Cat Stevens

Biography

Steven Demetre Georgiou, known professionally as Cat Stevens, was born on July 21, 1948, in the Marylebone area of London to a Greek Cypriot father, Stavros Georgiou, and Swedish mother, Ingrid Wickman.[2] He grew up above the Moulin Rouge, a restaurant his parents operated in London's Soho theatre district, where all family members worked.[1][2] Despite being raised Greek Orthodox, he attended St Joseph Roman Catholic Primary School, an experience that he later cited as instilling distrust of organized religion.[1] From an early age, Georgiou demonstrated exceptional musical ability, teaching himself piano chords on the family baby grand piano and later persuading his father to purchase his first guitar at age 15, inspired by the popularity of the Beatles.[2] He attended Hammersmith College of Art to study painting and cartooning, where he began performing under the stage name Steve Adams before adopting the stage name Cat Stevens, partly because a girlfriend said he had eyes like a cat, but primarily because he felt his birth name would be difficult for record store customers to remember.[2]

Cat Stevens achieved rapid commercial success in the mid-1960s after being discovered by record producer Mike Hurst, who signed him to Deram Records.[1] His debut single, "I Love My Dog" (1966), reached number 28 on the UK Singles Chart, followed by his breakthrough hit "Matthew and Son" (1966), which peaked at number 2 and became the title track of his debut album that reached the top 10 on UK charts.[1][2] Stevens was a prolific songwriter who not only achieved success with his own recordings but also wrote songs for other artists, including "Here Comes My Baby" and "The First Cut Is The Deepest," the latter becoming an international hit for multiple artists.[4][5] In spring 1967, he toured as part of The Jimi Hendrix Experience alongside Jimi Hendrix and the Walker Brothers.[1] Stevens continued recording throughout the 1970s, establishing himself as one of the most influential singer-songwriters of his generation.

In 1978, after becoming fascinated by the biblical character Joseph during his Islamic studies, Stevens changed his name to Yusuf Islam.[1][4] The following year, he made the surprising decision to step away from his music career at the height of his fame, auctioning off his guitars for charity and dedicating himself to family life and charitable work.[1] He founded a Muslim primary school in North London in 1983 and subsequently produced educational music with Islamic themes, including the spoken-word album "The Life of the Last Prophet" (1995).[1] He established The Association of Muslim Schools (AMS-UK) in 1992 and served as chairman of the charity Muslim Aid from 1985 to 1993, while also founding and chairing the Small Kindness charity, which has supported famine victims in Africa and orphans and families in the Balkans, Indonesia, and Iraq.[2]

Fun Facts

• Cat Stevens chose his stage name partly because a girlfriend said he had eyes like a cat, but primarily because he couldn't imagine customers asking for a 'Steven Demetre Georgiou' album in record stores.[2]
• He grew up in the heart of London's West End theatre district above his parents' restaurant and was particularly inspired by the musical West Side Story, which he said gave him a 'different view of life.'[2]
• Stevens was bullied at school and described himself as 'the artist boy,' saying 'I was beat up, but I was noticed,' yet he channeled these experiences into his artistic pursuits.[2]
• At the peak of his music career in 1978, Stevens made the dramatic decision to walk away from fame, auctioning off his guitars for charity to pursue Islamic studies and charitable work.[1][4]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Mike Hurst - Record producer and manager who discovered Cat Stevens and arranged his first record deal (Signed Stevens to Deram Records; produced early singles) [1966 onwards]
• Hugo Wickman - Uncle and well-known Swedish painter who inspired Stevens' artistic development during his time in Sweden (Influenced Stevens' visual art skills and creative thinking) [Childhood/early teens]

Key Collaborators

• The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Toured as part of this legendary group alongside Jimi Hendrix and the Walker Brothers (Month-long tour) [Spring 1967]

Artists Influenced

• Multiple artists - Stevens' compositions became international hits when recorded by other artists ("The First Cut Is The Deepest" and "Here Comes My Baby" became hits for various artists) [1960s-1970s onwards]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #2008-universal-fire-victim, #baroque-pop, #contemporary-folk