Rod Stewart

Published on

April 9, 2024

Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage

Roderick David Stewart was born on 10 January 1945 in Highgate, North London, the youngest of five children.

Stewart left school age 15 and worked briefly as a silkscreen printer. Spurred on by his father, his ambition was to become a professional footballer.

His music career begun in 1962 when he took up busking with a harmonica. In October 1963, he joined The Dimensions as a harmonica player and part-time vocalist. In 1964, Stewart joined Long John Baldry and the All Stars, and in August 1964, Stewart signed a solo contract, releasing his first single, a version of “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl”, in October. Future Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones played on the session.

Rod Stewart made his TV debut in 1964 on The Beat Room as a member of The Hoochie Coochie Men.

He was given the nickname “Rod the Mod” from his dandyish style of grooming and dress.

Rod first met Elton John, (then Reginald Dwight) in 1965, when he was playing in Bluesology. Rod named Elton ‘Sharon’, while Elton’s name for Rod is ‘Phyllis’.

Stewart came to prominence in the late 1960s and the early 1970s with The Jeff Beck Group, and then with The Faces.

Stewart released his debut solo album, An Old Raincoat Won’t Ever Let You Down in 1969. The album featured his versions of the Jagger and Richards penned “Street Fighting Man“, Manfred Mann, singer Mike d’Abo’s “Handbags and Gladrags” and the Ewan MacColl song “Dirty Old Town”.

He has sold over 120 million records worldwide including nine UK No.1 albums and 62 UK hit singles including 31 that reached the top ten, six of which gained the No.1 position.

Stewart has had 16 top ten singles in the US, with four reaching No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Small Faces split up in 1969 after singer Steve Marriott announced he was leaving the band to form Humble Pie. Members Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan and Kenny Jones linked up with Ronnie Wood and Stewart and formed the Faces.

The Faces released four albums including the 1971 top 10 A Nod Is As Good As a Wink… to a Blind Horse which featured the UK No.4 hit “Stay With Me”.

In 1971 he enjoyed a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Maggie May / Reason To Believe’, his first solo No.1. Stewart’s album Every Picture Tells A Story also spent four-weeks at No.1 on the UK and US chart.

Stewart is a supporter of Celtic, which he mentions in “You’re in My Heart”. He supports the Scotland national team and follows Manchester United as his English football side.

His 1977 hit “I Don’t Want To Talk About It” was written by Danny Whitten who had died in 1972 of a drug overdose aged 29. He was a member of Neil Young‘s Crazy Horse.

Stewart’s fifth UK No.1 album the 1975 Atlantic Crossing indicated Stewart’s new artistic direction, and the jet-set lifestyle in Los Angeles to escape the 83 per cent top rate of income tax introduced by British Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson.

Rod Stewart had the 1975 UK No.1 with his version of the Sutherland Brothers song “Sailing”. The song had been featured in the BBC TV series about HMS Ark Royal.

His 1976 No.1 hit “Tonight’s The Night” was banned by many radio stations due to song being about the seduction of a virgin. The song features whispers from actress Britt Ekland who was Stewart’s girlfriend at the time.

A plagiarism lawsuit by Brazilian musician Jorge Ben Jor around “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy”, confirmed that the song had been derived from his composition ‘Taj Mahal’. Stewart agreed to donate all his royalties from the song to United Nations Children’s Fund.

In 1979 Stewart married actor George Hamilton’s ex-wife Alana Hamilton in Beverly Hills, California. The couple had a daughter, Kimberly, and a son, Sean. Alana and Rod Stewart divorced in 1984.

A car collector, Stewart owns one of the 400 Ferrari Enzos. In 1982, Stewart was car-jacked on Los Angeles’ Sunset Boulevard while he was parking his $50,000 Porsche. The car was subsequently recovered.

In 1990 Patricia Boughton filed a lawsuit against Stewart claiming that a football he kicked into the crowd during a concert at Pine Knob Music Theatre had ruptured a tendon in her middle finger. And as a result the injury had made sex between her and her husband difficult.

Rod married New Zealand model Rachel Hunter in 1990. After the wedding he was quoted as saying ‘I Found the Girl that I Want, I won’t be putting my banana in anybody’s fruit bowl from now on’. They split in 1999.

