[[Baby Jane (song)|Baby Jane]]" plus "[[Maggie May]]" at the [[Diana's concert|memorial concert for Princess Diana]] in the same year.<ref name="BBC7">
"BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Old and new stars celebrate Diana"
BBC NEWS, July 2007, webpage:
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6259822.stm BBCNews22].
</ref>
On [[June 11]] 2008, Stewart announced that the Faces are discussing a reunion for at least one or two concerts.<ref name="wmtxRodinterview">{{cite web |title=It's Official: Faces Reunion |publisher=Mix 100.7 WMTX-FM |url= http://www.tampabaysmix.com/pages/nancyandchris.html?feed=278505&article=3814388 |accessdate=2008-06-14 | }}</ref>
== Personal life ==
In 1982, Rod Stewart was car-jacked in Los Angeles, California. The incident occurred while he was standing next to his $50,000 [[Porsche]] which was parked on [[Sunset Boulevard]] in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood]].
In 1999, Stewart was diagnosed with [[thyroid cancer]], for which he underwent surgery in July 2000. Besides being a major health scare, the resulting surgery also threatened his famous voice, and he had to re-learn how to sing.<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/02/03/stewart/ CNN.com - Entertainment - Rod Stewart's cancer battle - February 3, 2001<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Since then he has been active in raising funds for The City of Hope Foundation charity to find cures for all forms of cancer, especially those affecting children. <ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlight/2001-02-22-stewart-thyroid.htm USATODAY.com - Rod Stewart faces thyroid cancer<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Stewart has remained physically active in recent years, playing in a senior soccer league in Palos Verdes, California and still kicking [[football (ball)|balls]] into the audience during concerts. When discussing the rock 'n' roll excesses he has been through in his career, he maintains that his love of playing football has been his saviour. As a fan, he is a well-known supporter of [[Celtic F.C.]], which he mentions in his hit "You're in my Heart", and the [[Scotland national football team|Scotland national team]]. Rod is one of only two people to have a seat for life at Celtic Park, the other one being the comedian [[Billy Connolly]]. Stewart also follows Manchester United as his English side, and he explains his love affair with both the Celtic and Man U in Frank Worall's book Celtic United. He explains the meaning behind the line " You're Celtic, United, but baby I've decided You're the best team I've ever seen." In appearance, Stewart still maintains his trademark [[rooster]]-style haircut.
Stewart is also a keen [[model railway]] enthusiast, having a 23 x 124-foot HO scale [[model railroad layout|layout]] in his California home, model after the [[New York Central]] and the [[Pennsylvania Railroad|Pennsylvania]] Railroads during the 1940s, which has now made the pages of the December 2007 issue of ''[[Model Railroader]]'' Magazine. In it he said that he would rather be in a model railroading magazine than a music magazine, and his passion for the hobby has been blamed for contributing to the end of his second marriage.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/10/24/bbrod124.xml Rod Stewart is a model railway enthusiast - Telegraph<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He has a layout based on Britain's [[East Coast Main Line]] at his UK home. He is also known for owning one of the 400 [[Enzo Ferrari (car)|Enzo Ferrari]].
On [[October 11]], [[2005]], Stewart received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 2093 Hollywood Blvd.
On [[April 18]] and [[April 19]] [[2006]] Stewart was the guest artist and celebrity vocal coach on ''[[American Idol]]'', leading the remaining seven finalists in singing entries from the [[Great American Songbook]].
=== Relationships ===
Throughout his career Stewart has been known for his liaisons with attractive women (fathering seven children with five of them; the oldest being born in 1964 and his latest child being born in November 2005):
* '''1963-1964:''' [[Art]] student Susannah Boffey; one daughter Sarah Thubron Streeter (born 1964) who was put up for adoption in [[England]]
* '''1971-1975:''' [[Model (person)|Model]] Dee Harrington
* '''1975-1977:''' [[Actress]] [[Britt Ekland]]
* '''First marriage (1979-1984):''' to [[Alana Stewart|Alana Hamilton]] (ex-wife of actor [[George Hamilton (actor)|George Hamilton]]); one daughter [[Kimberly Stewart|Kimberly]] (born 1979) and one son [[Sean Stewart (reality TV star)|Sean Stewart]] (star of A&E's ''[[Sons of Hollywood]]'') (born 1980)
* '''1983-1990:''' [[Model (person)|Model]] [[Kelly Emberg]]; one daughter [[Ruby Stewart]] (born 1987)
* '''Second marriage (1990-2006):''' to [[model (person)|model]] [[Rachel Hunter]]; one daughter Renée Stewart (born 1992) and one son Liam Stewart (born 1994). Rod was quoted as saying that he'd rather have his [[penis]] cut off than cheat on her. They separated in 1999 and eventually divorced in 2006.*
'''Third marriage (2007-present):''' With his new [[wife]], [[model (person)|model]] [[Penny Lancaster|Penny Lancaster-Stewart]], he had his seventh child, a boy, Alastair Wallace Stewart, on [[27 November]] [[2005]]. The couple married on [[June 16]], [[2007]] on board the yacht ''Lady Ann Magee'' moored in the [[Italy|Italian]] port of [[Portofino]].<ref>[http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,4-2007270883,00.html Rod and Pen wed on his yacht | The Sun |HomePage|Showbiz|Bizarre<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
In reference to his many relationships, Rod Stewart was once quoted as saying, "Instead of getting married again, I'm going to find a woman I don't like and just give her a house." <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sundaystartimes/4252872a24815.html|title=Rod Stewart|last=Smithies|first=Grant |date=Sunday, 28 October 2007|publisher=Sunday Star Times|accessdate=2008-06-24}}</ref>
== Awards and recognition ==
[[Image:Rod Star.JPG|thumb|right|Rod Stewart star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]], February 2006]]
* Awarded CBE in 2007 New Year's Honours.
