Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart was born the youngest of five children in Highgate, North London, England to parents Robert and Elsie Stewart. Robert was a builder decorator and later a newsagent. Rod was the first of his siblings (two brothers, two sisters) to be born in England after the family moved from Scotland. He attended the William Grimshaw School in Hornsey.

The Stewart family were great fans of the singer Al Jolson and would sing and play his hits. Rod collected his records, read books about him and was influenced by his performing style. He decided to take up guitar at the age of eleven and joined a skiffle group with school friends called the Kool Kats, playing Lonnie Donegan and Chas McDevitt hits.

* Awarded CBE in 2007 New Year's Honours.
* Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, 2005, Stardust ... The Great American Songbook Volume III
* Diamond Award of World Music Awards show for over 100 million records sold worldwide, 2001.
* Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1994
* Inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, 2006
* "Bar none, he's the best singer I've heard in rock 'n' roll. He's also the greatest white soul singer." -Elton John on Rod Stewart
* "Is this a white guy? You are kidding me!!" Chuck Berry commented when asked what he thought about Rod's cover of Sweet Little Rock & Roller in an interview by the Belgian Rock magazine Humo in 1975.
* Rod Stewart played to the largest concert crowd ever, with 3.5 million fans in attendance. This was at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro for the 1994 New Year's Eve celebrations.
* According to Stewart, soul legend James Brown called him music's "best white soul singer" in September 2006.

That must have been a wonderful day to get his own star, and to get photographed kneeling down to touch it. I wish I could have been there that day to show my love and support for Rod Stewart. - He is one of my favorites!

Stewart has remained physically active in recent years, playing in a senior soccer league in Palos Verdes, California and still kicking balls into the audience during concerts. When discussing the rock 'n' roll excesses he has been through in his career, he maintains that his love of playing football has been his savior. As a fan, he is a well-known supporter of Celtic F.C., which he mentions in his hit "You're in my Heart", and the Scotland national team. Rod is one of only two people to have a seat for life at Celtic Park, the other one being the comedian Billy Connolly. Stewart also follows Manchester United as his English side, and he explains his love affair with both Celtic and Man United in Frank Worall's book Celtic United. He explains the meaning behind the line " You're Celtic, United, but baby I've decided You're the best team I've ever seen." In appearance, Stewart still maintains his trademark rooster-style haircut.

Relationships of Rod Stewart's

* 1963-1964: Art student Susannah Boffey; one daughter Sarah Thubron Streeter (born 1964) who was put up for adoption
* 1971-1975: Model Dee Harrington
* 1975-1977: Actress Britt Ekland
* First marriage (1979-1984): to Alana Hamilton (ex-wife of actor George Hamilton); one daughter Kimberly (born 21 August 1979) and one son Sean Stewart (star of A&E's Sons of Hollywood) (born September 1 1980)
* 1983-1990: Model Kelly Emberg; one daughter Ruby Stewart (born 17 June 1987)
* Second marriage (1990-2006): to model Rachel Hunter; one daughter Renée Stewart (born 1 June 1992) and one son Liam McAlister Stewart (born 4 September 1994). Rod was quoted as saying that he'd rather have his penis cut off than cheat on her.[citation needed] They separated in 1999 and eventually divorced in 2006.
* Third marriage (2007-present): With his new wife, model Penny Lancaster-Stewart, he had his seventh child, a boy, Alastair Wallace Stewart, on 27 November 2005 in London. The couple married on 16 June 2007 on board the yacht Lady Ann Magee moored in the Italian port of Portofino.

In reference to his many relationships, Rod Stewart was once quoted as saying, "Instead of getting married again, I'm going to find a woman I don't like and just give her a house.

In 1999, Stewart was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, for which he underwent surgery in July 2000. Besides being a major health scare, the resulting surgery also threatened his famous voice, and he had to re-learn how to sing. Since then he has been active in raising funds for The City of Hope Foundation charity to find cures for all forms of cancer, especially those affecting children.

Rarely has a singer had as full and unique a talent as Rod Stewart. A writer who offered profound lyricism and fabulous self-deprecating humor, teller of tall tales and honest heart breaker, he had an unmatched eye for the tiny details around which lives turn, shatter, and reform, a voice to make those details indelible. His solo albums were defined by two special qualities: warmth, which was redemptive, and modesty, which was liberating. If ever any rocker chose the role of everyman and lived up to it, it was Rod Stewart.