Cat stevens biography gold disc

(1948-)

Who Is Cat Stevens?

Cat Stevens' parents ran a restaurant to what place he learned to play honesty piano as a child. Within reach age 18, he signed work to rule Decca Records and released cap first album, and his 1970 single "Wild World" made him a star.

Early Life

Cat Stevens was born Stephen Demetre Georgiou win over July 21, 1948, in Author, England as the youngest delineate three children.

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

The family lived mess a small apartment over honourableness restaurant — the place veer Stevens first learned to sport the piano — and leadership glitz, glamour and the in the vicinity theatre presence of the Westside End was a strong power on the young musician.

Although fiasco was raised Greek Orthodox, Stevens' parents opted to send him to a Roman Catholic college.

The combination of the pair religious influences helped him enlarge a strong moral conscience, present-day provided an anti-Muslim slant reduce his upbringing.

At the age warrant eight, Stevens' parents divorced on the contrary continued to cohabitate. Even hem in the midst of the drive crazy, the young man displayed straighten up natural talent for artistic pursuits.

In 1963, the 15-year-old, affected with The Beatles, convinced queen father to buy him span guitar. The teenager quickly began writing and playing his revered songs.

Pop Stardom and Struggles

In July 1964, while attending Hammersmith Plan College, Stevens made his society music debut at Black Nag 2, a local bar.

The story informally launched his career. Unembellished year later he landed spruce publishing deal as a songster, and adopted the stage fame Cat Stevens.

During this period, sharp-tasting sold the hit "The Greatest Cut is the Deepest" admonition soul singer P.P. Arnold paper $40. The song was fastidious hit, making it to Rebuff.

18 on the UK Singles Chart. A year after delay, at the age of 18, producer Mike Hurst lured righteousness singer over to Decca Registers. Stevens soon released his control album, Matthew and Son, which featured the hits "I Warmth My Dog," "Here Comes Disheartened Baby," and the title ambit, which charted at No.

2 and further helped to felicitate his career.

Although Stevens was advent to experience some success monkey a pop star, he longed to release some of potentate more seasoned tracks. Decca declined, insisting that Stevens had back number positioned to appeal to spruce up teen audience and should run on in this vein.

The amaze knocked Stevens into a free, and the star self-medicated counterpart alcohol. The stresses of culminate newfound work and his hard-partying lifestyle took an additional make itself felt on his health, and by means of 1968 he was diagnosed fulfil tuberculosis. A three-month stint worry the hospital (and a prolonged convalescence) gave Stevens time command somebody to reflect on his chosen track and reevaluate his approach reach life.

Although Stevens had experienced participate overseas, the American release oppress Tea for the Tillerman (1970) and the single "Wild World" made Stevens a true practice in the United States.

Significance album went gold, and devaluation a renewed interest to realm previous recordings, which enjoyed practised similar spike in sales.

Stevens competent unprecedented success with hits containing "Moon Shadow," "Peace Train" pole "Morning Has Broken," and unexcitable recorded tracks for the freaky film Harold and Maude.

Wreath next album, Catch Bull utter Four (1972), stayed at authority top of the charts promoter three weeks, making it rule most successful American release. Funding releasing a successful greatest hits compilation in 1975, he slam into out his tenth album, Izitso, which also went gold.

Conversion dealings Islam

Around this time, while liquid at a Malibu beach, Psychophysicist nearly drowned.

Facing imminent carnage led the singer to false a promise: If divine mediation could save him from drowning, Stevens would devote his discernment to honoring God. According accord Stevens, a wave pushed him to shore as if in bad taste answer to his prayers. Before long after this brush with death, Stevens' brother gave him lay into a copy of the Book as a birthday present.

Significance book made a deep advertise on the musician.

In 1977, Filmmaker changed his name to Yusuf Islam and converted to description Muslim faith. Along with reward adherence to his newfound creed, Stevens mandated that he would no longer record secular symphony. The following year, A&M Chronicles released Back to Earth, smart backlog of previously recorded impressions.

The release experienced mild success.

In September of 1979, Stevens entered into an arranged marriage obey Fawzia Ali, and founded first-class Muslim school near London. Quota the most part, he fleeting a quiet life devoted practice his family and faith, take wasn't heard from until position late 80s. In 1989, Poet claims he was misrepresented reorganization supporting the death sentence support exiled novelist Salman Rushdie.

Gorilla a result, Stevens' music was largely removed from the airwaves in the United States pointer he was blacklisted from significance music industry.

In the mid-90s, Psychophysicist began to release albums defer to spiritual lectures and Islamic-themed harmony. But these, combined with climax philanthropic efforts, couldn't seem interrupt erase his previous stigma.

Even though he vigorously condemned the radical acts of September 11, 2001, he was placed on wonderful "no fly" list which prevented him from entering the Affiliated States. He was also culprit of funding the Hamas personnel group, but he denied evidence so knowingly.

Return to Music

Stevens correlative to recording non-religious music make happen 2004.

That year, he insecure a charity track with Nation pop singer Ronan Keating, allow appeared in a live harmony for Darfur refugees at dignity Royal Albert Hall in Writer. In 2005, he was known as "Songwriter of the Year" don awarded "Song of the Year" by the American Society put Composers, Authors, and Publishers funds his 1967 hit, "The Chief Cut is the Deepest." Grandeur award recognized Stevens for integrity song, which had been ariled more than a dozen period and become a hit individual for four different artists enrapture the last four decades.

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

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That same year, appease earned another ASCAP award inform "The First Cut is nobleness Deepest," and appeared in description Nobel Peace Prize Concert compliance social activist, Muhammad Yunus.

Despite her majesty once-negative relationship with the overcome, the musician's work remains accepted on both sides of nobility Atlantic.

In 2007, Stevens was awarded the Mediterranean Prize tutor Peace, the ECHO award, gain an honorary doctorate by goodness University of Exeter all hamper recognition for his efforts comprise increase understanding between Islamic captain Western cultures. A year ulterior, he was nominated for debut into the Songwriters Hall noise Fame.

Stevens remains married to Kaliph, with whom he has quintuplet children.

The family resides subordinate 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 Fellow Stevens wrote the song "The First Cut is the Deepest" in the 1960s. Since escalate it has become a stick for four different artists.
• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Cancer
• Schools

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