In 1991 Kelly Emberg the ex-girlfriend of Rod filed a $25 million (£14.7 million) palimony suit in Los Angeles. The couple lived together from 1985 to 1990. Rod Stewart later said: “Instead of getting married again, I’m going to find a woman I don’t like and just give her a house.”

On 31 December 1994, Stewart played in front of 3.5 million people on Copacabana beach in Rio, and made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for staging the largest free rock concert attendance in history.

In 2001 Rod asked for a change in wedding vows bringing them up to-date and to be treated like a dog licence saying “a change is needed because they’ve been in existence for 600 years when people used to live until they were only 35”.

In 2003 Ray Jackson who found fame with Lindisfarne took out legal action against Rod over his 1970s hit song ‘Maggie May.’ Jackson claimed he came up with the classic mandolin melody and claimed he may have lost at least £1m because he was not credited for the track’s distinctive “hook.” Jackson was paid just £15 for the recording session by Stewart in 1971.

Rod Stewart married model girlfriend Penny Lancaster in 2007 on the Italian Riviera just outside the resort of Portofino.

In 2007 Rod collected his CBE from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. The singer who was honoured for his services to music wore a skull and crossbones tie, white trousers and a stripy shirt instead of the conventional morning suit.

Rod Stewart was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2016 for services to music and charity.

He concentrated on singing 1930s and 1940s pop standards from the Great American Songbook with great popular success.

In late 2019 Rod was featured on the cover of Britain’s Railway Modeller magazine. The singer had put the finishing touches to a 25-year project building a railway city, which was modelled on both New York and Chicago around 1945. The model railway which spans 1,500 square feet was housed in the attic of his Los Angeles home.

In 2019 Sir Rod became the oldest male solo artist to have a No.1 album in the UK when the singer’s 10th chart topper You’re In My Heart went to the top of the charts. Sir Rod, who was 74 years and 11 months old, took the accolade, which was previously held by American singer Paul Simon.

In 2020 Rod was charged by police following an alleged altercation at a hotel in Florida on New Year’s Eve. A police document released accused Stewart of punching a security guard after he and his companions, including his son Sean, attempted to get into a private party in a children’s area at the Breakers Palm Beach Hotel.

Stewart was estimated to have a fortune of £190 million in the Sunday Times Rich List of 2019, making him one of the 10 wealthiest people in the British music industry.

Important Dates In The Life Of Rod Stewart:

