Music with Eddie Rowley

ROD STEWART is one of the best-selling artists in the history of recorded music — and one of the most entertaining characters in the business.

At the age of 71, the ‘Maggie May’ singer shows no signs of slowing down.

Rocker Rod played Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, during the summer and he’s all set to rock it out at Dublin’s 3Arena this Saturday.

“Performing is my passion in life and it definitely keeps me young at heart,” Rod says.

The iconic singer has eight children, with his youngest being Alastair (10) and Aiden (5) with his third wife Penny Lancaster.

“Alastair comes home from school and says, ‘Dad, let’s go’. I have a stretch and go play. If there’s a fountain of youth, it’s children.”

Rod, who wed 46-year-old Penny in 2007, says he finally found true love, happiness and contentment. “Penny is an angel, I love her to death,” he says.

“I’m wiser now. Penny taught me how to be a better person. To be in a relationship, you have to listen, which I never used to do, and commit to it. That was difficult in the early days when I had women throwing themselves at me. I was never a particularly good-looking bloke, but if you sing in a rock band, you get the girls. I always had a roving eye.” Rod was born in Highgate, London, on January 10, 1945, the youngest of five children.

He started busking in his teens and joined the Jeff Beck Group and then The Faces before going solo.

His hits span 50 years and include ‘Sailing’ and ‘You Wear It Well’.

So how does he find the energy for a hectic family life and demanding career? “I do 90 minutes in the gym every day,” Rod reveals.

“I know I can’t go on forever, but the voice is still in good shape.”