* [[Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album]], 2005, ''Stardust ... The Great American Songbook Volume III''
* ''Diamond Award'' of [[World Music Awards]] show for over 100 million records sold worldwide, 2001.
* Inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]], 1994
* Inducted into the [[UK Music Hall of Fame]], 2006
* "Bar none, he's the best singer I've heard in [[rock 'n' roll]]. He's also the greatest white [[soul music|soul]] singer." —[[Elton John]] on Rod Stewart
* "Is this a white guy? You are kidding me!!" [[Chuck Berry]] commented when asked what he thought about Rod's cover of [[Sweet Little Rock & Roller]] in an interview by the Belgian Rock magazine [[Humo]] in 1975.
* Rod Stewart played to the largest concert crowd ever, with 3.5 million fans in attendance. This was at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro for the 1994 New Year’s Eve celebrations.
*According to Stewart, soul legend [[James Brown]] called him music's "best white soul singer" in September 2006.<ref>[http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/entertainment/James+Brown-23437.html Brown Names Stewart 'best White Soul Singer'<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
== List of bands ==
During his career, Rod Stewart has been a member of a number of groups including:
* Jimmy Powell and the Five Dimensions (1963)
* The Hoochie Coochie Men, later called Steampacket (1964–1965)
* Soul Agents (1965-1966)
* Shotgun Express (1966)
* The Jeff Beck Group (1966–1969)
* Faces (1969–1975)
== Discography ==
{{main|Rod Stewart discography}}
=== UK/US number one albums ===
* 1971 ''[[Every Picture Tells a Story]]'' ( UK / US )
* 1972 ''[[Never a Dull Moment]]'' ( UK )
* 1973 ''[[Sing It Again Rod]]'' ( UK )
* 1974 ''[[Smiler (album)|Smiler]]'' ( UK )
* 1975 ''[[Atlantic Crossing]]'' ( UK )
* 1976 ''[[A Night on the Town (Rod Stewart album)|A Night on the Town]]'' ( UK )
* 1978 ''[[Blondes Have More Fun]]'' ( US )
* 1979 ''[[Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 (Rod Stewart)|Greatest Hits, Vol. 1]]'' ( UK )
* 2004 ''[[Stardust: the Great American Songbook 3]]'' ( US )
* 2006 ''[[Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time]]'' ( US )
=== UK/US number one singles ===
* 1971 "[[Maggie May]]" / "[[Reason to Believe]]" (UK/US)
* 1972 "[[You Wear It Well]]" (UK)
* 1975 "[[Sailing (Rod Stewart song)|Sailing]]" (UK)
* 1976 "[[Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)]]" (US)
* 1977 "[[I Don't Want to Talk About It]]" / "[[The First Cut Is the Deepest]]" (UK)
* 1978 "[[Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?]]" (UK, US)
* 1983 "[[Baby Jane (song)|Baby Jane]]" (UK)
* 1990 "[[Downtown Train]]" (US Adult Contemporary)
* 1990 "[[This Old Heart of Mine]]" with Ronald Isley (US Adult Contemporary)
* 1993 "[[All for Love (song)|All for Love]]" (US) (featuring [[Bryan Adams]] and [[Sting (musician)|Sting]], first appearing on the official soundtrack from the movie "[[The Three Musketeers (1993 film)|The Three Musketeers]]")
* 1993 "[[Have I Told You Lately]]" (US Adult Contemporary)
==References==
{{reflist}}
== See also ==
* [[Best selling music artists]]
* [[List of number-one hits (United States)]]
* [[List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (US)]]
* [[List of number-one dance hits (United States)]]
* [[List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart]]
==External links==
{{Commons|Rod Stewart}}
* [http://www.rodstewart.com/ Official Rod Stewart Website]
* [http://www.rodstewartfanclub.com/ Rod Stewart Fanclub]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBEAfr1lvBE/ Youtube - Rod Stewart - Young Turks]
* {{imdb name|0005465|Rod Stewart}}
* [http://music-city.org/discography.php?artist=Rod+Stewart Music City Rod Stewart Resources]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:4zaqoawabijn Rod Stewart] from the All Music Guide
* [http://music.msn.com/rodstewart?GT1=8715/ Full Rod Stewart Concert free on MSN Music] *[http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/music/muze/index.pl?site=totp2&action=biography&artist_id=28979&rand=034/ BBC Top Of The Pops Rod Stewart biography]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/derby/content/articles/2005/04/15/rod_stewart_biog_person_profile.shtml BBC Derby Profile]
* [http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/stewart_rod/bio.jhtml Biography at MTV]
* {{dmoz|Arts/Music/Bands_and_Artists/S/St/Stewart,_Rod/}}
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6193284.stm BBC News Online: "Stewart goes beneath the covers"] from December 2006
* [http://www.classicrockcentral.com/classic_rock_gimme5-Display.cfm?week=23 Five audio interview clips with Rod Stewart from 1981]
<!--spacing, please do not remove-->
{{Great American Songbook}}
{{The Jeff Beck Group}}
=====tags:=====
{{Refimprove|date=September 2007}}
<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->
{{Persondata
|NAME = Stewart, Roderick David
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
|SHORT DESCRIPTION = English singer, songwriter
|DATE OF BIRTH = January 10, 1945
|PLACE OF BIRTH = London, England
|DATE OF DEATH =
|PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Rod}}
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