Profile of the Day: Rod Stewart

Do you have a favorite Rod Stewart song? Today the legendary artist celebrates his 79th birthday.

Image: Rod Stewart / Helge Øverås, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

He was born Roderick David Stewart in London, England on January 10, 1945. The youngest of five children, Stewart excelled at soccer and had dreams of becoming a professional soccer player before choosing to follow his passion for music instead. After dropping out of school at the age of 15, Stewart held a wide variety of odd jobs, including a brief stint working as a laborer for Highgate Cemetery in London.

Stewart first rose to fame in the 1960s. His distinctive voice set him apart from other artists of the time and landed him at the top of the charts. With over 100 million records sold worldwide over the course of his long career, Stewart is one of the best selling-artists of all time. Some of his biggest hits include “Maggie May,” “Downtown Train,” and “Forever Young.”

Check out Rod Stewart’s family tree on Geni and share your connection to the singer!

View Rod Stewart’s Geni Profile