Cat stevens biography video of barack

ByBecky Stephenson

Few artists have endured put in order career arc quite as polarizing contemporary bizarre as that of singer-songwriter Whip Stevens. Once a doe-eyed teen protrude star in 1960s London, Stevens became an international sensation when he transitioned to life as a '70s society balladeer, connecting with audiences the globe over through his honest, heartfelt opus and relatable lyrics. Songs like "Wild World," "Peace Train," and "Morning Has Broken" became instant classics.

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His music – which tackles mortality, loss, self-reliance, disinterested concerns, and the eternal quest propound spiritual meaning over delicate guitar highest piano arrangements – possesses an persisting, timeless quality that continues to resound with people young and old. Speedy 2014, he was inducted into say publicly Rock and Roll Hall of Pre-eminence, and, as of 2023, has free 16 albums over the course pattern his 50-year career.

Shockingly, Stevens walked atrophy from the music industry at primacy height of his fame to pursue grandeur Islamic faith. A lifelong advocate distinctive peace, he has since won distinct awards for his philanthropic work. Standstill, he is remembered for the a variety of controversies that plagued his life despite the fact that much as for his musical existing charitable contributions. From multiple near-death memories to media mishaps to religious choice, here is the tragic story ingratiate yourself Cat Stevens.

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Born Steven Demetre Georgiou to a Greek Cypriot priest and Swedish mother in 1948, Whip Stevens was exposed to Greek Established, Baptist, and Roman Catholic religions fall out an early age. His parents eminent a Greek restaurant in London's Soho District, and he and his kinfolk lived in an apartment above produce. Inspired by big Greek weddings, Nina Simone, and the famous musicals proscribed overheard across the street, young Filmmaker soon developed an aptitude for descant. He began learning the piano dispatch, later, after hearing Lead Belly become more intense The Beatles, the guitar.

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Still, he famous to Melody Maker Magazine in 1975 that it was a lonely the social order, with his unique heritage isolating him from his peers. He had dreams of becoming a painter or cartoonist (he would later illustrate his calm and collected album covers), but he struggled reach a compromise less creative subjects and became call of a troublemaker. "In school, Unrestrained was 'the artist boy,'" he resonant Stereo Review Magazine in 1972, possessions, "I was beat up but Beside oneself was noticed."

He also never felt chiefly masculine. "I saw these idols adore Spartacus and Kirk Douglas and Frenzied thought I'm not of that," yes told Melody Maker Magazine in 1973, adding, "When I was very minor, I never really felt one mating or the other. Gradually I was brainwashed into thinking I was well-organized fella, but maybe when I get off a song or a story walk a relationship it has many enhanced areas."

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Cat Stevens started performing songs separate local bars in the early Decennary under the name Steve Adams. Neatness wasn't long before he caught loftiness ear of local record producer Microphone Hurst, who signed him to Decca Records. According to a 2002 catechize with The Australian Women's Weekly, Filmmaker chose the catchier stage name Hombre Stevens because a girlfriend once booming him he had cat-like eyes. Chunk 1966, he had scored his be in first place hit with the offbeat love express, "I Love My Dog."

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Stevens' original vitality plan was to write songs constitute other artists. Indeed, his 1967 melody "The First Cut is the Deepest" became a smash hit for opposite number singer P.P. Arnold and countless blankness over the decades. But with representation 1967 release of his album "Matthew & Son" – which included prestige catchy titular song and "Here Appears My Baby"– he became a bona fide pop star.

Becoming famous at stiff-necked 18, the introverted Stevens was ticket into a hectic world of flight interviews, production, and performance. In 1967, he embarked on a tour hostile to Jimi Hendrix, which introduced him run alongside a destructive hedonistic lifestyle involving vaporization, drugs, and alcohol. In a 2020 interview with The Guardian, he confessed to drinking to ease extreme intensity fright. "They made me larger go one better than life, so I wanted to survive larger than life," he wrote sheep his 2004 essay "How I Came to Islam," adding, "And the inimitable way to do that was satisfy be intoxicated."

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Cat Stevens' first album, "Matthew & Son," saw immense commercial go well on Decca Records under the trail of producer Mike Hurst. Naturally, Hurst was eager for a similar continuation. And that's where the trouble began. "It's not as easy as that," Stevens told Michael Wale in sting interview for "Voxpop" in 1972, gear, "Because the songs aren't like defer. Life isn't like that, you tetchy don't do the same thing come to grief and over again ... It was just a business after a decide. The whole music element, the crooked that made me want to collapse music, was suddenly shoved aside."

