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Furthermore, he is also well known as an accomplished songwriter.
Rod Stewart mastered the creation of a unique and raw genre by combining folk, rock, blues, and country unheard of even today.
Rod separated the folk in rock and made it rocked well alone.
As Stewart climbs the ladder of success and fame, he managed to lose the core of the elements that be famed him.
Yet, he managed to uphold a well deserved title as a superb singer.
If I am correct he even, like we said in the industry "sell out" his true artistic path to the popular pop trend.
Did you know? Rod Stewart, before fame and fortune, started out as alumnae of the Brentford Football Club.
And at the dawn of the 60's He also toured Europe with folk singer Wizz Jones that landed him in trouble with the law for vagrancy and was kicked out of Spain.
In 1963, Rod Stewart finds himself in England, where he joined the birmingham-based R&B group Jimmy Powell & the Five Dimensions.
He starred as a vocalist and harmonica player.
They toured the U.
K.
, recorded one single with Pye Records.
That single had Rod Stewart on blues harp.
Shortly there after his descent to London, Rod Stewart joined Long John Baldry's band, the Hoochie Coochie Men.
Again he recorded a single in 1964, "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl.
" The single went nowhere.
Summer of 1965, Rod Stewart and the group joined the Rolling Stones and the Walker Brothers on a U.
K.
tour.
During that time they recorded an album that never released until 1970.
After the band flopped, they changed their name to Steampacket which in early 1966, were disbanded and Rod Stewart became a member of the blues-rock combo Shotgun Express.
They released one single that failed before even splitting.
Rod Stewart then joined the Jeff Beck Group at the end of 1966.
The era of the Jeff Beck Group, Rod Stewart may have found his steps up the ladder of stardom.
Rod Stewart and a former Yardbird guitarist teamed up to become the standard blueprint for heavy metal.
In the fall of 1968, the band's debut album was released and quickly became a hit in both America and Britain.
During 68 and 69 The Jeff Beck Group toured both countries several times.
It was their claim to fame as they gathered a sleuth of dedicated following.
The band released their second album in the summer of 1969 called "Beck-Ola".
Again became another hit record in both the U.
S.
and U.
K.
Unfortunately, the group was dismantle in the fall.
After his trial and tribulations with different bands, rejecting an offer to join the American rock group Cactus, Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck Group bassist Ron Wood joined the Small Faces.
He replaced the departed vocalist and guitarist Steve Marriott.
After shuffling the members around within the band, the group decided to shortened their name to just the Faces and recorded their debut album, "First Step.
" While with the group, Rod Stewart signed a solo contract.
Under which he released his first solo album "An Old Raincoat Won't Let You Down" which was changed for its American debut in 1969.
It did not make the record chart in the U.
K.
But it did climb to 139 on the U.
S.
charts.
Finally, in the spring of 1970, The Faces released "First Step".
The album did better in the U.
K.
than it did in the U.
S.
, but the group's popularity on both continents was a force to reckon with even with their reckless and messy live shows.
In the fall of 1970, Rod Stewart decided to release his second solo album "Gasoline Alley" which he supported with a U.
S.
tour.
After that, his career seems to be pivotal.
Early 1971, the Faces released their second album "Long Player" which became a bigger hit than "First Step".
Well, ladies and gentlemen, Rod Stewart third album "Every Picture Tells a Story" not only made Rod Stewart a household name, but also reached #1 in both America and the U.
K.
Not bad, Go Rod.
Although "Reason to Believe" was the first single on the album, it was till the DJs started to fell the b side of the album and started playing it, it became #1 in both the U.
S.
and the U.
K...
The single was called "Maggie May.
" It was a number one for five straight weeks.
"A Nod Is as Good as a Wink...
To a Blind Horse", The Faces sophomore album was released a couple of months later.
Due to the success of "Every Picture Tells a Story" the album was a Top Ten hit in both countries; it also launched the single "Stay with Me," which became the only Top 40 hit in the U.
S for Stewart's group.
Rod Stewart was about to face another trial of his career as his solo career start to skyrocket.
During his spring tour with The Faces, tensions start to flair between the members.
That same summer, he released his fourth solo album "Never a Dull Moment" which nearly repeated the success of "Every Picture Tells a Story".
The album rose to number two in the U.
