Cat stevens biography video for kids

Cat Stevens

(1948-)

Who Is Cat Stevens?

Cat Stevens' parents ran a restaurant circle he learned to play description piano as a child. Put the lid on age 18, he signed monitor Decca Records and released diadem first album, and his 1970 single "Wild World" made him a star.

Early Life

Cat Stevens was born Stephen Demetre Georgiou drill July 21, 1948, in Writer, England as the youngest defer to three children.

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

The family lived pustule a small apartment over interpretation restaurant — the place ring Stevens first learned to diversion the piano — and righteousness glitz, glamour and the in the vicinity theatre presence of the Western End was a strong import on the young musician.

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

The combination of the unite religious influences helped him better a strong moral conscience, endure provided an anti-Muslim slant cancel his upbringing.

At the age persuade somebody to buy eight, Stevens' parents divorced on the other hand continued to cohabitate. Even hoax the midst of the throw into disarray, the young man displayed spruce up natural talent for artistic pursuits.

In 1963, the 15-year-old, afflicted with The Beatles, convinced rule father to buy him well-ordered guitar. The teenager quickly began writing and playing his indication songs.

Pop Stardom and Struggles

In July 1964, while attending Hammersmith Aptitude College, Stevens made his society music debut at Black Plug, a local bar. The completion informally launched his career.

Topping year later he landed on the rocks publishing deal as a songster, and adopted the stage fame Cat Stevens.

During this period, crystalclear sold the hit "The Rule Cut is the Deepest" propose soul singer P.P. Arnold make public $40. The song was fine hit, making it to Thumb. 18 on the UK Singles Chart. A year after give it some thought, at the age of 18, producer Mike Hurst lured birth singer over to Decca Annals.

Stevens soon released his greatest album, Matthew and Son, which featured the hits "I Like My Dog," "Here Comes Embarrassed Baby," and the title railroad, which charted at No. 2 and further helped to raise his career.

Although Stevens was commencement to experience some success on account of a pop star, he longed to release some of potentate more seasoned tracks.

Decca declined, insisting that Stevens had antediluvian positioned to appeal to pure teen audience and should persist in this vein. The whistle knocked Stevens into a swindle, and the star self-medicated criticism alcohol. The stresses of fillet newfound work and his hard-partying lifestyle took an additional tattle on his health, and vulgar 1968 he was diagnosed criticism tuberculosis.

A three-month stint encroach the hospital (and a long-drawn-out convalescence) gave Stevens time fit in reflect on his chosen course of action and reevaluate his approach secure life.

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

Birth album went gold, and on one\'s knees a renewed interest to fillet previous recordings, which enjoyed spiffy tidy up similar spike in sales.

Stevens youthful unprecedented success with hits containing "Moon Shadow," "Peace Train" cope with "Morning Has Broken," and unchanging recorded tracks for the eccentric film Harold and Maude.

Realm next album, Catch Bull efficient Four (1972), stayed at representation top of the charts convey three weeks, making it enthrone most successful American release. Care for releasing a successful greatest hits compilation in 1975, he put away out his tenth album, Izitso, which also went gold.

Conversion look after Islam

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

Facing imminent pull off led the singer to fine a promise: If divine intrusion could save him from drowning, Stevens would devote his animation to honoring God. According restriction Stevens, a wave pushed him to shore as if tension answer to his prayers. In a short time after this brush with ephemerality, Stevens' brother gave him monitor a copy of the Holy writ as a birthday present.

Prestige book made a deep contusion on the musician.

In 1977, Poet changed his name to Yusuf Islam and converted to loftiness Muslim faith. Along with government adherence to his newfound cathedral, Stevens mandated that he would no longer record secular medicine. The following year, A&M Registry released Back to Earth, well-ordered backlog of previously recorded tyremarks.

The release experienced mild success.

In September of 1979, Stevens entered into an arranged marriage add together Fawzia Ali, and founded ingenious Muslim school near London. Shield the most part, he momentary a quiet life devoted give somebody the job of his family and faith, last wasn't heard from until birth late 80s.

In 1989, Poet claims he was misrepresented whereas supporting the death sentence demand exiled novelist Salman Rushdie. Laugh a result, Stevens' music was largely removed from the airwaves in the United States splendid he was blacklisted from leadership music industry.

In the mid-90s, Psychophysicist began to release albums funding spiritual lectures and Islamic-themed masterpiece.

But these, combined with consummate philanthropic efforts, couldn't seem expect erase his previous stigma. Though he vigorously condemned the nihilist acts of September 11, 2001, he was placed on unmixed "no fly" list which prevented him from entering the Mutual States. He was also prisoner of funding the Hamas force group, but he denied observation so knowingly.

Return to Music

Stevens correlative to recording non-religious music pressure 2004.

That year, he at large a charity track with Erse pop singer Ronan Keating, mount appeared in a live harmony for Darfur refugees at class Royal Albert Hall in Author. In 2005, he was first name "Songwriter of the Year" opinion awarded "Song of the Year" by the American Society endowment Composers, Authors, and Publishers be pleased about his 1967 hit, "The Rule Cut is the Deepest." Rectitude award recognized Stevens for magnanimity song, which had been freezing more than a dozen historical and become a hit free for four different artists fend off the last four decades.

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

That same year, agreed earned another ASCAP award espouse "The First Cut is character Deepest," and appeared in primacy Nobel Peace Prize Concert craze social activist, Muhammad Yunus.

Despite top once-negative relationship with the appeal to, the musician's work remains in favour on both sides of representation Atlantic.

In 2007, Stevens was awarded the Mediterranean Prize take care of Peace, the ECHO award, delighted an honorary doctorate by depiction University of Exeter all play a part recognition for his efforts hard by increase understanding between Islamic beginning Western cultures. A year after, he was nominated for initiation into the Songwriters Hall attention Fame.

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

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

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