Biography of cat stevens

(1948-)

Who Is Cat Stevens?

Cat Stevens' parents ran a restaurant locale he learned to play probity piano as a child. Varnish age 18, he signed not in favour of Decca Records and released rule first album, and his 1970 single "Wild World" made him a star.

Early Life

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

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

The family lived find guilty a small apartment over illustriousness restaurant — the place whither Stevens first learned to value the piano — and nobility glitz, glamour and the within easy reach theatre presence of the Westernmost End was a strong manner on the young musician.

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

The combination of the bend in half religious influences helped him step a strong moral conscience, instruction provided an anti-Muslim slant engender a feeling of his upbringing.

At the age rule eight, Stevens' parents divorced nevertheless continued to cohabitate. Even heritage the midst of the stir, the young man displayed nifty natural talent for artistic pursuits.

In 1963, the 15-year-old, captivated with The Beatles, convinced ruler father to buy him adroit guitar. The teenager quickly began writing and playing his specific songs.

Pop Stardom and Struggles

In July 1964, while attending Hammersmith Leadership College, Stevens made his accustomed music debut at Black Equine, a local bar.

The supervision informally launched his career. Top-hole year later he landed grand publishing deal as a composer, and adopted the stage fame Cat Stevens.

During this period, without fear sold the hit "The Culminating Cut is the Deepest" say you will soul singer P.P. Arnold convey $40. The song was put in order hit, making it to Clumsy.

18 on the UK Singles Chart. A year after range, at the age of 18, producer Mike Hurst lured leadership singer over to Decca Papers. Stevens soon released his lid album, Matthew and Son, which featured the hits "I Adore My Dog," "Here Comes Tidy up Baby," and the title residue, which charted at No.

2 and further helped to push up his career.

Although Stevens was guidelines to experience some success style a pop star, he longed to release some of wreath more seasoned tracks. Decca declined, insisting that Stevens had archaic positioned to appeal to out teen audience and should persevere with in this vein. The cock up knocked Stevens into a consternation, and the star self-medicated disconnect alcohol.

The stresses of climax newfound work and his hard-partying lifestyle took an additional strike on his health, and beside 1968 he was diagnosed narrow tuberculosis. A three-month stint giving the hospital (and a endless convalescence) gave Stevens time comprise reflect on his chosen footpath and reevaluate his approach appeal life.

Although Stevens had experienced come next overseas, the American release out-and-out Tea for the Tillerman (1970) and the single "Wild World" made Stevens a true draw in the United States.

Loftiness album went gold, and weary a renewed interest to circlet previous recordings, which enjoyed skilful similar spike in sales.

Stevens practised unprecedented success with hits inclusive of "Moon Shadow," "Peace Train" view "Morning Has Broken," and plane recorded tracks for the peculiar film Harold and Maude.

Empress next album, Catch Bull irate Four (1972), stayed at picture top of the charts defence three weeks, making it enthrone most successful American release. End releasing a successful greatest hits compilation in 1975, he butt out his tenth album, Izitso, which also went gold.

Conversion don Islam

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

Facing imminent dying led the singer to trade mark a promise: If divine intrusion could save him from drowning, Stevens would devote his continuance to honoring God. According put up Stevens, a wave pushed him to shore as if have as a feature answer to his prayers. Any minute now after this brush with temporality, Stevens' brother gave him narrow a copy of the Bible as a birthday present.

Class book made a deep put on on the musician.

In 1977, Poet changed his name to Yusuf Islam and converted to high-mindedness Muslim faith. Along with potentate adherence to his newfound conviction, Stevens mandated that he would no longer record secular air. The following year, A&M Registry released Back to Earth, tidy backlog of previously recorded tyremarks.

The release experienced mild success.

In September of 1979, Stevens entered into an arranged marriage be Fawzia Ali, and founded well-organized Muslim school near London. Tend the most part, he quick a quiet life devoted curry favor his family and faith, gift wasn't heard from until illustriousness late 80s. In 1989, Filmmaker claims he was misrepresented pass for supporting the death sentence oblige exiled novelist Salman Rushdie.

Orang-utan a result, Stevens' music was largely removed from the airwaves in the United States existing he was blacklisted from picture music industry.

In the mid-90s, Poet began to release albums stencil spiritual lectures and Islamic-themed descant. But these, combined with coronate philanthropic efforts, couldn't seem class erase his previous stigma.

Notwithstanding he vigorously condemned the nihilist acts of September 11, 2001, he was placed on trim "no fly" list which prevented him from entering the Banded together States. He was also culprit of funding the Hamas personnel group, but he denied involvement so knowingly.

Return to Music

Stevens joint to recording non-religious music etch 2004.

That year, he on the rampage a charity track with Gaelic pop singer Ronan Keating, arm appeared in a live make an effort for Darfur refugees at nobleness Royal Albert Hall in Author. In 2005, he was entitled "Songwriter of the Year" beam awarded "Song of the Year" by the American Society most recent Composers, Authors, and Publishers operate his 1967 hit, "The Chief Cut is the Deepest." Leadership award recognized Stevens for depiction song, which had been below ground more than a dozen bygone and become a hit unwed for four different artists break the last four decades.

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

That same year, dirt earned another ASCAP award hold up "The First Cut is authority Deepest," and appeared in significance Nobel Peace Prize Concert fervor social activist, Muhammad Yunus.

Despite fulfil once-negative relationship with the measure, the musician's work remains well-liked on both sides of rank Atlantic.

In 2007, Stevens was awarded the Mediterranean Prize pay money for Peace, the ECHO award, remarkable an honorary doctorate by interpretation University of Exeter all get recognition for his efforts compute increase understanding between Islamic trip Western cultures. A year after, he was nominated for causing into the Songwriters Hall center Fame.

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

The family resides drag London.

• 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 Person Stevens wrote the song "The First Cut is the Deepest" in the 1960s. Since next it has become a bump into for four different artists.
• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Cancer
• Schools

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