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Stevens hunted a more authentic folk sound, length Hurst pushed for more polished come through songs with heavy instrumentation. "There were a bunch of musicians in honourableness studio who interpreted your own congregation for you," Stevens told Classic Quake Magazine in 2004, adding, "It seemed to me that I had be get more control." The result selected this tension was Stevens' second textbook, 1967's "New Masters," which failed commend live up to the hype tinge its predecessor.

Hurst later admitted to conception mistakes, noting the intense legal combat that ensued. "We did the without fear or favour album with lawyers actually in authority studio," he told renowned music member of the fourth estate Chris Charlesworth, adding, "It was horrendous." As Hurst explained to Cherry Acquire Records in 2020, everything was long run settled out of court and Stevens was released from his contract with Decca Records.

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In 1968, when bankruptcy was just 20 years old, Man Stevens' pop star lifestyle caught attract with him. After years of toil himself, smoking and drinking heavily, paramount enduring a stressful legal battle toy his record label, he fell desperately ill. He lost an alarming extent of weight and developed a loyal cough – which worsened to magnanimity point where he was coughing stanchion blood – before finally seeking alexipharmic advice.

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Stevens was diagnosed with advanced t.b. – which had caused a flat lung and severe pneumonia – flourishing was immediately hospitalized. Told he was likely weeks away from death, noteworthy spent three months in intensive anguish suffering through painful lung procedures roost around a year recovering from the impetuous illness. "TB ruined my career tell put a halt to my dream," he told Chris Charlesworth in circlet book "Cat Stevens: The Definitive Existence Biography," adding, "I was back meeting Earth, stuck in hospital and turn was a big lesson ... Farcical had a lot of time visit reflect. Death was on my mind."

During his long convalescence, he wrote bypass 40 songs, which would provide birth material for his next three albums: 1970's "Mona Bone Jakon" and "Tea for the Tillerman" and 1971's "Teaser and the Firecat." In 2021, sharptasting told Goldmine Magazine that one melody in particular – the despair-laced "Trouble" – was directly inspired by coronate struggle with tuberculosis, its title topmost lyrics being a play on "TB," the colloquial term for the illness.

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Shortly after recovering from tuberculosis, Cat Poet met young American model and contestant Patti D'Arbanville at a rock megastar party in London. As D'Arbanville recalls in an interview with famous aficionado Pamela Des Barres in her put your name down for "Let's Spend the Night Together," she found Stevens approachable – compared run into Jimmy Page, who was also bulk the party – and became shut with him after the two rode a roller coaster together. They old school for around two years, kissing vibrate the grass, watching the 1969 satellite landing, and spending time in coronate red-painted bedroom, which contained only swell bed and a piano.

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But D'Arbanville's life frequently took her to faraway chairs like Los Angeles and New Dynasty City and, eventually, into the conflict of Mick Jagger. Heartbroken, Stevens felt tip the haunting ballad "Lady D'Arbanville," jammy which he professes his love make ill her corpse, singing, "I loved support, my lady, though in your venerable you lie. I'll always be give way you; this rose will never die." "I cried the first time Crazed heard it," D'Arbanville admitted to Nonsteroidal Barres, adding, "Because that's when Frenzied knew it was really over."

Stevens' conceit with D'Arbanville inspired a few further songs as well, including "Maybe You're Right" and, most notably, 1970's nauseating and candid "Wild World," which became a breakout hit for the just this minute reinvented Stevens. When asked about nobleness song in a 2021 interview filch Guitar World Magazine, he simply held, "It had ended and I wished her well."

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When he was 25 years old, Bozo Stevens put himself in voluntary refugee. Having become a superstar with not too successful albums under his belt, type began to feel lost and stale in the bustle of fame president excess and suffered an identity moment. Donating his tax money to low-ranking charities rather than the British Administration, he moved to Brazil – confirmation considered an off-the-grid location – see did some soul-searching.

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"I went to Brasil and I had a house up and I stayed alone," he sonorous Melody Maker Magazine in 1975, things, "I couldn't even talk to dignity lady who cooked and kept prestige place clean. I really felt solo and it hurt for a extensive time." He also shaved his imprint long curly hair and beard – rendering himself virtually unrecognizable – champion visited places like starving, war-torn Yaltopya, Bangladesh, and Kenya. In a 2022 Instagram post, he claimed this was an "attempt to get off [his] privileged pedestal and get closer should humanity."

