Roderick David Stewart launched a professional music career in 1962, initially busking with a harmonica before becoming one of the most commercially successful artists in history. With over 120 million records sold worldwide, he emerged from the British rock scene to dominate international charts through a career defined by his distinctive, raspy vocal delivery and songcraft.
Early Career and Band Work
Stewart transitioned from early musical influences like Al Jolson and Little Richard to formal ensemble work in the 1960s. He performed with The Steampacket before joining the Jeff Beck Group in 1967. By 1969, he became a member of Faces while simultaneously initiating a solo career with his debut album, An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down.
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The 1971 album Every Picture Tells a Story served as his major commercial breakthrough, topping charts in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia. The single Maggie May achieved similar international reach. He sustained this momentum throughout the 1970s with releases such as Never a Dull Moment, Atlantic Crossing, and A Night on the Town, establishing a string of number-one successes.
Evolution of Musical Style
Following a period influenced by disco and new wave trends, Stewart shifted toward a soft rock and middle-of-the-road aesthetic during the 1980s and early 1990s. Notable releases from this era included the 1991 album Vagabond Heart and the 1993 collaborative ballad All for Love. In the 2000s, he successfully pivoted to interpreting standards from the Great American Songbook.
Honours and Legacy
Stewart received significant critical and institutional recognition, including induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 as a solo artist and again in 2012 as a member of Faces. Knighted in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to music and charity, he also holds the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Fast facts
- Born: 1945, London
- Primary occupations: singer, songwriter, musician
- Signature vocal style: raspy
- Notable early band: Faces
- Record sales: over 120 million
- Knighted: 2016
- Citizenship: United Kingdom
Questions readers ask
Was Rod Stewart ever a professional footballer?
Despite participating in trials for the third-division club Brentford in 1960, he was never signed and eventually chose to pursue music instead.
How many times was Rod Stewart inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
He was inducted twice: first as a solo artist in 1994, and subsequently as a member of the band Faces in 2012.
Achievements
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- Knight Bachelor
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — 1994
- Instruments: guitar, voice and harmonica
- Genres: rock music, blues rock and rhythm and blues