On this day in music

3 May 2023 English singer, songwriter and musician Linda Lewis died age 72. She is best known for the singles 'Rock-a-Doodle-Doo' (1973) and her version of Betty Everett's 'The Shoop Shoop Song' (1975). Lewis also provided backing vocals for other artists, including David Bowie, Al Kooper, Cat Stevens, Rick Wakeman, Rod Stewart, Joan Armatrading and Jamiroquai.
15 Jan 2023 British television director and producer Bruce Gowers died age 82. His music video for Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' brought him international recognition, leading to his relocation to the United States in the late 1970s. He also directed videos and musical specials for Michael Jackson, Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Prince, Britney Spears and John Cougar 'Jack and Diane' which spent four weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982.
13 Mar 2022 Sir Rod Stewart filmed himself fixing potholes on a road near his home and complaining about the state of it. Videos on the 77-year-old singer's Instagram account showed him shovelling gravel in Harlow, Essex, claiming "no-one can be bothered to do it". In one, he said: "People are bashing their cars up. The other day, there was an ambulance with a burst tyre. My Ferrari can't go through here at all." Rod was seen dressed in a tracksuit and high-vis vest while singing and shovelling.
22 Dec 2021 British guitarist Robin Le Mesurier died at the age of 68. He was known for his long collaborations with Rod Stewart and Johnny Hallyday, as well as for the wide-ranging nature of his musical performance, including membership of such bands as The Wombles. In September 2015, Le Mesurier joined Rod Stewart and Rolling Stone Ron Wood for the Faces reunion.
10 Jul 2021 American fiddle player Byron Berline died at the age of 77 of complications of a stroke. He joined The Flying Burrito Brothers in 1971, worked with Stephen Stills's band Manassas and played on ‘Country Honk’ on the Rolling Stones' album Let It Bleed. He also worked with many other artists including: Bob Dylan, Elton John, The Byrds, Janis Ian, Willie Nelson, John Denver, Rod Stewart, The Eagles and The Band.
20 May 2021 American drummer Roger Hawkins died age 75. He was best known for playing as part of the studio band known as the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. His drumming can be heard on dozens of hit singles, including tracks by Percy Sledge (‘When a Man Loves a Woman’), Aretha Franklin (‘Respect’), Wilson Pickett (‘Mustang Sally’. Hawkins also worked with Duane Allman, Joe Cocker, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, Bonnie Bramlett, Boz Scaggs, Albert King, Traffic, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton and Willie Nelson.
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16 Apr 2021 English songwriter Barry Mason died age 85. A leading songwriter of the 1960s, he wrote the bulk of his most successful songs in partnership with Les Reed. His song writing credits included three UK Singles Chart No.1s, "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)", "The Last Waltz", and "I Pretend". His songs have been recorded by many artists including Tom Jones, David Essex, The Drifters, Rod Stewart, Petula Clark, Perry Como, Elvis Presley and Engelbert Humperdinck.
27 Jun 2020 American guitarist Pete Carr died age 70. He was lead guitarist for the famed Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and recorded extensively at FAME Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama. He recorded with Joan Baez, Bob Seger, Joe Cocker, Boz Scaggs, Paul Simon, The Staple Singers, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Wilson Pickett, Hank Williams, Jr., among many others.
3 Jan 2020 Sir Rod Stewart was charged by police following an alleged altercation at a hotel in Florida on New Year’s Eve. A police document released in the US accused Stewart of punching a security guard after he and his companions, including his son Sean, attempted to get into a private party in a children’s area at the Breakers Palm Beach Hotel.
14 Dec 2019 Sir Rod Stewart became the oldest male solo artist to have a No.1 album in the UK when the singer's 10th chart topper You're In My Heart went to the top of the charts. Sir Rod, who was 74 years and 11 months old, took the accolade which was previously held by American singer Paul Simon.
25 Nov 2019 Scottish singer songwriter Iain Sutherland who helped compose Sir Rod Stewart's 1975 hit song 'Sailing' died. Sutherland and his brother Gavin recorded the song in 1972 before it became a worldwide hit for Sir Rod. The brothers worked as a folk group, the Sutherland Brothers Band and later combined with a local rock band, Quiver, and billed themselves as the Sutherland Brothers & Quiver.