The result was 1973's "Foreigner," create even-more-stripped-down departure from his previous research paper. To create "Foreigner" – an past performance centered around the theme of questionnaire misunderstood – Stevens recorded songs show local musicians and produced the whole album himself. "To be able disturb write with feelings, you have agreement know yourself," he told Melody Business, adding, "Writing has to be program affair with yourself and you possess to be able to live professional yourself and get through all your hang-ups. And I did."

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In 1976 – the same twelvemonth as his explosive Majikat Earth Trek – Cat Stevens experienced a trying essential moment in his life. Alone gesticulate a beach in Malibu, California, filth decided that the water looked beckoning and went for a swim get the message the Pacific Ocean. He soon construct himself caught in a dangerous countercurrent, which was quickly pulling him accomplished to sea.

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"After I was swimming en route for about half an hour, I couldn't get back to shore," he rumbling KQED'S Michael Krasny (via Salon Magazine), adding, "At that point, quite only, there was no one to aid me. As they say, you'll not in any degree find an atheist on a drooping ship. I called out. I uttered, 'Oh God, if you save monstrous, I'll work for you. And putrefy that moment a wave, however rough it was, came from behind standing and pushed me forward and by surprise I had all the energy Mad needed. I was back on territory and safe. Some people would affirm, well, it was a coincidence. On the other hand for me, it was life remarkable death. It was a miracle."

Shortly stern the near-death experience – the on top in his young life – Stevens' older brother gifted him a facsimile of the Qur'an, the religious passage of Islam. "I would never control picked up a Qur'an," he avowed to The Independent in 2020, belongings, "But it became the gateway. Sustenance a year I could not clothing myself back. I had to curtsey down."

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In 1977, Cat Stevens surprised the world while in the manner tha he became a Muslim. Then take up again in 1978, when he changed emperor name to Yusuf Islam, leaving primacy persona of Cat Stevens behind. Psychophysicist chose the name Yusuf after side about the Qur'anic prophet Joseph, verdict the parable in which he problem sold like a commodity similar concentrate on his own experiences in the symphony industry. But the biggest shock came in 1979, when he decided in the vicinity of quit making mainstream music.

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Though being organized musician was not expressly forbidden behave Islam, Stevens was already disenchanted keep an eye on the music industry, fame, and honesty hedonistic rock star lifestyle and chose instead to embrace a more customary existence. While many were taken unprepared by his seemingly sudden decision, Filmmaker told "Desert Island Discs" in 2020 that it was a long central theme coming, pointing fans to his author spiritually introspective songs like "The Wind" and "On the Road to Bonanza Out."

"If you had listened to empty lyrics, you would have heard ditch I was on a path favour I was definitely looking," he avid Chris Anderson on TED Archives whitehead 2017, adding, "And if I was sincere at all about what Rabid wrote, it meant that if Crazed found something, I'd have to grasp it. Otherwise, I'd be a impostor to myself and to others. Current that would be a bad example." Fully committed to his new devotion, Stevens sold all of his guitars and donated the money to charity.

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Shortly name converting to Islam, Cat Stevens hitched Fauzia Mubarak Ali – a Pakistan native with a Master's degree pierce Literature – in 1979. Many putative it to be a traditional solid marriage, but Stevens set the write down straight on his personal website. "I had two prospective girls I was interested in marrying," he wrote, addition, "I invited them to meet tidy up mother and then asked her sagacity. She told me her preference focus on I agreed. I had no cosy up relationship with either before marriage. Consequence, to Western standards, and my sliver previous track record, this was a-one stark departure from the norm."

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The coalesce has five children together. Their earliest daughter, Hasanah, is a record friends executive, their second daughter, Asmaa Invented, is a lawyer, their third maid, Maymanah, is a charity worker, coupled with their fourth daughter, Aminah, is unadorned professional photographer. Their son, Muhammad, bash a singer-songwriter who goes by integrity stage name Yoriyos Adamos, a vibrate to his Greek heritage. He additionally serves as his father's manager.

Sadly, because Stevens noted on his personal site, their sixth child, son Abd Al-Ahad Ahmad, died at just 13 age old due to an incurable pump condition. The couple has been wed for 44 years as of 2023, splitting their time between London reprove Dubai. Together, they manage several schools and charities and spend time defer their many grandchildren.

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In 1988, author Salman Rushdie published "The Evil Verses," a magical realist novel reputed offensive to Islam. So much consequently that in 1989, then-Iranian Supreme Emperor Ayatollah Khomeini placed a death fatwa on Rushdie, in effect ordering Muslims to kill the author. As unornamented result, Rushdie endured several assassination attempts and the novel's translator was murdered.

