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Created: 25 May 2012

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Grease is the word

“An artist is someone who uses art to run away from reality. There are no rules and regulations in the creative world.”  This is what Robin Gibb said of the real world. He preferred to live in his own world and he proved that throughout his 62 years on this earth. Robin Gibb died on Sunday 20^th May 2012 after getting pneumonia while battling against cancer of the colon and subsequently of the liver.

Robin Gibb"The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery.  The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time”. His family announced in a statement released by Doug Wright, Robin’s representative.   His death was announced at 10.30pm on Sunday night, 20 May, 2012.

Robin lapsed into a weeklong coma in April 2012. In February his doctors said he'd made a "spectacular" recovery from the disease, but he was soon back in the hospital for surgery. He had bowel surgery almost two years ago for an unrelated condition, at which time doctors discovered a tumour and diagnosed him with colon cancer. It appeared as if the cancer was in remission as recently as March.

He was the second disco-era star to die this week. Donna Summer — who was the Queen of Disco and such songs as "Last Dance" and "I Feel Love" — died of cancer in Florida on Thursday.  Two music icons dead in one week;  what has the world done wrong to deserve this!

Celebrities from every corner of the world paid tribute to Robin over twitter and the airwaves.

Justin Bieber told MTV: "I definitely listened to The Bee Gees. I'm not too familiar with them, but it's definitely sad what happened. My heart goes out to him and his family."

Max George of The Wanted said: "I love The Bee Gees. They're obviously legends and heroes of ours and people we look up to. It's a really sad loss. Our thoughts go out to all of his family."

Danni Minogue said: "We start believing now that we can be who we are - Grease is the word.  RIP Robin Gibb."

Justin Timberlake: "We have lost a truly brilliant musician today. One of my idols. My heart goes out to the Gibb family in this time of sorrow...RIP Robin."  He described Robin as "a truly brilliant musician, one of my idols. My heart goes out to the Gibb family in this time of sorrow."

Peter Andre: "I am so absolutely gutted about Robin Gibb passing away. One of the true musical legends whom I was honoured to be friends with.  RIP:”

Cliff Richard: "We are a fraternity of people who sing pop and rock and Robin is another one of us who has gone too soon . . . The legacy will be what the Bee Gees did, which was stunningly good stuff, right on a par with The Beatles."

Tony Blair former UK Prime Minister said he would "miss him very much".  He continued "a highly intelligent, interested and committed human being.  He was a great friend with a wonderful open and fertile mind and a student of history and politics. My thoughts and prayers are with Dwina and all the family."

Paul Gambaccini described the singer as "one of the major figures in the history of British music . . . Everyone should be aware that the Bee Gees are second only to Lennon and McCartney as the most successful songwriting unit in British popular music."  He said that Robin had "one of the best white soul voices ever"

Mike Read, former BBC Radio 1 DJ, who was a family friend, said: "Robin had the voice, the pathos, and he was a great writer.  He had a gift for melody and a gift for lyrics and left a phenomenal legacy, a phenomenal catalogue."  He added "They had every award, every gold disc, every platinum disc, the Grammys, the lot, and had been doing it so long but were still so good at it."

Dionne Warwick, whose biggest hit Heartbreaker was written by the Gibb brothers, said of Robin: "He was wonderful. He was a jokester. He had an incredibly witty sense of humour and was fun to be around. All three of them were sensational gentlemen first, just fun loving guys."  She said "I think a lot of it has to do with their sense of family and being together as a family. I know exactly what that means, because I come from a family of singers. That is very important, to be connected. They loved each other very strongly and showed it, and it was a joy."

Bryan Adams: “Robin Gibb RIP. Very sad to hear of yet another great singer dying too young”

John Prescott: "A good friend, a brilliant musician and a man who turned all of us into wannabe Travolta’s."

John Travolta: 'I thought Robin was one of the most wonderful people- gifted, generous, and a real friend to everyone he knew. And we'll miss him.'