13 Nov 2019 Rod Stewart was featured on the cover of Britain’s Railway Modeller magazine. The singer had put the finishing touches to a 25-year project building a railway city, which was modelled on both New York and Chicago around 1945. The model railway which spans 1,500 square feet was housed in the attic of his Los Angeles home.
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11 Oct 2016 Sir Rod Stewart said he was "on cloud nine" after being knighted by the Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace. The singer was honoured in the Queen's birthday honours list in recognition of his services to music and charity.
10 Jun 2016 Rod Stewart was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to music and charity. Stewart said: "I've led a wonderful life and have had a tremendous career thanks to the generous support of the great British public. This monumental honour has topped it off and I couldn't ask for anything more."
16 Apr 2015 British guitarist and composer Martin Quittenton died. He played in the blues rock band Steamhammer, formed in 1968 and Quittenton also worked with Rod Stewart and co-wrote the international hit singles 'Maggie May' and 'You Wear It Well'. Stewart invited Quittenton to join his group Faces, but Quittenton was not attracted by the wild off-stage antics for which the Faces were notorious.
16 Mar 2015 Andy Fraser songwriter and bass guitarist with Free died of a heart attack caused by Atherosclerosis in California aged 62. The London-born musician became a founding member of the British group when he was just 15 and went on to write most of the material with lead singer Paul Rodgers, including Free's 1970 hit 'All Right Now', 'My Brother Jake' and 'The Stealer'. Fraser also penned 'Every Kinda People', a hit for Robert Palmer as well as songs for Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan, Rod Stewart and Paul Young.
12 Feb 2014 It was reported that Rock music overtook pop in UK album sales during 2013, winning a bigger share of the market for the first time in five years. Rod Stewart's Time was the best-selling album to be classified as rock by the Official Charts Company, followed by Arctic Monkeys and Bastille. In total rock accounted for 33.8% of album sales, compared with 31% for pop, said industry body the BPI. However, pop records still held the lead in single sales.
2 Sep 2013 Sir Elton John won the first ever Brits Icon award, in a gala concert which marked his stage return after surgery for appendicitis.Elton was presented with the prize by his friend, singer Rod Stewart, who described him as "the second-best rock singer ever". The Icon prize had been created by the BPI, the music industry's trade body, which also runs the Brit Awards.
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21 Dec 2012 Rolling Stones guitarist, 65-year-old Ronnie Wood married his fiancee Sally Humphreys during a private ceremony in London. Keith Richards, Rod Stewart and Paul McCartney all attended the wedding.
24 Jun 2012 Billboard.com named Olivia Newton-John's 1982 hit, 'Physical' as The Sexiest Song Of All Time. Other classic Rock songs that made the top ten were Rod Stewart's 'Tonight's The Night', Marvin Gaye's 'Let's Get It On', Donna Summer's 'Hot Stuff' and another Rod Stewart contribution, 'Da Ya Think I'm Sexy'.
3 Dec 2008 Composer, keyboardist and arranger Derek Wadsworth died in Oxfordshire, England. As a musician, he worked with Georgie Fame, Alan Price, George Harrison, Mike Oldfield, Diana Ross, Tom Jones, Dionne Warwick, Simply Red. Arranger for David Essex, Dusty Springfield, Nina Simone, Judy Garland, Kate Bush, Cat Stevens, Rod Stewart, Small Faces, The Rolling Stones and Manfred Mann.
13 Jul 2007 Rod Stewart collected his CBE from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. The singer who was honoured for his services to music wore a skull and crossbones tie, white trousers and a stripy shirt instead of the conventional morning suit.
16 Jun 2007 Rod Stewart married model girlfriend Penny Lancaster on the Italian Riviera just outside the resort of Portofino. The 62 year old singer was previously married to models Alana Hamilton and Rachel Hunter and has seven children in total.
13 Feb 2007 Rod Stewart was paid $1million when he performed at a billionaire's birthday bash. Stewart was booked to play a one-hour gig to help Steve Schwarzman celebrate his 60th birthday held at New York's Park Avenue Armory.
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17 Dec 2005 U2 had the top-grossing tour of 2005, according to Billboard. More than three million people watched the band's sell-out 90-date Vertigo tour which grossed $260m (£146.6m). The Eagles, took $117m (£66m) from 77 shows and Neil Diamond grossed more than $71m (£40m). Kenny Chesney was fourth with $63m (£35.5m), Paul McCartney $60m (£33.8m), Rod Stewart with $49m (£27m), Elton John with $45.5m (£25.6m), Dave Matthews Band with $45m (£25.3m), Jimmy Buffett with $41m (£23m) and Green Day with $36.5m (£20.5m).
