Cat Stevens is a multi-instrumentalist, humanitarian, and singer-songwriter from the United Kingdom. He was influenced as a child by the musicians who performed on Denmark Street, which was the heart of the British music business. His hits usually tore through the charts and were ‘Top Ten’ staples, as listeners of the 1970s remember him as the sweet and romantic vocalist. The fact that numerous of his albums went gold and he was inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ are testaments to his success and notoriety. He had a life-changing event at the pinnacle of his career, and he accepted Islam as his faith. Stevens took a break from writing and singing music for a few decades to devote his life to Muslim educational and philanthropic activities. For his efforts to promote peace, he was awarded two honorary doctorates. In the 1990s, he returned to music after fully comprehending the message of music in Islamic culture. He now believes it is critical to convey the finer points of Islam to the rest of the world. He married Fauzia Mubarak Ali in 1979, and they have five children together. Currently, the family resides in London.
Childhood and Adolescence
Steven Demetre Georgiou, better known as Cat Stevens, was born on July 21, 1948, in London, England. Stavros Georgiou and Ingrid Wickman, his parents, were restaurateurs. Anita and David were Steven’s older siblings. When he was eight years old, his parents split, but he continued to live above their restaurant, ‘Moulin Rouge.’ After returning from ‘St Joseph Roman Catholic Primary School,’ the pupils frequently assisted by working at the restaurant.
His first musical instrument was a family-owned baby grand piano. At the age of 15, he acquired an £8 guitar and began playing and writing songs, inspired by ‘The Beatles.’ For a short time, he and his mother visited Gavle, Sweden. He attended an elementary school in Gavle, where he honed his drawing abilities. After attending many other local West End schools, he enrolled in a one-year cartooning study at the ‘Hammersmith School of Art.’
This drive was rapidly overshadowed by the desire to become a musician, and in 1965, he began performing under the stage name ‘Steve Adams’ at a local tavern called ‘Black Horse.’ In 1965, he secured his first publishing agreement as a songwriter with ‘Ardmore and Beechwood,’ and changed his name to Cat Stevens.
Career of Cat Stevens
Mike Hurst saw Cat Stevens’ promise and signed him to a record deal in 1966. ‘Matthew and Son’ and ‘I’m Gonna Get Me a Gun’ charted at Nos. 2 and 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. The album ‘Matthew and Son’ charted at No. 7 in the United Kingdom. He released several tracks that topped the British Pop Music charts during the next two years. He then went on tour with Jimi Hendrix and Engelbert Humperdinck throughout England and Europe. ‘Wonderful Radio London,’ a pirate radio station, is credited with boosting his fame.
Stevens wanted to release some mature music after attaining fame, but his producer objected since he saw Stevens as more of a teen pop artist. Stevens was horrified, and he sank into depression and became an alcoholic as a result. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1969 and spent a year recovering. During this time, he was able to ponder on his life and spirituality. He started doing yoga and meditation as well. He wrote over 40 songs in terms of music.
His new agent, Barry Krost, arranged for him to see Chris Blackwell of Island Records for an audition. Stevens signed the deal in 1970 after Blackwell assured him that he could make any sort of music with any performer, and Paul Samwell-Smith became his producer. His following album, ‘Mona Bone Jakon,’ (1970), included guitarist Alun Davies and was centered on folk rock. It was certified gold in 1971 after selling over 500,000 copies. ‘A&M Records’ released the album in the United States.
In 1971, he released the album “Teaser and the Firecat,” which reached No. 2 on the charts. The album was a smash hit, earning gold status within three weeks of its release. In 1977, he released the album ‘Izitso,’ which incorporated a lot of synthesizers. The music sequencer-created techno-pop recordings served as a forerunner to the electric music genre of the 1980s. Following his conversion to Islam in 1977, he took a long vacation from music.
In the 1990s, he revived his music career with songs about Islam. He founded the ‘Mountain of Light’ recording facility and the ‘Jamal Records’ record label. In 2003, he had his first English performance in 25 years at the ‘Nelson Mandela’s 46664’ concert. With David Bowie and Paul McCartney, he then re-recorded ‘Peace Train.’
He collaborated with A R Rahman, Magne Furuholmen, and Neil Primrose on the song “Indian Ocean” in 2005. The song was written in response to the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami disaster of 2004. The funds were used to assist those who had been impacted by the tsunami. After adopting to Islam, he went under the name Yusuf Islam and released three albums: ‘An Other Cup’ (2006), ‘Roadsinger’ (2009), and ‘Tell ‘Em I’m Gone’ (2014).
Yusuf launched his song “My People” in March 2011 and embarked on a 36-year European tour. In September 2017, he released his 15th studio album, ‘The Laughing Apple.’ ‘Yusuf/Cat Stevens’ is credited with the album, which is his first since ‘Back to Earth’ under the name Cat Stevens. It’s also his first record to be nominated for a Grammy Award.
Major Projects of Cat Stevens
‘Catch Bull at Four’ spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 and 15 weeks at the top of the ARIA Charts in Australia. His record ‘The Laughing Apple’ was nominated for a Grammy Award for the first time. It was nominated in the category of ‘Best Folk Album.’
Achievements & Awards
In 2003, he received the ‘World Award,’ and in 2004, he received the ‘Man of Peace Award,’ from the ‘World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates.’ The ‘University of Gloucestershire’ honored Stevens with an honorary doctorate in 2005, and the ‘University of Exeter’ honored him in 2007. In 2005 and 2006, he received the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Award. In 2007, he earned the ECHO “Special Award for Life Achievements as a Musician and Cultural Ambassador” award. In 2014, he was inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.’ In 2019, he was admitted into the ‘Songwriters Hall of Fame.’
Personal History and Legacy
He nearly drowned in 1976. When he washed up on the beach, he saw it as a sign of divine intervention and began reading the Quran, which his brother had given him. In 1977, he converted to Islam and took the name Yusuf Islam. For a brief time, Stevens was engaged to Louise Wightman. On September 7, 1979, in London, he married Fauzia Mubarak Ali. The couple is the parents of five children. When asked about his thoughts on the 1989 ‘fatwa’ calling for Salman Rushdie’s execution, he simply repeated the prescribed Islamic punishment. The media misunderstood his statements as approval for the ‘fatwa.’
Estimated Net Worth
Cat Stevens has a net worth of $20 million as a British singer-songwriter and musician. He changed his name to Yusuf after converting to Islam. Stevens has performed in a variety of musical styles during his career, including folk, pop, rock, and traditional Islamic music.
Trivia
Cat Stevens has done a lot of charitable work in the past. In 1983, he established the ‘Islamia Primary School.’ He formed ‘The Association of Muslim Schools,’ a charity that gathered all Muslim schools in the UK together, in 1992. From 1985 to 1993, he was the chairman of the ‘Muslim Aid’ charity organization.