Roderick David Stewart was born January 10, 1945, to a master builder and his wife in England.  Though young Stewart was originally interested in English football, his real talent was in music.  During the 1960s, Rod Stewart got involved in several different bands and music gigs playing harmonica and singing.

Rod Stewart

What I do now is all my dad’s fault, because he bought me a guitar as a boy, for no apparent reason.

Roderick David Stewart was born January 10, 1945, to a master builder and his wife in England.  Though young Stewart was originally interested in English football, his real talent was in music.  During the 1960s, Rod Stewart got involved in several different bands and music gigs playing harmonica and singing.  Some other band members complained about his peculiar singing voice, but that did not stop Stewart from using it.  

His first big break was with the Jeff Beck Group, where he served as a vocalist and songwriter.  But his solo career was the real focus.  And in 1969, the same year he joined the group Faces, Stewart released his first album: An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down.  This album really set the tone for Stewart's solo genre, which is considered to be a mixture of rock, blues and folk music.

Rod Stewart continued to split his time between his solo career and work with Faces until the band broke up in 1975.  The next year Stewart saw the first one of his albums, A Night on the Town, go platinum.  Things continued to go smoothly until the 1980s.  The albums Tonight I'm Yours (1981) and Out of Order (1988) were panned by critics, although several of the songs, such as Forever Young and Lost in You were both top 15 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.  

Rod Stewart began mounting a critical comeback during the turn of the decade.  His compilation album, Storyteller – The Complete Anthology: 1964-1990 and the Vagabond Heart proved Stewart was still a brilliant recording artist.  Rhythm of My Heart and The Motown Song from the latter album reached the Top Five and 10, respectively.

The latter half of the 1990s was not one of the higher points in Stewart's career; and in 2000, Stewart left his longtime collaborator, Warner Records, for Atlantic Records.  However, he soon signed with J Records.  Stewart took his sound back in time during the early 2000s.  He began singing tunes from the "Great American Songbook" written by the likes of George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and others during the 1930s and 40s.  

Between 2002 and 2005, Stewart released four different albums under "the Great American Songbook" heading, each receiving a great amount of success.  He has since made a return to rock and country, taking a new spin on both genres with his album Still the Same… Great Rock Classics of Our Time.  Rod Stewart has also made an appearance on "Dancing With the Stars" to promote the album.

Did you know…

• Rod Stewart still has a great love for soccer, and plays in a senior league in Palos Verdes, California?

• Stewart was a guest artist and celebrity vocal coach on American Idol in 2006?

• Pop legend Elton John has said of Rod Stewart: "Bar none, he's the best singer I've heard in rock n' roll.  He's also the greatest white soul singer"?

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