8 Sep 2005 Rod Stewart was ordered to pay a Las Vegas casino $2m (£1.1m) for missing a New Year concert in 2000. Stewart had said he was unable to play at the Rio hotel and casino because his voice disappeared after an operation to remove a cancerous thyroid tumour. The singer said his voice only recovered in time to begin a world tour in June 2001 and he had since performed 150 shows.
21 Jul 2005 UK singer Long John Baldry died of a chest infection. He was one of the founding fathers of British Rock 'n' Roll in the 1960s performing with Blues Incorporated and Cyril Davies' R&B All Stars. He later fronted the Hoochie Coochie Men, with Rod Stewart and then Steam Packet with Brian Auger and Julie Driscoll. Also a member of Bluesology with Elton John. He also narrated on Winnie The Pooh recordings for Disney and was the voice for Robotnik on the Sonic The Hedgehog computer game.
25 Oct 2004 John Peel died in Cuzco, Peru of a heart attack, aged 65. He was BBC’s longest-serving radio DJ and the first DJ to introduce the Ramones, The Smiths, Rod Stewart, Blur, the Sex Pistols, T Rex and others to the masses. He founded Dandelion Records in 1969, and was also known for his ‘Peel Sessions’, releases of live radio sessions. Peel was appointed an OBE in 1998.
22 Dec 2003 The annual list of all-time music greats by the Guinness book of hit singles was again topped by Elvis Presley. The list based on the number of weeks spent on the UK singles chart looked like this; 1. Elvis Presley (1193), 2. Cliff Richard (1152), 3. The Shadows (771), 4. Elton John (623), 5. Madonna (606), 6. Diana Ross (560), 7. Michael Jackson (509), 8. Rod Stewart (477), 9. The Beatles (456) and 10. David Bowie (452).
3 Apr 2003 Stax records songwriter Homer Banks died aged 61. Wrote 'I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down', recorded by Sam & Dave and a UK hit for Elvis Costello. Rod Stewart, The Emotions, Isaac Hayes, Millie Jackson and Johnny Taylor all covered his songs.
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3 Mar 2003 Ray Jackson who found fame with Lindisfarne took out legal action against Rod Stewart over his 1970s hit song ‘Maggie May.’ Jackson claimed he came up with the worldwide hit's classic mandolin melody and claimed he may have lost at least £1m because he was not credited for the track's distinctive "hook." Jackson was paid just £15 for the recording session by Stewart in 1971.
27 Oct 2002 American record producer Tom Dowd died of emphysema. He recorded albums by many artists including: Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Derek and the Dominos, Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin, Cream, Lulu, Chicago, The Allman Brothers Band, The J. Geils Band, Meat Loaf, Sonny & Cher, The Rascals, Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, Kenny Loggins, Dusty Springfield, The Drifters and Otis Redding.
12 Sep 2002 The son of Rod Stewart was sentenced to 90 days in jail and ordered to undergo drug rehabilitation after pleading no contest to attacking a man outside a Malibu, California restaurant. 22 year-old Sean Stewart had been arrested on Dec. 5th, 2001, after he was seen kicking the man in the face and stomach. Stewart was also sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $5,600 to the victim.
22 Jan 2002 English keyboardist Peter Bardens died from lung cancer aged 57. He was a founder member of the British progressive rock group Camel and during his career, Bardens also worked alongside Rod Stewart, Mick Fleetwood and Van Morrison, and recorded solo albums.
29 Apr 2001 Rod Stewart asked for a change in wedding vows bringing them up to-date and to be treated like a dog licence. Stewart said 'a change is needed because they've been in existence for 600 years when people used to live until they were only 35'.
5 May 2000 Rod Stewart had a one-hour throat operation at Cedar Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles to remove a growth on his thyroid. The growth turns out to be benign.
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25 Aug 1999 Robert Fisher from New Romantic duo Naked Eyes and Climie Fisher died of cancer. With Climie Fisher scored the 1988 UK No.2 single 'Love Changes Everything' and wrote songs for Rod Stewart, Milli Vanilli, Fleetwood Mac and Jermaine Jackson. Fisher also worked as a producer, working with various acts including Eric Clapton.
27 May 1999 Winners at the Ivor Novello song writing awards included Rod Stewart who won a Lifetime Achievement Award, Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers won songwriters of the year and Chrissie Hynde won outstanding contribution to British Music.
18 Apr 1996 Bernard Edwards bass guitarist and producer from Chic, died of pneumonia in a Tokyo Hotel room while touring Japan. Also worked with ABC, Power Station, Sister Sledge, Sheila and B. Devotion, Diana Ross, Johnny Mathis, Debbie Harry, Air Supply, and Rod Stewart.