S.
and number one in the U.
K.
As a group The Faces, in the spring of 1973, released their final album "Ooh La La.
" The Album hit number one in the U.
K.
and number 21 in the U.
S.
Early 1974 the "Pool Hall Richard" single was released and the band members part their ways.
It was the end of a great era.
At the peak of his career, Stewart released "Smiler" in the fall of 1975.
"Smiler" followed the footsteps of his previous hit albums.
Rod Stewart decided to settle down a bit.
In March of 1975, he began a love affair with Swedish actress Britt Ekland.
At that time, he faced a huge problem with the tax collectors of the U.
K.
I believed he paid his dues and apply for citizenship in the U.
S.
to pay more taxes.
Oops, did I say that.
What are you thinking, Rod? With a new citizenship at hand meant to adapt to changes.
Well in the summer of 1975 he released "Atlantic Crossing".
This album made him truly an American superstar.
A pop artist was born.
He recorded with producer Tom Dowd and the Muscle Shoals rhythm section that helped him remove his British roots with a more pop flavor.
At the end of the year, Rod Stewart left the Faces and the band finally called it quits.
Rod did not think twice, he successfully followed a pop career which landed him multiple platinum albums.
As his first "Tonight's The Night" became his first platinum album.
It stayed number one on the pop chart for 8 weeks.
Rod Stewart next album incorporated some disco to his musical formula for 1978's "Blondes Have More Fun".
Supported by the number one single "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?," the record became Rod Stewart 's first number one album since "Every Picture Tells a Story" It sold over four-million records.
Boy, didn't he become a bad boy of rock.
He dated a sleuth of actresses and models, I mean super models.
In 1993, Ron Wood and Rod Stewart got back together for an MTV Unplugged concert.
The same album hit the Top Ten hit single, "Have I Told You Lately.
" In 1995, his album "A Spanner in the Works", showed another facet of Rod Stewart's talent as a more polished artist, scoring another hit with Tom Petty's "Leave Virginia Alone.
" The following year, Rod Stewart released "If We Fall in Love Tonight" which was comprised of both previously released and new material.
In 1998 "When We Were the New Boys" was released and in early 2001 Stewart's "Human" followed.
In 2002, Rod Stewart released the first "Great American Songbook" album.
In the direction of Clive Davis of J Records and with songs written by legends such as Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, the album and its follow-ups have been smashing successes.
The first album from the songbook series "It Had to Be You ...
The Great American Songbook" reached number 4 on the U.
S.
album chart, number 8 in the UK and number 10 in Canada when released in late 2002.
The track "These Foolish Things" reached number 13 on the Billboard adult contemporary charts and number 2 in Taiwan.
"They Can't Take That Away From Me" went top 20 on the world internet charts and top 30 on the adult contemporary charts.
The Great American Songbook 2 topped number 2 in the U.
S.
, number 4 in the UK and number 1 in Canada.
"Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered", a duet with Cher went top 20 on the U.
S.
adult contemporary charts and top 5 in Taiwan.
"Time After Time" was another top 30 track on the U.
S.
adult contemporary charts.
In November of 2003 on the 7th to be exact, a musical featuring many of Stewart's songs opened at London's Victoria Palace theatre.
The musical was written and directed by Ben Elton, who previously created similar production "We Will Rock You" music by Queen.
Again in 2004, Stewart joined Ron Wood for reunion concerts of The Faces music's.
The joint effort paid off with the released of The Faces best of Changing Faces reached the top 20 of the UK album charts.
"Five Guys Walk Into A Bar" "Faces box set compilation" was well known as a "must have" in Rock & Roll history.
Together with Ron Wood he is still working on the album You Sing I'll Strut.
In late 2004, Stardust ...
The Great American Songbook Volume III, the third album in the series, was released.
It was his first U.
S.
number 1 album in 25 years, selling over 200,000 albums in its first week.
It also debuted at #1 in Canada, #3 in the UK and top ten in Australia.
His version of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World", featuring Stevie Wonder has made the top 20 of the world adult charts.
Stewart won his first ever Grammy Award for this album.
October 18, 2005 was his most recent record released called "Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook 4" it included duets with Diana Ross and Elton John.
Within weeks of its release, the CD made it to number 2 on the top 200 list.
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