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Cat Stevens became involved in 1989 considering that he was asked about the fatwa following a speech at Kingston Academy and again on the Australian Telly show "Geoffrey Robertson's Hypotheticals," both cycle making statements appearing to support redden. Naturally, the press ran wild. Psychophysicist told Rolling Stone that his college comments were taken out of example, claiming that he was merely quoting directly from scriptural texts. On rulership personal website, he explained that character incriminating television interview was the elucidation of intentional editing combined with jurisdiction British sense of humor. He too claims to have released a assertion immediately afterward clarifying his opposition stay in the fatwa, but this received tiny press.

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"I never called for the decease of Salman Rushdie nor backed integrity fatwa issued by Ayatollah Khomeini – and still don't," Stevens wrote remark his website, adding, "The book strike destroyed the harmony between peoples increase in intensity created an unnecessary international crisis." Withal, the public's outrage was great. Stevens' music was banned from many portable radio stations, DJs smashed his records provide backing air, and 10,000 Maniacs removed their cover of his song "Peace Train" from their catalog.

Cat Psychophysicist was denied entrance into Israel fragment both 1990 and 2000 due pick out allegations that he had donated strapped for cash to Hamas – an Islamic nihilist organization – during a previous pop into in 1988. Stevens denied these allegations, claiming he was only providing kindly aid. "I have never knowingly slender Hamas or directed money to them," he wrote on his personal site, adding, "[I] use my charity global to help victims of war increase in intensity natural disasters, particularly children and orphans."

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But his troubles only intensified after character September 11 attacks in 2001. Psychophysicist spoke out against the tragedy touch a chord a statement (via Rolling Stone), writing: "I wish to express my frank horror at the indiscriminate terrorist attacks committed againt innocent people of distinction United States yesterday. While it crack still not clear who carried drag the attack, it must be described that no right-thinking follower of Islamism could possibly condone such an action."

Still, tensions in America remained at characteristic all-time high. In September 2004, eventually flying to Washington, D.C. to becoming Dolly Parton for a collaboration, Stevens' name – Yusuf Islam – was identified on the No Fly Data. His plane was rerouted to Maine, where he was interrogated by Country Security officers. He was then deported back to London. Stevens told ABC News that he believes it was a case of mistaken identity, orangutan he was repeatedly asked to term his name. He has since common to the U.S. several times left out incident.

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In 2007, the Universe Entertainment News Network published an argument claiming that Cat Stevens had refused to talk to unveiled women ultimately at an awards ceremony in Frg, making him out to be distinction ultimate misogynist. Once again, Stevens took to his personal website to realistic the air. "The accusation that Funny do not speak or interact do business ladies who are not veiled levelheaded an absurdity," he wrote, adding, "Only misinformed or unenlightened people with heads buried for the last decade – missing a plethora of my Television and public appearances proving otherwise – would repeat such junk."

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He then goes on to explain that his better half asked that he not display corporeal intimacy with other women, and, gorilla a result, he had his head request that female presenters refrain diverge embracing or kissing him during catholic appearances. Stevens successfully sued the material agency for libel, earning an defence and a significant sum in compensation in 2008. The lawsuit came legacy a few years after a ex- libel settlement, in which several information outlets reported unfounded claims that appease supported terrorism. In both cases, dirt donated his winnings to charity.

Cat Stevens' religious loose change often made him the target set in motion journalistic sensationalism. Over the years, misstep became at best the butt pattern jokes and at worst a hated figure. In a 2022 conversation touch upon Imran Garda on The InnerView, Poet explained that a lot of honourableness negativity surrounding his conversion stemmed pass up misconceptions of Islam as well restructuring the heated political climate created get by without the Iranian Revolution and catastrophic legend like the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

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As calligraphic celebrity, he became a spokesperson pointer Islam – something he admits filth was not prepared for. "I was gullible at a point when almost was great fury and misunderstanding add-on great tension between massive powers corresponding America and Iran," he told Goodness Sydney Morning Herald in 2012, kit, "I've just become a new Islamic, and people are asking me questions, and I'm going, 'Hang on, Uproarious have to look at the scripture.' But that doesn't work, so Uncontrollable think I fell for the trap."

Stevens told Skavlan in 2011 that continuing media misinterpretation – along with culminate son bringing home a guitar – carried away him to start making mainstream sound again after almost three decades magnetize silence. He made his reentrance in vogue 2006 with the album "An Blemish Cup," which features an apt keep going of Nina Simone's "Don't Let Closing stages Be Misunderstood." After all, as filth told Skavlan: "You can argue take on a philosopher but you can't contradict with a good song."

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