Recording Academy president Neil Portnow predicted that fans will dance to "Stayin' Alive" and other songs Bee Gees songs for generations to come.  "Robin has had an indelible impact on music," he said.

La Toya Jackson tweeted “Why are we losing so many Great Artists. Robin Gibb you will be missed! And we will keep your music Staying Alive! #Night Fever, RIP

Mick Hucknall – called Robin a “musical giant”,

Shane Filan of Westlife - ‘Just heard Robin Gibb has died.  So sad. A musical legend! RIP’.

Former Destiny’s Child singer Michelle Williams posted: ‘RIP Robin Gibb!! #EMOTIONSTAKINGMEOVER (I’m so glad DC3 got the chance to remake that song)

The Script’s official Twitter page said: ‘R.I.P. Robin Gibb. We met Robin+Barry in NY. Such a lovely guy. Prayers 2 his family. 2 many Legends being taken from us 2 early.’

Duran Duran’s official Twitter page said: ‘Sorry to hear about the passing of Robin Gibb of the BeeGees. Our condolences to his friends and family’

Cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong added: 'RIP Robin Gibb. Continues to sadden me to see cancer take our loved ones. Gotta put a stop to it.'

The list of tributes goes on and on.

Robin Gibb Factfile:

• The Bee Gees comprised Maurice, his twin brother Robin and their elder brother Barry.
• They began performing together when the twins were just six and Barry was nine, singing cover versions of hit songs at their local cinema in Manchester.
• The group initially achieved stardom in Australia, where the Gibb family emigrated in 1958.
• Spicks & Specks became their first number one record in 1966, hitting the top spot in Australia.
• They went on to have more than 60 hit singles, including five which went multi-platinum.
• The Bee Gees were nominated for Grammy Awards on 16 occasions, and won seven times.
• The group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994.
• Artists who covered their songs include Elvis Presley, Al Green, Janis Joplin, Steps, and Take That.
• The group also wrote a number of major hit songs for other artists including Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Celine Dion, Destiny's Child, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.

Following a relapse last month, Robin’s wife Dwina, 59, spoke of her joy after he woke from a 12-day coma despite being given just a 10 per cent chance of survival by doctors.  She had been told to start making plans for his passing as he slumped into a coma after contracting pneumonia.  Dwina and her family had held a constant bedside vigil for him - and had been playing his favourite music to try and rouse him.  She said that he cried when she played him Roy Orbison’s 1962 song Crying.

But Robin defied the odds and regained consciousness as music from his Titanic Requiem was played for him when he was in a coma.  He had been due to premiere the collaborative classical work with his 29-year-old son Robin-John in April, but the event went ahead without him due to his poor health.

He first felt the illness while on stage in Belgium in August 2010, and later had an emergency operation for a blocked intestine.  He cancelled a series of shows in Brazil in April 2011, after again suffering from abdominal pains.

The procedure sparked memories of the deaths of his twin brother Maurice, 53, who died of complications from a twisted intestine in 2003.

Their younger brother Andy also died young. He was just 30 when he died of myocarditis caused by a viral infection.

After his successful surgery doctors advised him to have a scan, but he waited for eight months before going ahead, afraid of what he would be told.  He admitted: 'Of course I was scared, like most people in my situation would be.

'I just didn't want to be told any bad news.'

When his wife Dwina and son Robin John eventually convinced him to have the scan, doctors found he had bowel cancer which had spread to his liver.  He said: 'I didn't cry, I just went into shock. I lost my appetite. I didn't want to eat, and I certainly couldn't sleep. I'd been in denial for so long.'

He was put on a course of chemotherapy, while Dwina - a druid priestess - also gave him health foods and herb teas in a bid to fight the disease.  He explained: 'The illness and the untimely death of my brothers made me conscious of the fact that - rather than just think about it - it's crucial that you do today what you want to do.  'Now I know how precious time is and you can't put it in the bank.  'I intend to make the most of every single second that I've got left.'

