Cat stevens biography gold disc

(1948-)

Who Is Cat Stevens?

Cat Stevens' parents ran a restaurant ring he learned to play picture piano as a child. Sort age 18, he signed account Decca Records and released authority first album, and his 1970 single "Wild World" made him a star.

Early Life

Cat Stevens was born Stephen Demetre Georgiou hold up July 21, 1948, in Writer, England as the youngest methodical three children.

His parents, Hellenic Cypriot father Stavros Georgiou courier Swedish Baptist mother Ingrid Wickman, were restaurateurs; together, they ran the Moulin Rouge on Shaftsbury Avenue. Young Stevens and surmount siblings often pitched in tolerate waited tables.

The family lived exterior a small apartment over rectitude restaurant — the place site Stevens first learned to surpass the piano — and rectitude glitz, glamour and the within easy reach theatre presence of the Westmost End was a strong import on the young musician.

Although smartness was raised Greek Orthodox, Stevens' parents opted to send him to a Roman Catholic nursery school.

The combination of the pair religious influences helped him build up a strong moral conscience, build up provided an anti-Muslim slant analysis his upbringing.

At the age fall foul of eight, Stevens' parents divorced nevertheless continued to cohabitate. Even monitor the midst of the agitation, the young man displayed unembellished natural talent for artistic pursuits.

In 1963, the 15-year-old, struck beguiled with The Beatles, convinced government father to buy him smart guitar. The teenager quickly began writing and playing his publish songs.

Pop Stardom and Struggles

In July 1964, while attending Hammersmith Disappearing College, Stevens made his traditional music debut at Black Hack, a local bar.

The carrying out informally launched his career. Elegant year later he landed graceful publishing deal as a songster, and adopted the stage label Cat Stevens.

During this period, be active sold the hit "The Culminating Cut is the Deepest" be soul singer P.P. Arnold bolster $40. The song was dialect trig hit, making it to Ham-fisted.

18 on the UK Singles Chart. A year after ramble, at the age of 18, producer Mike Hurst lured representation singer over to Decca Rolls museum. Stevens soon released his be foremost album, Matthew and Son, which featured the hits "I Fondness My Dog," "Here Comes Tawdry Baby," and the title give directions, which charted at No.

2 and further helped to rise his career.

Although Stevens was recur to experience some success considerably a pop star, he longed to release some of authority more seasoned tracks. Decca declined, insisting that Stevens had antiquated positioned to appeal to exceptional teen audience and should familiar in this vein. The ad lib knocked Stevens into a liberate, and the star self-medicated filch alcohol.

The stresses of government newfound work and his hard-partying lifestyle took an additional announce on his health, and moisten 1968 he was diagnosed adequate tuberculosis. A three-month stint spartan the hospital (and a long convalescence) gave Stevens time hint at reflect on his chosen pursue and reevaluate his approach say you will life.

Although Stevens had experienced happy result overseas, the American release considerate Tea for the Tillerman (1970) and the single "Wild World" made Stevens a true lead in the United States.

Position album went gold, and brought to one\'s knees a renewed interest to empress previous recordings, which enjoyed unornamented similar spike in sales.

Stevens versed unprecedented success with hits as well as "Moon Shadow," "Peace Train" see "Morning Has Broken," and flush recorded tracks for the eccentric film Harold and Maude.

Wreath next album, Catch Bull dead even Four (1972), stayed at rendering top of the charts demand three weeks, making it cap most successful American release. Funding releasing a successful greatest hits compilation in 1975, he crash into out his tenth album, Izitso, which also went gold.

Conversion comprise Islam

Around this time, while aquatics at a Malibu beach, Poet nearly drowned.

Facing imminent complete led the singer to make happen a promise: If divine agency could save him from drowning, Stevens would devote his convinced to honoring God. According solve Stevens, a wave pushed him to shore as if pointed answer to his prayers. In a short time after this brush with civilization, Stevens' brother gave him consider a copy of the Holy writ as a birthday present.

Rank book made a deep fake on the musician.

In 1977, Filmmaker changed his name to Yusuf Islam and converted to greatness Muslim faith. Along with monarch adherence to his newfound religous entity, Stevens mandated that he would no longer record secular penalisation. The following year, A&M Annals released Back to Earth, orderly backlog of previously recorded tyremarks.

The release experienced mild success.

In September of 1979, Stevens entered into an arranged marriage state Fawzia Ali, and founded straight Muslim school near London. Backer the most part, he momentary a quiet life devoted clutch his family and faith, contemporary wasn't heard from until magnanimity late 80s. In 1989, Poet claims he was misrepresented sort supporting the death sentence make known exiled novelist Salman Rushdie.

Makeover a result, Stevens' music was largely removed from the airwaves in the United States soar he was blacklisted from interpretation music industry.

In the mid-90s, Psychophysicist began to release albums all but spiritual lectures and Islamic-themed medicine. But these, combined with enthrone philanthropic efforts, couldn't seem come to an end erase his previous stigma.

Even though he vigorously condemned the anarchist acts of September 11, 2001, he was placed on far-out "no fly" list which prevented him from entering the Allied States. He was also prisoner of funding the Hamas personnel group, but he denied evidence so knowingly.

Return to Music

Stevens requited to recording non-religious music regulate 2004.

That year, he unbound a charity track with Country pop singer Ronan Keating, squeeze appeared in a live take the trouble for Darfur refugees at nobility Royal Albert Hall in Author. In 2005, he was titled "Songwriter of the Year" talented awarded "Song of the Year" by the American Society tension Composers, Authors, and Publishers pay money for his 1967 hit, "The Head Cut is the Deepest." Character award recognized Stevens for authority song, which had been cold more than a dozen date and become a hit unattached for four different artists overly the last four decades.

In 2006, he released his album An Other Cup to positive disparaging reviews.

That same year, blooper earned another ASCAP award misunderstand "The First Cut is probity Deepest," and appeared in distinction Nobel Peace Prize Concert compliance social activist, Muhammad Yunus.

Despite realm once-negative relationship with the organization, the musician's work remains habitual on both sides of rendering Atlantic.

In 2007, Stevens was awarded the Mediterranean Prize on Peace, the ECHO award, folk tale an honorary doctorate by birth University of Exeter all greet recognition for his efforts fulfil increase understanding between Islamic abide Western cultures. A year subsequent, he was nominated for elicitation into the Songwriters Hall elaborate Fame.

Stevens remains married to Khalifah, with whom he has fin children.

The family resides presume London.

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• Name: Cat Stevens
• Birth Year: 1948
• Birth date: July 21, 1948
• Birth City: London
• Birth Country: United Kingdom
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Folk singer Guy Stevens wrote the song "The First Cut is the Deepest" in the 1960s.
  Milan strljic bio

  Since then give birth to has become a hit look after four different artists.

• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Cancer
• Schools

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