26 Jul 1992 American singer and Motown artist, Mary Wells, referred to as The First Lady of Motown and who had a 1964 US No. 1 and UK No. 5 single ‘My Guy’, died aged 49 of laryngeal cancer. Wells was forced to give up her career and with no health insurance, was forced to sell her home. Wells’ old Motown friends including Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, The Temptations and Martha Reeves, along with Dionne Warwick, Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin and Bonnie Raitt, personally pledged donations in support.
15 Feb 1991 Kelly Emberg the ex-girlfriend of Rod Stewart filed a $25 million (£14.7 million) palimony suit in Los Angeles. The couple lived together from 1985 to 1990. Stewart later said: "Instead of getting married again, I'm going to find a woman I don't like and just give her a house."
15 Dec 1990 Rod Stewart married New Zealand model Rachel Hunter in Beverly Hills. Stewart was quoted as saying 'I Found the Girl that I Want, I won't be putting my banana in anybody's fruit bowl from now on'. They split in 1999.
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13 Nov 1990 Patricia Boughton filed a lawsuit against Rod Stewart claiming that a football he kicked into the crowd during a concert at Pine Knob Music Theatre had ruptured a tendon in her middle finger. And as a result the injury had made sex between her and her husband difficult.
17 Mar 1990 British multi-instrumentalist. Rick Grech who had worked with Family, Blind Faith, Traffic, and Ginger Baker's Air Force died of renal failure at the age of 43, as a result of alcoholism. As a session musician Grech also worked with Rod Stewart, Ronnie Lane, Vivian Stanshall, Muddy Waters, The Crickets, the Bee Gees and Gram Parsons.
7 Mar 1988 British pedal steel guitar player Gordon Huntley died of cancer. Was a member of Matthews Southern Comfort, (UK No.1 single 'Woodstock') and as a session player worked with many acts including Elton John, Rod Stewart, The Pretty Things, Cliff Richard and Fairport Convention.
11 Jan 1985 A Brazilian rock Festival held in Rio, claimed to be the biggest ever staged. The festival featured; Queen, Rod Stewart, AC/DC, Whitesnake, Yes and Iron Maiden.
2 Jan 1985 Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood married his girlfriend Jo Woodin Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, England. Guests included Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck. The couple divorced in 2009.
14 Feb 1984 Elton John married recording engineer Renate Blauer in Sydney, Australia. Rod Stewart and Olivia Newton-John were among the guests. The couple stayed together for four years, although John later admitted he knew he was homosexual before the marriage.
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2 Jul 1983 Rod Stewart started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Baby Jane', his sixth UK No.1 and his most successful single since 'Da Ya Think I'm Sexy' in 1978.
29 Jan 1983 Australian group Men At Work went to No.1 on the British and American singles and album charts simultaneously with 'Down Under' and 'Business As Usual'. The last artist to achieve this was Rod Stewart in 1971.
26 Apr 1982 Out on a day's shopping, Rod Stewart was robbed by a gunman of his $50,000 Porsche on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.
29 Dec 1980 American singer and songwriter Tim Hardin died of a heroin overdose. Hardin wrote the songs 'If I Were A Carpenter' (covered by Bobby Darin, Johnny Cash and June Carter, The Four Tops, Leon Russell, Small Faces, Robert Plant and Bob Seger,) and 'Reason To Believe', (covered by Rod Stewart). Hardin appeared at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
6 Apr 1979 Rod Stewart married actor George Hamilton's ex-wife Alana Hamilton in Beverly Hills, California. The couple had a daughter, Kimberly, and a son, Sean. Alana and Rod Stewart divorced in 1984
10 Feb 1979 Rod Stewart started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Da Ya Think I'm Sexy', his third US No.1. (and a No.1 hit in the UK). Also today Rod started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Blondes Have More Fun.
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2 Dec 1978 Rod Stewart was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Da Ya Think I'm Sexy', the singers fifth UK chart topper. A plagiarism lawsuit by Brazilian musician Jorge Ben Jor confirmed that the song had been derived from his composition 'Taj Mahal'. Stewart agreed to donate all his royalties from the song to United Nations Children's Fund.
20 Jul 1977 Gary Kellgren studio engineer at the Los Angeles Record Plant studio drowned in a Hollywood Swimming pool. Kellgren had worked with John Lennon, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Barbra Streisand and Rod Stewart.