Robin Hugh Gibb was born in Douglas, on the Isle of Man, on 22^nd December 1949, an hour before his twin, Maurice. Barry was three years older. Their father was a jobbing drummer and the boys grew up in relative poverty in Manchester. “I can remember my dad sitting under a 40-watt bulb counting pennies, trying to make them last until Friday,” Robin remembered. “The evening meal was a sixpenny bag of chips divided among us all. But kids don’t question that. We didn’t think we were poor then. We only knew we were poor later.”

Robin and Maurice left school at 13, and with Barry they began performing in local clubs and theatres. Robin remembered in 2003: “We were writing music even as young kids, we created a world into which a lot of our friends couldn’t enter. We wanted to make music all our lives and it evolved to a point where the only people who could understand that were the three of us. We didn’t feel comfortable with anyone but ourselves. The three of us were like one person.”

From the very beginning, they concentrated on their close harmony vocals and detailed arrangements that would become their uniqueness for decades to come.  Soon they recorded an album which broke into the local charts.

The rest, as they say, is history and the full Bee Gees article and videos are here.

The parties in Heaven are getting bigger with such greats that we have written about gone from us to the pearly gates, like Elvis, Ronnie Drew, Barney McKenna and here, Donna Summer, Whitney Houston and here, Johnny Cash, The Clancy Brother and Tommy makem, Maurice Gibb and Andy Gibb.

Robin: May you RIP. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Have a memory of the Disco era, Bee Gee’s or Robin Gibb you would like to share? Contact me at:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." ' + path + '\'' + prefix + ':' + addy40708 + '\'>'+addy_text40708+'<\/a>'; //-->

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Category: Music . . . . .

Created: 19 May 2012

Last Updated: 05 January 2016

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Disco Queen was 35 years in Show Business

Also known as The Queen of Disco, Donna Summer died this morning – Thursday 17th May 2012 - at the age of 63.  She lost her year-long battle with breast cancer in her home in Key West Florida (according to the Associated Press).  Donna was one of the biggest stars of the ‘70’s disco era and had a huge influence on the pop/dance/rock sound that was a hybrid of American soul and European synthesizer based music and dance music scenes.  Following the news of her passing, the singer's family released a statement saying that they "are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy."

Read more: Donna Summer - Disco Queen - Mini Biography

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Written by Sean Moore

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Category: Music . . . . .

Created: 11 May 2012

Last Updated: 05 January 2016

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The Cat with the Black Strat

Sean MooreBy Sean Moore

May 2012

Palm Beach County

South Florida

David Jon Gilmour was born on 6th March 1946, in Cambridge, England.  As the vocalist and lead guitarist of Pink Floyd, he is considered one of the most influential guitarists on the rock stage.

His music education began at the age of thirteen (lucky for us). Whilst Elvis may have been his primary influence, it wasn’t until the Everly Brothers hit, Bye Bye Love, and a guitar borrowed from the neighbours tone deaf son that he started to play. He still has that guitar.

David Gilmour

In his early years he was seldom seen without a guitar in hand and by late 1962 he had joined a local band, The Ramblers.  At the same time he was moonlighting with another local band, The Newcomers. By this time Dave was playing an old Burns guitar and a crappy amp but you could tell he was on his way. In 1963 Dave chose to quit school during his A levels as passing meant going to university and leaving the local music scene. He may have come across as shy and unassuming but his appearance got him noticed…. he was referred to as “the Adonis” by the girls in what would become to be known as the Cambridge mafia and with Dave’s reputation growing, Brian Epstein sent a scout to see him play but decided not to sign him.

