Live At The Marquee

Rod Stewart has had it all. He’s been lauded as the finest singer of his generation; he’s written several songs that turned into modern standards; earned countless of the industry’s highest awards, among them, two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the ASCAP Founders Award for songwriting, New York Times bestselling author, Grammy™ Living Legend, and in 2016 he officially became ‘Sir Rod Stewart’ after being knighted by Prince William at Buckingham Palace for his services to music and charity.

Born in London but also having Scottish roots, he grew up in a soccer-mad family where songs by artists like Al Jolson and Little Richard could often be heard wafting around the house. Stewart’s dad gave him a guitar at the age of 14. The following year, he quit school and attended trials for Brentford Football Club. Being unsuccessful, Stewart took up odd jobs like silk screen printing and busking while adopting a mod lifestyle. After appearing on a 1965 BBC documentary about the movement, he earned the nickname Rod The Mod because of his wispy blonde locks and stylish dress.

During the 60s, Stewart was a part of several different bands. This included stints with Jimmy Powell And The Five Dimensions, Hoochie Coochie Men and Shotgun Express. After joining Jeff Beck’s blues-influenced group, Stewart experienced his first taste of success, as they released two albums and toured extensively.

He became the frontman of the Faces, a harder rock incarnation of the mod group Small Faces, in 1969 and remained with them until 1975.

However, at the same time, Stewart launched his solo career. His debut album An Old Raincoat Won’t Ever Let You Down came out in 1969, trailed by Gasoline Alley in 1970. His third record, 1971’s Every Picture Tells A Story, boasting the No.2-charting single Maggie May, catapulted him to fame. A string of top 10 hits – including You Wear It Well, You’re In My Heart, Hot Legs, I Was Only Joking, I Don’t Want To Talk About It, Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? and The First Cut Is The Deepest – followed steadily throughout the 70s.

Stewart moved toward new wave and a more synthpop-focused sound with the release of his 10th album Foolish Behaviour in 1980. Another slew of singles raced up the charts in this decade too – such as Young Turks, Some Guys Have All The Luck, Infatuation, Love Touch, Baby Jane, Forever Young and My Heart Can’t Tell You No.

Pretty much dominating the charts ever since he burst onto the scene, Stewart was now amassing Grammys and countless other awards. At the 1993 BRIT Awards, he picked up the prize for Outstanding Contribution to Music. That year Stewart also wrote the power ballad All For Love with Bryan Adams and Sting for the soundtrack of the Three Musketeers movie.

With his generation-spanning appeal, Stewart has twice been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. The first time was in 1994 as a solo artist, with the honour presented by former bandmate Beck. What’s more, that December Stewart performed a free show for more the 3.5 million people on Rio’s Copacabana Beach, earning him a Guinness World Record for the largest concert crowd ever.

Trying times came in 2000, when Stewart was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. He underwent an operation that was a complete success, but recovering after surgery meant training his voice how to sing all over again.

In 2001, he released his 19th album Human and received the first ever Diamond Award from the World Music Awards for having sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

Between 2002 and 2010, Stewart launched five volumes of his phenomenally successful Great American Songbook series. He even earned a Grammy for the third instalment Stardust and his last one, Fly Me to the Moon…, charted in the top five in both the UK and US.

During that time period, Stewart was also given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005.

In 2011, he kicked off a Las Vegas residency in The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, with his intimate concert celebration Rod Stewart: The Hits. Featuring chart-topping tracks spanning his lengthy career, it remains one of the city’s best-loved shows today.

Stewart’s second Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction occurred in 2012 as a member of the Faces. Being sick with the flu, he was unable to attend the ceremony and reunite with his former bandmates. Later that year, the memoir Rod, sharing his career memories in his own words, and the festive album Merry Christmas, Baby were released.

In 2016, he became Sir Rod Stewart after being knighted by the Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace for his services to music and charity. Plus, he went on to sell out venues across the UK on both his Hits stadium tour and From Gasoline Alley To Another Country: Hits arena run.

His 30th studio album, Blood Red Roses, came out two years later and was supported with another huge UK tour in 2019.

Stewart scored another No.1 album in 2019 with You’re In My Heart, a collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, that featured a new version of his hit It Takes Two with Robbie Williams.

In September 2021, Stewart released the lead single One More Time from his 31st album The Tears Of Hercules.