Download Free Cat Stevens * Songs

Cat Stevens music biography continued...

and disappearing from the music scene for over thirty years. Born in London to a Swedish mother and a Greek father on July 21 1947, Steven Demetre Georgiou became interested in music in his teens, began performing under the name Steve Adams in 1965, and eventually became known to the world as songwriter and singer Cat Stevens. At the peak of his musical career in the 1970's, Cat Stevens had eight consecutive gold albums and 10 hit singles in the United Kingdom and 14 in the United States. His best-known albums include Tea for the Tillerman, Teaser and the Firecats, Catch Bull at Four, and Buddah and the Chocolate Box. The most beloved Cat Stevens songs include anthems such as "Peace Train," "Moon Shadow," "Morning has Broken," "Father and Son," and "Oh Very Young."
Soon after these successes, Stevens decided to convert to Islam, despite the fact that his father's nationality had meant that he was raised to view the religion with suspicion. He changed his name to Yusuf Islam, and withdrew from the world of entertainment. Scandal broke out in 1989 when Yusuf was asked by a radio presenter to give his opinion on Salman Rushdie's controversial book 'Satanic Verses'. Although he stated that he thought the book to be blasphemous to the Islamic faith, he also declared that he did not condone the views of Ayatollah Khomeini, who had called for the death sentence for Rushdie. However, Yusuf Islam was misrepresented in the press and his music was subsequently blacklisted by a number of radio stations. 1995 saw the release of Yusuf Islam's first album in eighteen years, titled 'The Life of the Last Prophet'. He continues to write and perform and has appeared in several benefit concerts supporting social causes including the worldwide concerts for Darfur refugees (2004) and the global climate crisis (2007).