In 1965 taking a break from his new band Jokers Wild, Dave hitchhiked across France to stay with friends near St Tropez. It was during this trip he met up with his old pal Syd Barrett. One night they got drunk and were arrested for busking. They would meet again when Jokers Wild and the Tea Set where booked to play a 21st birthday party. Also playing that night, an unknown singer/songwriter by the name of Paul Simon asked if he could do a number with them, they eventually agreed and did a cover of Johnny B Good.

Later, Dave met Jimi Hendrix in Paris and was entrusted in squiring him around town. He had seen Hendrix jamming at Blaises in London the year before and raved about him. Jokers Wild would become a different band now, doing covers of Hendrix and Cream. Dave’s folks came over for his 21^st birthday and bought him a cream-white Fender Telecaster.  He was hardly seen without it for the rest of the trip.

When their van was broken into and the microphones stolen, Dave realised that it would be cheaper to go to London and replace them rather than buying in France. It was on this trip that he would encounter Pink Floyd and a debilitated Syd Barrett. Dave could hardly believe what was happening to his old friend.

On 30^th July 1966, Dave and band where on a slow train to Malaga. England had just beaten Germany in the world cup final and the band was in disarray, their gear had been lost at Calais, retrieved in Paris, lost en route to Madrid and finally turned up in Marbella. The gear and the band had not fared well in Franco’s Spain and worse was yet to come.  They had secured a gig as resident band at a new hotel, only problem, the hotel was still under construction and the accommodation they were promised was a bomb shelter used in WW2.

By the time they reached Marbella, the band had changed their name from Jokers Wild to Bullitt and then to Flowers to capture the peace and love mood of the time, not that there was much love in the band. They were living hand to mouth. To save money they shared a hotel room.  Dave got sick and was admitted to hospital suffering from malnutrition and pneumonia.  They left the hotel without paying but to his credit Dave went back five years later, found the couple who looked after him when he was ill and paid them.

His experiences in France and Spain only heightened his resolve. He was looking for a new band, in November he went to see Pink Floyd open for Jimi Hendrix.  A few weeks later he would see them again at the Royal College of Art.  Athe gig Nick Mason approached Dave - “If I said we were looking for another guitarist would you be interested”?  The plan was that Syd would be the songwriter and join the band on stage when he wanted to, like the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson.

The early rehearsals with Pink Floyd were a bit of a struggle.  He walked out of one of the rehearsals and eventually came back.

At this stage Syd was becoming more unreliable, and very soon the five piece band became a four piece.

Saucerful of Secrets was Floyd’s second album and the title track was Daves first professional songwriting credit. His name is incorrectly spelt "Gilmore", an error that would persist on all pressings until finally being corrected with the 1994 re-mastered version. Rolling Stone magazine's review was unfavourable, calling it "not as interesting as their first" and "rather mediocre", highlighting the near-departure of Syd Barrett.  Allmusic called it "a transitional album” on which the band moved from Syd Barrett's relatively concise and vivid songs to spacey, ethereal material with lengthy instrumental passages.

On the next project Dave worked on co-producing Syd’s first solo album titled The Madcap Laughs.  As Dave put it “Sessions were pretty tortuous and very rushed. We had very little time, particularly with The Madcap Laughs.”  Syd was very difficult and frustrating to work with.

Meanwhile the Floyd were working on their next project which was to become Umma Gumma a double album one disc was recorded in the studio and the other was a live recording.  On side one Dave wrote Narrow Way his first major Floyd composition.  When asked about his inspiration he replied “well, we'd decided to make the damn album, and each of us had to do a piece of music on our own”.

In 1970 Floyd released, Atom Heart Mother, Dave’s contribution was the beautifully pastoral Fat Old Sun on which he played all the instruments except keyboards.  He went on to perform this on his last solo tour with a ripping extended guitar solo.

