Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart is the professional name of Sir Roderick David Stewart, born 10 January 1945 in London, England. He is a British singer and songwriter whose work spans rock, pop and soul-influenced music, as well as later standards recordings. He is notable for a long-running solo career beginning in the 1960s, a distinctive raspy vocal style, and a catalogue of major international hits.

Stewart began performing in the early 1960s, working in London’s rhythm and blues scene before joining groups including the Jeff Beck Group and later Faces. His early solo work overlapped with band activity, and his breakthrough as a front-rank solo artist came with the album Every Picture Tells a Story (1971). The single “Maggie May” became a defining early hit, reaching number one and establishing him as a leading singer in early-1970s rock.

His peak commercial period extended from the 1970s into the 1980s. Stewart recorded a series of successful albums and singles, including chart-topping songs such as “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)”, “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” and “Every Beat of My Heart”. His work in this era moved between rock and mainstream pop, and he maintained consistent chart visibility in both the UK and the US over multiple decades.

From the late 1990s onwards, Stewart broadened his recorded output, including the Great American Songbook series, which introduced standards material to a new phase of his career and generated further commercial success. He continued to tour extensively and release studio albums across the 2000s and 2010s, combining new material with reinterpretations of earlier styles. His public honours include being appointed CBE in 2007 and being knighted in 2016.

Rod Stewart has sold more than 120 million records worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1994, with a second induction in 2012 as a member of Faces. His long-term influence is reflected in sustained chart presence across six decades and continuing recognition for his contribution to British popular music.