Stewart still croonin’ with new album, tour
Rod Stewart has no intention of following his pal’s path to retirement
Wake up, Canadian fans, Rod Stewart has something to say to you.
When the 73-year-old music legend — with a new album, Blood Red Roses, due in May — was asked to embark on his most extensive cross-Canada trek in decades, he had only one answer.
“Let’s do it! While I’ve got the legs and the voice and the stamina,” said Stewart before his tour launch, March 22 in Toronto.
Not that he’s thinking about packing it in anytime soon.
“It doesn’t even cross my mind — I enjoy myself,” said the double Rock and Roll Hall of Famer (as a solo artist and with The Faces), who will visit 10 Canadian cities on this latest jaunt.
“I might cut it back a little bit ’cause I’ve got eight children. The two youngest are six and near 13 (and while they’ve) thoroughly enjoyed going on tour with Dad, it’s not quite the novelty it was. So it’s going to be hard in the future. But we’ll see how this goes. I can’t miss the magic moments of them growing up. As for putting the word retirement out — never! I’ll just fade away into the bushes.”
We caught up with the thricemarried Stewart — most recently to Penny Lancaster in 2007 — down the line from London.
Q Given what you say about retiring, did you give your old pal Elton John a hard time about his recently announced farewell tour?
A I did actually email Elton and said, ‘What? Again, dear?’ And I didn’t hear anything back. I think he’s upset with me. I think’s she’s upset with me.
Q She because of those female nicknames?
A I’m Phyllis. And she’s Sharon. And it’s been that way for 50 years. (Laughs)
Q You guys should tour together.
A Trust me, darling, I’ve tried so many times. He doesn’t want the competition. She’s stationary at the piano and I can still jump about and I don’t think he likes the idea of that. But I have suggested it. It would be so much fun.
Q You’ve been coming to Canada for decades. Do you have a favourite memory?
A Without sounding trite, it’s always a lovely country to come to because architecturally it’s beautiful in major cities. And it’s always clean. I can’t think of one city in Canada that suffers like New York does and London does of atrocious rubbish all over the streets.
Q Did you ever date a Canadian girl?
A Well, I haven’t had a date with a lady for 20 years although I did go out with a girl from Toronto once who was a manicurist. She was rather lovely but it was a long time ago. So that was rather cute. But I’m a very good boy now. Very, very good, in fact.
Q Did you ever meet Donald Trump along the way before he became president of the U.S.?
A Yeah. I lived just down the road from him in Palm Beach, literally a minute’s drive on the ocean, and I used to always go to his Christmas Eve celebrations and a lot of his functions. And he always treated me extremely well. That’s not the Donald Trump I’m watching on television at the moment.
Q Do you think the gun laws will ever change in the United States?
A Nothing will happen. (Trump) could make history if he was to turn all the gun laws around. The thing is, there are more guns in America than people at the moment. I mean (reports allege) the guy who went into Parkland had an arsenal under his house. How didn’t his (guardians) know he had all those guns? I don’t know what the answer is.
Q What did you think of E!’s 2015 reality television show Stewarts & Hamiltons, about your and George Hamilton’s offspring with your ex-wife Alana?
A There was a lot of pressure to be in it. I said, ‘Look. I don’t like reality shows. I don’t watch them. I don’t have to do them. But for this one, I’ll be on the first one.’ I just wanted to help them out.
Q Do you binge-watch anything on Netflix or other streaming services?
A I’m a big fan of all the British (programs), you know
The Crown, Victoria. I love watching all that stuff. Makes me proud to be British.