Although the album charted at number one in the UK, Dave was quoted saying “I think both Atom Heart Mother and Umma gumma are pretty horrible. Well, the live disc of Umma gumma might be all right, but even that isn't recorded well”

Upon its release in October 1971, Meddle received generally positive reviews from music critics. Rolling Stone wrote "Meddle not only confirms lead guitarist David Gilmour's emergence as a real shaping force with the group, it states forcefully and accurately that the group is well into the growth track again”. The album consists of five songs on side one and the very brilliant Echoes on side two, showing how the band had yet again changed direction.

After many months spent touring, March 1972 saw Pink Floyd release their magnum opus “Dark side of the Moon” which would stay in the charts for 736 weeks - that's over 14 years - consecutively.  It featured three of Dave’s best guitar solos Money, Time and Breath reprise.  They toured for the next year, slowly adding new material to the show.  Wish You Were Here was released in September 1975.   Dave’s playing would be an very important feature of the album, with his long intro to Shine on You Crazy Diamond and the acoustic anthem of Wish You Were Here, also notable on the album is Dave’s raunchy rock guitar sound on Have a Cigar.  Dave married his first wife, Ginger, in 1975 and it was also the year of Pink Floyd's second US tour.

During the production of the Animals album Ginger gave birth to the first of four children, a daughter named Alice.  Roger also took control of the band.  The concept of working together on previous works turned into Rogers control with the exception of Dogs which was written by Dave. Critics slated it and fans loved it.  Over three million people saw it live. Within this impenetrable fortress of unfriendly radio, we can hear Dave Gilmour's guitars at their absolute best. It was also around this time that Dave discovered, financed and produced English teen singer/songwriter Kate Bush after receiving a demo tape from mutual friend Ricky Hooper.

In 1978 Dave released the first of three solo albums the self-titled David Gilmour, "This album was important to me in terms of self-respect …. I needed to step out from behind Pink Floyd's shadow." Two songs stand out - Short and Sweet and Mihalis.  The album charted at #17.  Not too shabby for a first attempt.

At the end of the seventies, one final Floyd album was released. In 1979 The Wall was finally completed and charted at #3 in the UK and #1 in the USA (1980).  it was the final leg of the Holy Trinity.  The others being DsotM and Wish You Were Here.  Although Dave wrote only one song for the album, Comfortably Numb has its origins in Dave’s debut solo album was the source of much argument.  Following a full-scale argument in a North Hollywood restaurant, Dave and Roger compromised; the song's body included the orchestral arrangement, with Dave’s second and final guitar solo standing alone.

Taking time off from Pink Floyd's schedule, Dave released his second solo album - About Face in 1984.  Two songs, All Lovers Are Deranged and the more radio-friendly Love on the Air, were co-written by Dave and his long-time friend Pete Townshend of The Who.  The most notable track on the album is Murder. The album release was followed up by a European and North American tour which kicked off in the Stadium in Dublin, what a night it was, Kate Bush was in the audience in a blonde wig.  I was also there.

Dave took up various roles as a producer, sideman and even concert sound engineer for a wide variety of acts which included former band mate Syd Barrett, Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, Berlin, Grace Jones, Tom Jones, Elton John, Eric Clapton, B. B. King, Seal, Sam Brown, Jools Holland, Bob Dylan, Pete Townshend, The Who, Super Tramp, Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Alan Parsons, and various charity groups among others. He also appeared on Bryan Ferry’s album Boys and Girls and played with them at Live Aid.  During the performance, Dave had half his chanellas fail, and to have a string break also, he pulled thru like just another day at the office.

After the Wall it seemed to many including Roger Waters that Pink Floyd was done.  This was not to be the case as Dave took up the reigns and got the band back together after a few years of wrangling in the courts.  They went on to produce two more studio albums A momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell and two live albums.

In 2001 and 2002, he performed a small number of acoustic solo concerts in London and Paris, along with a small band and choir, which was documented on the ‘In Concert’ release. On 24^th September 2004, Dave performed a three song set at The Strat Pack concert at London's Wembley Arena, marking the 50th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster guitar.

