Rod the Mod is Better on his Todd
Written by LBRadio on 16th February 2021
by Stephen Payne
By Gorri – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3024760
Last time we looked at the Kinks and how two brothers formed one of the most influential bands of the late 60s and early 70s. We also looked at how they had joined numerous other groups and went through a number of different bandmates. One of these became a titan of music in his own right, Rod Stewart.
Roderick David Stewart was born on the 10th January 1945 in Highgate London. He lived in this area for the whole of his childhood, and this is also where his career started. Rod started performing early with him busking on the streets with a harmonica at the age of 18.
As he grew and became more experienced, Rod joined up with and left a number of different groups. He eventually became part of a group called the Dimensions. During this time though he made very little money from music and still had to work. His various jobs included cemetery labourer, work in a funeral director, and sign writer. Rod also became part of different youth scenes, taking on the style of the mods. He also joined up the beatnik protests scene, although by his own admission this was only in an attempt to meet women. Eventually in 1969 Rod became part of a group called the Faces. While he may have been a big part of the band, he remained a solo artist as well, with him releasing his debut solo album called “An old raincoat won’t ever let you down.”
Rod kept refining his art and style while staying as a member of the faces. His third solo album was released in 1971. The album entitled, “Every picture tells a story” was a hit. It was home to some of his most famous tracks such as “Maggie May.” This was the album that launched him into stardom and Rod only went from strength to strength after this.
As his career progressed Rod Stewart would break from the faces and focus on his solo career. He would go on to have ten number one albums and 31 top ten singles in the UK, with six of them reaching number one. He would also break the Atlantic barrier with 16 of his songs entering the top ten in America. To show what an impact he had on the music industry, Rod Stewart was not only awarded a CBE in 2007, but he was also Knighted in 2016. It’s hard to argue with the popularity of a singer who sells 250 million records worldwide.
