Rod Stewart at Ravinia

Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart has sold more than 120 million records worldwide. His music career began in 1962 when he started busking with a harmonica. In 1963, he joined the Dimensions as a harmonica player and vocalist. In 1964, he became part of Long John Baldry and the All Stars before joining the Jeff Beck Group in 1967. Stewart joined Faces in 1969 and launched a solo career the same year with the album "An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down". His early solo work incorporated rock, folk, soul, and R&B influences. His third album, "Every Picture Tells a Story" (1971), topped charts in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, and included the hit single "Maggie May". The 1972 follow-up, "Never a Dull Moment", also reached number one in the UK and Australia, with its single "You Wear It Well" topping the UK chart. Following further UK top-ten hits, Faces disbanded in 1975. Stewart’s subsequent singles included ballads such as "Sailing", from the album "Atlantic Crossing" (1975), which topped charts in the UK, Australia, and the Netherlands and charted in Germany and other countries. "A Night on the Town" (1976) continued his commercial success with the single "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" reaching number one in the US and Canada. "Foot Loose & Fancy Free" (1977) featured the singles "You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)" and "Hot Legs". "Blondes Have More Fun" (1978), with the disco-influenced "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?", reached number one in Canada, Australia, the US, and the UK. Stewart's albums consistently charted in the Netherlands in the 1970s and in Sweden from 1975 onward. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Stewart explored disco and new wave styles before turning to soft rock and middle-of-the-road music. His albums regularly reached the top ten in the UK, Germany, and Sweden, though they were less successful in the US. The single "Rhythm of My Heart" from the album "Vagabond Heart" (1991) was a top-five hit in the UK, US, and other countries. In 1993, Stewart collaborated with Bryan Adams and Sting on "All for Love", which reached number one in several countries. In the early 2000s, he released a series of albums interpreting the Great American Songbook. Billboard magazine ranked Stewart the 17th most successful artist on the "Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists" in 2008. He has received a Grammy Award and a Brit Award and was listed at number 33 in Q Magazine’s Top 100 Greatest Singers. Stewart was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1994 and as a member of Faces in 2012, and into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006. He has had ten number-one albums and 31 top-ten singles in the UK, six of which reached number one, and 16 top-ten singles in the US, four of which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Stewart was knighted in Britain’s 2016 Birthday Honours for services to music and charity. Guitarist Steve Cropper has described Stewart as ranking alongside Otis Redding as one of the finest singers with whom he had worked. Studio albums An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down (1969) Gasoline Alley (1970) Every Picture Tells a Story (1971) Never a Dull Moment (1972) Smiler (1974) Atlantic Crossing (1975) A Night on the Town (1976) Foot Loose & Fancy Free (1977) Blondes Have More Fun (1978) Foolish Behaviour (1980) Tonight I'm Yours (1981) Body Wishes (1983) Camouflage (1984) Every Beat of My Heart (1986) Out of Order (1988) Vagabond Heart (1991) A Spanner in the Works (1995) When We Were the New Boys (1998) Human (2001) It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook (2002) As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Volume II (2003) Stardust: The Great American Songbook, Volume III (2004) Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook, Volume IV (2005) Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time (2006) Soulbook (2009) Once in a Blue Moon: The Lost Album (2010) Fly Me to the Moon... The Great American Songbook Volume V (2010) Merry Christmas, Baby (2012) Time (2013) Another Country (2015) Blood Red Roses (2018) The Tears of Hercules (2021) Swing Fever (2024) (with Jools Holland)