Rod Stewart

Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter known for his distinctive raspy singing voice. Among the best-selling music artists of all time, Stewart has sold more than 120 million records worldwide. Over his solo career, he has achieved 10 number-one albums and 31 top-ten singles in the United Kingdom, as well as 16 top-ten singles in the United States, four of which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Stewart was born in Highgate, London, as the youngest of five children. Raised in a family focused on football, he served as captain of his school team, played for Middlesex Schoolboys, and underwent trials for Brentford Football Club before choosing a career in music. His early musical influences included Al Jolson, Little Richard, Bill Haley & His Comets, and Eddie Cochran. After receiving a guitar in 1959, he joined a skiffle group called the Kool Kats in 1960. He left school at age 15 and worked various jobs—including as a silk-screen printer, cemetery labourer, and sign writer—while developing his musical skills.

In the early 1960s, Stewart busked with a harmonica across London, Paris, and Barcelona. He landed his first professional music job in 1963 with the Dimensions, which shortly became Jimmy Powell & the Five Dimensions. In 1964, musician Long John Baldry hired Stewart, who gained the nickname "Rod the Mod" and signed a solo contract with Decca Records. In 1965, he joined the group Steampacket, touring with the Rolling Stones and the Walker Brothers, while also releasing solo singles on the Columbia label.

Stewart joined the Jeff Beck Group in 1967 and Faces in 1969, simultaneously launching a solo career with his debut album, An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down. His major commercial breakthrough arrived with his third album, 1971's Every Picture Tells a Story, which topped the charts in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, as did its single "Maggie May". His 1972 album, Never a Dull Moment, also hit number one in the UK and Australia.

Following the 1975 breakup of Faces, Stewart continued his commercial success with chart-topping albums such as Atlantic Crossing, A Night on the Town, Foot Loose & Fancy Free, and Blondes Have More Fun. These releases featured major hits including "Sailing", "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)", "Hot Legs", and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?". His later career encompassed disco, new wave, and soft rock styles, featuring notable projects such as the 1991 hit "Rhythm of My Heart", the 1993 collaboration "All for Love" with Bryan Adams and Sting, and a series of Great American Songbook albums in the early 2000s.

Stewart's achievements include Grammy and Brit Awards. He was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice—first as a solo artist in 1994 and again as a member of Faces in 2012—and was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006. Billboard ranked him 17th on its Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists list in 2008, and he was knighted in Britain's 2016 Birthday Honours for services to music and charity.