On 6^th March 2006, his 60th birthday, he released his third solo album, On an Island, and a day later it was released in the US; it debuted at No. 1 in the UK charts. The album reached the top five in Germany and Sweden, and the top six in Billboard 200.The album also features Dave’s debut with the saxophone.

Dave toured Europe, US and Canada from 10^th March to 31^st May 2006 to promote On an Island. There were 10 shows in the US and Canadian leg of the tour. In a press release to promote the tour, David Gilmour stated: "I'm rather hoping that with this tour announcement, people will believe me when I say, honestly, this is the only band I plan to tour with!”

A video recording of a show from Dave’s solo tour, titled Remember That Night – Live At The Royal Albert Hall was released on 17^th September 2007with appearances by David Bowie and Robert Wyatt.  David Gilmour's On an Island tour took place at the Gdańsk Shipyard on 26^th August 2006. The concert was held before a crowd of 50,000, and marked the twenty-sixth anniversary of the founding of the Solidarity trade union.

On 4^th July 2009, he joined his friend Jeff Beck onstage at the Royal Albert Hall. David and Jeff traded solos on Jerusalem and closed the show with Hi Ho Silver Lining.

On 11^th July 2010, Dave gave a performance for the charity Hoping Foundation with Roger Waters in Oxfordshire, England. According to onlookers, it seemed clear that Dave and Roger had ended their long-running feud and seemed to be the best of friends. Roger confirmed via his Facebook page that Dave would play Comfortably Numb with him during one of his shows on his upcoming The Wall Live tour.

Dave released an album with The Orb in 2010 entitled Metallic Spheres, on which he co-wrote, produced, played guitar and sang on every track,.

Dave is still playing the odd gig here and there recently joining a cast of musicians in the final part of a gala performance in tribute to Douglas Adams creator of Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy.

“The memories of a man in old age are the deeds of man in his prime”

Now hit the NEXT button below for 14 more great videos, including a full concert

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Category: Music . . . . .

Created: 04 May 2012

Last Updated: 05 January 2016

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The Gravedigger who overcame his shyness and sold 100 million Albums

By Bob Tallent
May 2012

This Englishman was born in London near the end of the WW2 but prefers to be called a Scotsman.  He left school at 15 and worked as a silk screen printer.  He then tried his hand at professional football with Brentwood FC, worked in his fathers shop, worked as a grave digger (to overcome his fear of death), in a funeral parlour, as a fence erector and sign writer.  He lost a law suit against Jorge Ben for copying a song.  He slept under bridges in Paris when he was young and broke and was deported from Spain for vagrancy and lived in a houseboat which was later sunk by the police.  He was arrested three times when he took part in sit-ins.   As a youngster he was very shy and suffered from nerves.

Rod StewartI’m talking about Rod Stewart.

Be prepared to look at 9 hours of music in 42 videos in this article

Nicknamed ‘Rod the Mod’ in 1964 by Long John Baldry because of his dandy style and dress, Roderick David Stewart was born in London on 10^th January 1945 to Robert and Elsie Stewart.  Elsie was English and Robert was Scottish.  He was the youngest of five children and was spoilt as a child.  His brothers are Don and Bob; his sisters are Mary and Peggy.  He now has eight childrenof his own.  His children are Sarah Thubron Streeter (born 1964) born to art student Susannah Boffey; Kimberly Stewart (b. 21 August 1979) and Sean Stewart (b. 1 September 1980) born to Alana Stewart (ex-wife of actor George Hamilton); Ruby Stewart (b. 17 June 1987), born to Kelly Emberg; Renee Stewart (b. 1 June 1992), Liam McAlister Stewart (b. 4 September 1994), born to ex-wife Rachel Hunter, a model, Alistair Wallace Stewart (b. 27 November 2005) and Aiden Stewart (born 16 February, 2011), born to wife Penny Lancaster.  He said of his kids, “they've grown up privileged and it's an ongoing battle. They know the price of everything and the value of nothing”.