27 May 1977 The Sex Pistols single 'God Save The Queen' was released in the UK. Banned by TV and radio, high street shops and pressing plant workers refused to handle the record. It sold 200,000 copies in one week and peaked at No.2 on the UK charts behind Rod Stewart's 'I Don't Want to Talk About It'. There have been persistent rumours, (never confirmed or denied), that it was actually the biggest-selling single in the UK at the time, and the British Phonographic Industry conspired to keep it off the No.1 slot.
21 May 1977 Rod Stewart was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the double A sided single 'I Don't Want To Talk About It / First Cut Is The Deepest.' The Danny Whitten song 'I Don't Want To Talk About It' was also a UK No.3 hit for Everything But The Girl in 1988.
13 Nov 1976 Rod Stewart started an 8 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Tonight's The Night'. It was Rod's second US No.1; it made No.5 in the UK after being banned by many radio stations due to song being about the seduction of a virgin. The song features whispers from actress Britt Ekland who was Stewart's girlfriend at the time.
27 Dec 1975 The Faces split became official. Rod Stewart had severed all connections with the group to work as a solo artist, Ronnie Wood was on permanent loan to the Stones, Ronnie Lane went on to form Slim Chance and drummer Kenny Jones joined The Who.
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12 Oct 1975 Rod Stewart and the Faces made their final live appearance when they played at Nassau Coliseum, Long Island. The group produced four studio albums: First Step (1970), Long Player (1971), A Nod Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse (1971) and Ooh La La (1973).
24 Sep 1975 Rod Stewart was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Sailing'. The song became a hit after it was used in a TV documentary series.
6 Sep 1975 Rod Stewart was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his version of the Sutherland Brothers song 'Sailing'. The song had been featured in the BBC TV series about HMS Ark Royal.
30 Aug 1975 Rod Stewart had his fifth UK No.1 album when Atlantic Crossing started a five-week run at the top of the charts. The title indicated Stewart's new artistic direction, and on his departure to escape the 83 per cent top rate of income tax introduced by British Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson for the jet-set lifestyle in Los Angeles.
5 Mar 1975 Rod Stewart met Swedish actress, Britt Ekland at a party in Los Angeles, the couple went on to have a high profile love affair.
18 Nov 1972 Singer, songwriter Danny Whitten died of a drug overdose aged 29. He was a member of Neil Young's Crazy Horse and writer of 'I Don't Wanna Talk About It', covered by Rod Stewart, Rita Coolidge and Everything But The Girl. The Neil Young song ‘The Needle and the Damage Done’ was written about Whitten’s heroin use (before he died of an overdose).
2 Sep 1972 Rod Stewart was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'You Wear It Well', the singers second UK No.1 was taken from his album Never A Dull Moment.
15 Nov 1971 In this week's Disc and Music Echo's Progressive album chart: No.5, Cat Stevens, 'Teaser and the Firecat, No.4, Hawkwind, 'In Search Of Space', No.3, Santana, No.2, Rod Stewart, 'Every Picture Tell's A Story' and No.1 John Lennon, Imagine.
9 Oct 1971 Rod Stewart was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Maggie May', (first released as a B side to 'Reason To Believe'). The first of six UK No.1's for Stewart, spent five weeks at the top of the chart.
2 Oct 1971 Rod Stewart started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Maggie May / Reason To Believe', his first solo No.1. Stewarts album Every Picture Tells A Story also started a four-week run on this day at No.1 on the UK and US chart.
21 Mar 1971 Led Zeppelin appeared at the Boat Club, Nottingham, England on their 'Back To The Clubs' tour. This was the first tour which saw Zeppelin performing 'Stairway To Heaven', 'Black Dog' and 'Going To California'. Zeppelin opened the set with 'Immigrant Song' and 'Heartbreaker'. This small club on the banks of the River Trent had also seen performances by Elton John, Black Sabbath, Sex Pistols and Rod Stewart.
7 Aug 1970 The Goose Lake International Music Festival was held in Leoni, Michigan. Over 200,000 fans attended the three day festival. Acts who appeared included, Jethro Tull, 10 Years After, Mountain, Chicago, Bob Seger, John Sebastian, James Gang, Stooges with Iggy Pop, Brownsville Station, MC5, Rod Stewart and Flying Burrito Brothers.
23 May 1970 Paul McCartney's debut solo album, McCartney, started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart. Apart from Linda McCartney's vocal contributions, McCartney performed and recorded the entire album solo. The album featured 'Maybe I'm Amazed', which Rod Stewart and the Faces featured on their 1971 album Long Player.
