Cat Stevens was born July 21, 1948 with the name Steven Demetre Deorgiuo. He lived in London as a child. Steven became interested in music at a young age.When he was 15 his dad bought him his first guitar.Started playing guitar because of the influence of the Beatles.
Early Music
In 1965 Stevens was signed a publishing deal with Ardmore & Beechwood and cut several demos, including “The First Cut is the Deepest”. He performed in coffee houses and pubs. Stevens liked to perform solo. Over the next two years he toured with artists ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Engelbert Humperdinck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBccr-aLu4I
Tuberculosis
He was living a fast paced life as a pop star. In 1968 at 19 years old he became very ill with tuberculosis and a collapsed lung. He was near death, and he got admitted to a hospital where he spent months recuperating and spent a year of convalescence. This experience made him start to question aspects of life and spirituality. "to go from the show business environment and find you are in hospital, getting injections day in and day out, and people around you are dying, it certainly changes your perspective. I got down to thinking about myself. It seemed almost as if I had my eyes shut." Stevens took up yoga, meditation, and metaphysics. He also became a vegetarian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-7c4VNGOgU&feature=fvst
Religious Conversion
While vacationing in Morocco, he was intrigued by the Islam ritual call to prayer. It was explained to him as “music for God”.
“I thought, music for God? I’d never heard that before- I’d heard of music for money, music for fame, music for personal power, but music for God!"
In 1976 Stevens almost drowned off the coast of Malibu, California. Being so close to death again, it intensified his search for spiritual truth.
His brother David got him a ticket to Jerusalem, and Stevens packed his bags right away, and began his transition to Islam. He formally converted on Dec. 23, 1977, taking the name Yusuf Islam in 1978.
Muslim Faith
After conversion, Yusuf abandoned his musical career. "A lot of people would have loved me to keep singing," he said. "You come to a point where you have sung, more or less ... your whole repertoire and you want to get down to the job of living. You know, up until that point, I hadn't had a life. I'd been searching, been on the road." He continues to make 1.5 million dollars a year from his Cat Stevens music.
Return to Music
Yusuf gradually resumed his musical career in the 1990s. He felt his life as Cat Stevens was to fast paced. He felt he had no communication with his fans. Now he plays music as well as practices Islam.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDq36YD1ESM
Contribution to the 60s
The pirate radio station Wonderful Radio London contributed to his fame. Him and other artists who had benefited from the radio station went on air in 1967 to mourn it’s closure. He wrote many inspirational songs such as If You Want to Sing Out, Peace Train, Father and Son, Wild World, and lots more. He replaced the sharp 60s suit for jeans and a t-shirt.
When he was asked about his style he said “I am just like a mirror, and you see yourself in me”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtgXus3eiII
In 1965 Stevens was signed a publishing deal with Ardmore & Beechwood and cut several demos, including “The First Cut is the Deepest”. He performed in coffee houses and pubs. Stevens liked to perform solo. Over the next two years he toured with artists ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Engelbert Humperdinck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBccr-aLu4I
Tuberculosis
He was living a fast paced life as a pop star. In 1968 at 19 years old he became very ill with tuberculosis and a collapsed lung. He was near death, and he got admitted to a hospital where he spent months recuperating and spent a year of convalescence. This experience made him start to question aspects of life and spirituality. "to go from the show business environment and find you are in hospital, getting injections day in and day out, and people around you are dying, it certainly changes your perspective. I got down to thinking about myself. It seemed almost as if I had my eyes shut." Stevens took up yoga, meditation, and metaphysics. He also became a vegetarian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-7c4VNGOgU&feature=fvst
Religious Conversion
While vacationing in Morocco, he was intrigued by the Islam ritual call to prayer. It was explained to him as “music for God”.
“I thought, music for God? I’d never heard that before- I’d heard of music for money, music for fame, music for personal power, but music for God!"
In 1976 Stevens almost drowned off the coast of Malibu, California. Being so close to death again, it intensified his search for spiritual truth.
His brother David got him a ticket to Jerusalem, and Stevens packed his bags right away, and began his transition to Islam. He formally converted on Dec. 23, 1977, taking the name Yusuf Islam in 1978.
Muslim Faith
After conversion, Yusuf abandoned his musical career. "A lot of people would have loved me to keep singing," he said. "You come to a point where you have sung, more or less ... your whole repertoire and you want to get down to the job of living. You know, up until that point, I hadn't had a life. I'd been searching, been on the road." He continues to make 1.5 million dollars a year from his Cat Stevens music.
Return to Music
Yusuf gradually resumed his musical career in the 1990s. He felt his life as Cat Stevens was to fast paced. He felt he had no communication with his fans. Now he plays music as well as practices Islam.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDq36YD1ESM
Contribution to the 60s
The pirate radio station Wonderful Radio London contributed to his fame. Him and other artists who had benefited from the radio station went on air in 1967 to mourn it’s closure. He wrote many inspirational songs such as If You Want to Sing Out, Peace Train, Father and Son, Wild World, and lots more. He replaced the sharp 60s suit for jeans and a t-shirt.
When he was asked about his style he said “I am just like a mirror, and you see yourself in me”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtgXus3eiII
