Born on January 10, 1945, in Highgate, London, England, Roderick David Stewart was the youngest of five children. His Scottish parents, Robert and Elsie Stewart, owned a newsagent shop and the family lived in the apartment above. He came into the world with a bang, as a German V-2 rocket hit the police station just up the street and exploded minutes before he was born. In the early 1960s, he became a street singer, and traveled around Europe. These early years were difficult; Rod was deported from Spain for vagrancy and also worked as a gravedigger. Returning to England, he went to Birmingham where he joined “Jimmy Powell and The Five Dimensions” as a vocalist and blues harp player. Throughout the 1960s, he sang for other vocal groups as well.
He came to America in 1975 and applied for citizenship. He soon released his album, “Atlantic Crossing,” which was a huge success. With his rendition of “Tonight’s The Night” in 1976, Rod topped the Billboard singles chart for eight weeks straight. His unique and raspy voice found its niche in the popular music of the day. In 1978, “Footloose and Fancy Free” was also very successful. He scored several hits after that including “You’re In My Heart,” “I Was Only Joking,” and “Hot Legs.”
Rod Stewart is a singer with a unique range of talent, and he is one of the few singers who has demonstrated this talent so completely and so competently. From a successful rock singer he became a crooner, recording some of the pop standards from the 1930s and 1940s with his “Great American Songbook.” It was so successful that he made three others, and they all topped Billboard’s charts. Singing such classics as “As Time Goes By” and “It Had to be You” not only revives these old and wonderful songs, but also makes them new again for every generation to follow.
Rod Stewart has been married twice and has fathered seven children. In 2000, it was discovered that he has thyroid cancer and resulting surgery threatened his famous voice. He had to learn to sing again, and I and all his other fans are delighted that he will for many more years to come.
Here’s to you, Rod!