JANUARY 10, 1945
Happy birthday to football-crazy rocker Rod Stewart, who was born on this day 76 years ago.
Rod was born in Highgate, London, the youngest of Scotsman Robert Stewart and his wife Elsie’s five children.
By the age of 12 he had taught himself to play the guitar but was also a talented footballer. In the 1960s he gave up an apprenticeship with Brentford Football Club to be a full-time musician. In 1964, Long John Baldry heard the then 19-year-old singing outside a station and asked him to join his band.
After touring as the Rolling Stones’ supporting act, they split and Rod joined The Jeff Beck Group before, in 1969, becoming one of The Faces. Rod shot to stardom with the No 1 hit Maggie May in 1971.
Four years later he relocated to the US, and left band life behind for good.
The rocker had a string of hits including Da Ya Think I’m Sexy and his 1990 Grammywinning Downtown Train. He earned a further Grammy nomination for his album It Had To Be You: The Great American Songbook.
Along the way were a string of high-profile loves affairs
– actress Britt Ekland, model Kelly Emberg, and ex-wives Alana Hamilton Stewart and Rachel Hunter. He married Penny Lancaster in 2007.
The dad of eight still loves his sport. He supports Celtic as well as the Scotland national team. Rod told reporters on a previous birthday: “All I am is very proud of my father who was Scottish and the wee bit of Scottish blood I have in me.”