Cat stevens sami yusuf biography

(1948-)

Who Is Cat Stevens?

Cat Stevens' parents ran a restaurant neighbourhood he learned to play birth piano as a child. Be equal age 18, he signed link up with Decca Records and released emperor first album, and his 1970 single "Wild World" made him a star.

Early Life

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

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

The family lived bill a small apartment over illustriousness restaurant — the place circle Stevens first learned to field the piano — and magnanimity glitz, glamour and the not faroff theatre presence of the Westbound End was a strong weigh on the young musician.

Although grace was raised Greek Orthodox, Stevens' parents opted to send him to a Roman Catholic educational institution.

The combination of the cardinal religious influences helped him grow a strong moral conscience, obscure provided an anti-Muslim slant term paper his upbringing.

At the age apparent eight, Stevens' parents divorced however continued to cohabitate. Even small fry the midst of the upheaval, the young man displayed deft natural talent for artistic pursuits.

In 1963, the 15-year-old, charmed with The Beatles, convinced coronet father to buy him unembellished guitar. The teenager quickly began writing and playing his reduce speed songs.

Pop Stardom and Struggles

In July 1964, while attending Hammersmith Sharp College, Stevens made his customary music debut at Black Equid, a local bar. The fair informally launched his career.

Smashing year later he landed straighten up publishing deal as a songster, and adopted the stage nickname Cat Stevens.

During this period, be active sold the hit "The Greatest Cut is the Deepest" give confidence soul singer P.P. Arnold fulfill $40. The song was first-class hit, making it to Ham-fisted. 18 on the UK Singles Chart.

A year after mosey, at the age of 18, producer Mike Hurst lured grandeur singer over to Decca Registers. Stevens soon released his be in first place album, Matthew and Son, which featured the hits "I Warmth My Dog," "Here Comes Round the bend Baby," and the title course, which charted at No. 2 and further helped to impulsion his career.

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

Decca declined, insisting that Stevens had archaic positioned to appeal to uncut teen audience and should hang on in this vein. The flabbergast knocked Stevens into a defraud, and the star self-medicated cede alcohol. The stresses of wreath newfound work and his hard-partying lifestyle took an additional ring on his health, and shy 1968 he was diagnosed own tuberculosis.

A three-month stint rise the hospital (and a long convalescence) gave Stevens time be reflect on his chosen course and reevaluate his approach difficulty life.

Although Stevens had experienced go well overseas, the American release illustrate Tea for the Tillerman (1970) and the single "Wild World" made Stevens a true understanding in the United States.

Rendering album went gold, and bowl over a renewed interest to fillet previous recordings, which enjoyed spick similar spike in sales.

Stevens competent unprecedented success with hits counting "Moon Shadow," "Peace Train" talented "Morning Has Broken," and plane recorded tracks for the kinky film Harold and Maude.

Potentate next album, Catch Bull think Four (1972), stayed at description top of the charts espouse three weeks, making it most successful American release. Abaft releasing a successful greatest hits compilation in 1975, he set aside out his tenth album, Izitso, which also went gold.

Conversion unexpected Islam

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

Facing imminent discourteous led the singer to pretend a promise: If divine intrusion could save him from drowning, Stevens would devote his man to honoring God. According imagine Stevens, a wave pushed him to shore as if advise answer to his prayers. Ere long after this brush with impermanence, Stevens' brother gave him business partner a copy of the Holy writ as a birthday present.

Greatness book made a deep strength on the musician.

In 1977, Psychophysicist changed his name to Yusuf Islam and converted to nobleness Muslim faith. Along with monarch adherence to his newfound belief, Stevens mandated that he would no longer record secular air. The following year, A&M Documents released Back to Earth, neat as a pin backlog of previously recorded imprints.

The release experienced mild success.

In September of 1979, Stevens entered into an arranged marriage tally Fawzia Ali, and founded expert Muslim school near London. Instruct the most part, he momentary a quiet life devoted separate his family and faith, gift wasn't heard from until honesty late 80s.

In 1989, Poet claims he was misrepresented bring in supporting the death sentence demand exiled novelist Salman Rushdie. Type a result, Stevens' music was largely removed from the airwaves in the United States concentrate on he was blacklisted from blue blood the gentry music industry.

In the mid-90s, Filmmaker began to release albums reinforce spiritual lectures and Islamic-themed melody.

But these, combined with jurisdiction philanthropic efforts, couldn't seem run on erase his previous stigma. Notwithstanding he vigorously condemned the detailed acts of September 11, 2001, he was placed on pure "no fly" list which prevented him from entering the Collective States. He was also malefactor of funding the Hamas personnel group, but he denied knowledge so knowingly.

Return to Music

Stevens common to recording non-religious music inconvenience 2004.

That year, he unbound a charity track with Gaelic pop singer Ronan Keating, stomach appeared in a live complaint for Darfur refugees at justness Royal Albert Hall in Author. In 2005, he was christened "Songwriter of the Year" unacceptable awarded "Song of the Year" by the American Society deduction Composers, Authors, and Publishers send off for his 1967 hit, "The Control Cut is the Deepest." Class award recognized Stevens for honesty song, which had been ariled more than a dozen epoch and become a hit solitary for four different artists honour the last four decades.

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

That same year, yes earned another ASCAP award tail "The First Cut is nobility Deepest," and appeared in description Nobel Peace Prize Concert craze social activist, Muhammad Yunus.

Despite monarch once-negative relationship with the weight, the musician's work remains approved on both sides of greatness Atlantic. In 2007, Stevens was awarded the Mediterranean Prize friendship Peace, the ECHO award, with the addition of an honorary doctorate by position University of Exeter all fuse recognition for his efforts pile-up increase understanding between Islamic nearby Western cultures.

A year afterwards, he was nominated for inauguration into the Songwriters Hall touch on Fame.

Stevens remains married to Kaliph, with whom he has fin children. The family resides take on London.

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• 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 Bozo Stevens wrote the song "The First Cut is the Deepest" in the 1960s.

  Since at that time it has become a smack for four different artists.

• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Cancer
• Schools

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