Rod took up the harmonica and guitar around 1962 and teamed up with jazz singer Wizz Jones while busking around London.  He then moved to Paris and next Barcelona.  He was deported from Spain.

Also in 1962 he joined the Ray Davies Quartet as a singer. They later changed their name to The Kinks.  He was sacked from The Kinks after only a few weeks because they didn’t like his voice.  It was around this time that he changed his appearance and became interested in R&B and Soul.  He joined The Dimensions in 1963.  They later changed their name to Jimmy Powell and the Dimensions.  He lasted only a few months with them

In January 1964 Rod was busking in London and was discovered by British blues pioneer Long John Baldry.  He was so impressed with Rod’s vocal ability that he invited him to join his band, The Hoochie Coochie Men.  LJB paid Rod £35 a week (which is around £400-600 in todays money). The band supported the Rolling Stones on tour.  Rod has often admitted in interviews that he owes his great success to that chance meeting with LJB.  It was around that time he began to overcome his shyness on stage.  He left The Hoochie Coochie Men in Oct 1964 after having a row with LJB.  Later in 1965, they became friends again.

He went on a solo career, played some solo gigs and signed with Decca Records in 1964. His first single with Decca was a failure.  In 1965 he brought out two more singles with Columbia EMI label and even though there was a 30 minute documentary aired on UK TV, ‘an Easter with Rod’, they also flopped.  He teamed up with The Soul Agents and was part of another group called Steampacket which supported The Rolling Stones and The Walker Brothers.

In March of 1966, he was either sacked from or quit Steampacket (nobody knows which).  In May of that year he joined Shotgun Express with Mick Fleetwood and Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac) and left later that year.  He spent a lot of time trying to “find himself” and bounced around from group to group without success.  In order to find his own style, he decided to start writing.

In February 1967 he joined with Jeff Beck and the Yardbirds. The Jeff Beck group and toured the UK and Europe.  He met Ronnie Wood and with the group released a few singles with Rod on the B-side without great success.  The group were running out of money when they were booked on a six week tour of America in June 1968.  Rods first night on stage in America was a disaster because his nerves got the better of him and he got stage fright.  Despite that the tour was a big success with the New York Times saying "the interaction of Mr. Beck's wild and visionary guitar against the hoarse and insistent shouting of Rod Stewart”.  They were receiving standing ovations and getting audiences as big as The Doors and Jimi Hendrix. They released an album ‘Truth’ in August 1968 which hit no. 15 in the US charts, toured again in the US and released another album that also hit no. 15 in USA and no. 39 in UK.  Rod had problems with the group and didn’t like the in-fighting.

In 1968-69 Rod signed with Mercury records and released his own solo album which was a mix of folk, rock, and country blues. He later joined up with Faces who released their first album in early 1970.  Rod also released his second solo album, Gasoline Alley, later in 1970.  He also sang guest vocals for Python Lee Jackson and got paid with a set of seat covers.

In 1971 he released his third solo album ‘Every Picture tells a Story’ with Maggie May on it.  Rod achieved the impossible - a feat that neither the Beatles nor Elvis Presley had ever attained.  Maggie May hit No. 1 in Britain and America at the same time as the album Every Picture Tells A Story hit No. 1.  Rod was at No.1 in the four most important charts in the world and it was the first time anyone had achieved such a feat.  Over the next eighteen months, back catalogue album titles solo, with the Faces and the Jeff Beck Group, started to pick up steady sales.

Also in 1971 the Faces released their second album which hit the top ten in US and UK.  They toured in 1972.  Tensions arose in the band over Rods solo career. Rod released another solo album which hit no. two in US and no. one in UK.  Rod was now on a roll.