8 Mar 1969 Small Faces split up after singer Steve Marriott announced he was leaving the band to form Humble Pie. Small Faces scored the hit songs 'Itchycoo Park', 'Lazy Sunday', 'All or Nothing', and 'Tin Soldier', as well as their concept album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake. Members Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan and Kenny Jones linked up with Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart and formed the Faces.
22 Jun 1968 The Jeff Beck group featuring Rod Stewart made their US debut at the Fillmore East, New York.
7 May 1967 Pink Floyd appeared at The Mojo Club, Tollbar, Sheffield, England, opened and owned by Peter Stringfellow. Acts who have also appeared at the club include Stevie Wonder, John Lee Hooker, Rod Stewart, Ike and Tina Turner, The Who, Small Faces and Jimi Hendrix.
3 Mar 1967 The Jeff Beck Group, with an unknown vocalist named Rod Stewart, made their live performance debut in London at the Finsbury Park Astoria supporting the Small Faces and Roy Orbison. The night was a disaster for the Jeff Beck Group due to a power failure, which Rod Stewart swears to this day was instigated by Small Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan who was fearful the Jeff Beck group would steal the show! A furious Jeff Beck stormed off the stage and immediately sacked Rod Coons the drummer and announced that he was pulling the group out of the tour.
19 Oct 1966 The Yardbirds arrived in New York for their first US tour with Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page on lead guitars. After two dates of the tour, Beck developed acute tonsillitis and quit the group. He would go on to form The Jeff Beck Group, that gave Rod Stewart his first major exposure.
15 Sep 1966 The Small Faces were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'All Or Nothing', their only No.1 hit. According to Kay Marriott, Steve Marriott's mother, Steve wrote the song about his split with ex-fiancee Sue Oliver, though first wife Jenny Rylance states that Marriott told her he wrote the song for her as a result of her split with Rod Stewart.
13 Mar 1966 Rod Stewart left the British blues band Steampacket to work as a solo artist. Arguably, the UK's first "supergroup" Steampacket was formed in 1965 by Long John Baldry and also featured singer Julie Driscoll, organist Brian Auger and guitarist Vic Briggs.
2 Sep 1965 Steam Packet with Long John Baldry, Rod Stewart, Julie Discoll and The Brian Auger Trinity appeared at The Marquee Club London.
1 Aug 1965 During a UK tour, The Rolling Stones appeared at the London Palladium supported by The Walker Brothers, The Fourmost, Steampacket featuring Rod Stewart and Sugar Pie Desanto with The Shevelles.
1 Apr 1965 The Who recorded an appearance for Top Of The Pops at the Manchester television studio. The band then played a gig supporting Donovan at The Town Hall, Wembley, with Rod Stewart and the Soul Agents appearing at the bottom of the bill.
10 Sep 1964 Rod Stewart recorded his first single, a version of Willie Dixon's 'Good Morning Little School Girl.' Future Led Zeppelin bass player John Paul Jones played on the session.
6 Aug 1964 Rod Stewart made his TV debut on the BBC show The Beat Room as a member of The Hoochie Coochie Men. The tapes of all but one of the programmes were later destroyed. The only remaining programme (originally broadcast on 5 October 1964) featured Tom Jones, Julie Rogers, The Kinks, John Lee Hooker, and The Syndicats. The show also featured a sextet of female dancers, the Beat Girls formed from an existing group, the Katy-Dids.
30 Dec 1963 The Rolling Stones performed at Studio 51 in Soho, London, on the same bill as Jimmy Powell and the Five Dimensions, who featured a young Rod Stewart. The Stones played a regular Sunday afternoon gig at the club from 4pm until 6.30pm and were billed as Rhythm and Blues with The Rolling Stones.
23 Apr 1963 The Beatles and The Rolling Stones met for the first time during a Stones performance at the Crawdaddy Club. The music venue in Richmond, Surrey, also saw performances by Led Zeppelin, Long John Baldry, Elton John and and Rod Stewart.
17 Mar 1962 Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies played at the opening of the Ealing Blues Club in Ealing, England. For the first time, British musicians played the blues and were given an opportunity to see other British artists playing the music. By the end of 1962, the Club had overseen the creation of The Rolling Stones who’d been brought together by Alexis Korner and played there over 20 times. Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart and Pete Townshend played Ealing, as did many other members of the future bands that would later take the raw sound of blues-based around the world.

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Rod Stewart

Important Dates In The Life Of Rod Stewart:

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