Rod and the Faces were in a unique position at this time. Unlike other groups and individuals in the UK singles charts, (T Rex, Slade and other emerging bubblegum glam rockers) they were established in America and their albums treated seriously by the music papers. The album charts they were light years away from progressive acts like Genesis and Yes.  Despite this they were readily embraced by both. Few acts at this time could boast such an appeal. The year started with both Every Picture Tells A Story and A Nod's As Good As A Wink in the UK Top 10. During April the Faces appeared on BBC2's 'Sounds For Saturday' performing a classic set which had been recorded just prior to the massive success of Maggie May.

In 1975 Rod moved to the United States. The next year, he reached the top of the U.S. charts with "Tonight's the Night" from A Night on the Town.  He continued to have a slicker more pop sound as the decade progressed. He also developed a reputation for his partying lifestyle and for dating numerous actresses and models. With 1978's Blondes Have More Fun, he had another smash hit single with "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"

Through the rest of the 1970’s he continued to tour. He met with Britt Ekland and allowed her to dictate his sense of dress and for a while appeared in faintly ludicrous dungarees made out of silk and ridiculous jump suits. At the same time he became the favourite of the magazines and gutter press, a reputation he maintained through his succession of affairs with numerous women.

Throughout the second half of the 1970’s his albums were hit and miss affairs.  They were very successful, selling millions and in many cases topping the charts world-wide. The high-spots during this glitzy phase which saw him readily embrace the prevalent disco era – such as The Bee Gees in last weeks article - were 'The Killing Of Georgie', Cat Stevens' 'First Cut Is The Deepest', 'Tonight's The Night' and 'You're In My Heart'.

With 1981's Tonight I'm Yours, Rod began adding elements of new wave and synth pop to his formula resulting in another platinum album. His career then hit a slump. His next four albums sounded forced and he only scored three Top Ten hits between 1982 and 1988.  Out of those four albums, only 1983's Camouflage went gold. He rebounded with 1988's Out of Order, recorded with Duran Duran's Andy Taylor and Chic's Bernard Edwards. His version of Tom Waits' "Downtown Train," taken from the 1989 four-disc box set Storyteller, became his biggest hit since "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" Vagabond Heart (1991) reflected a more mature and reflective Rod Stewart and continued his comeback streak.

Rod reunited with Ronnie Wood to record an MTV Unplugged concert in 1993; the accompanying album, Unplugged...and Seated, launched the Top Ten hit single "Have I Told You Lately." Unplugged also brought Rod back to a more acoustic-based sound. On his 1995 album A Spanner in the Works, he developed a more polished version of this sound scoring another hit with Tom Petty's "Leave Virginia Alone." The following year, he released If We Fall in Love Tonight, which was comprised of both previously released and new material. When We Were the New Boys, a return to his roots in trad rock, followed in 1998.

As we entered the new century Rod underwent successful surgery for thyroid cancer in July 2000, and announced he was completely recovered in January 2001.  He then moved onto a new path with Human, an album that attempted to cross over to contemporary and urban audiences, but failed with the critical and commercial public.  He then brought out The Great American Songbook which became an adult contemporary favourite and lodged near the top of the album charts after its release in 2002.

In March 2005, he proposed to girlfriend Penny Lancaster at the top of the Eiffel Tower. They got married on board his yacht "Lady Anne MaGee" in the Portofino Harbour, Italy after his divorce from Rachel Hunter was finalised.

In 2009 the Sunday Times List estimated his net worth at $164 million and he sold over 100 million albums.

Rod Stewart, one of the biggest 'superstars' of the century, has turned 67 without his audience diminishing in any way. His credibility as high as it had ever been.

I’ll leave with a final quote from the man himself:

“I don't mind buying one round of drinks, but I am bloody well not going to buy another. I don't miss a penny. I get a daily statement about where every penny is going and every investment. I wouldn't say I worry about money, but you never know what's around the corner. I worry more about my children's views on money sometimes. They've grown up privileged and it's an ongoing battle. They know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

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