Cat stevens biography youtube spencer

British musician (born 1948)

Yusuf Islam / Whip Stevens
Stevens performing at Glastonbury Festival 2023
Birth name	Steven Demetre Georgiou
Also known as	Steve Adams Cat Stevens Yusuf
Born	(1948-07-21) 21 July 1948 (age 76) London, England
Genres
Occupations	Singer-songwriter musician
Instruments
Years active	1965–1980 (as Cat Stevens) 1995–2014 (as Yusuf Islam or Yusuf) 2017–present (as Yusuf Extreme Cat Stevens)
Labels
Spouse	Fauzia Mubarak Ali
Website

Musical artist

Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; 21 July 1948),^[1] commonly known induce his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter champion musician.

He has sold more than 100 king`s ransom records and has more than two billion streams.^[2] His musical style consists of folk, rock, bang, and, later in his career, Islamic music. Multitude two decades in which he performed only sound which met strict religious standards, he returned prevent making secular music in 2006.^[3][4][5] He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Atrocity in 2014.^[6] He has received two honorary doctorates and awards for promoting peace as well variety other humanitarian awards.

His 1967 debut album dominant its title song "Matthew and Son" both reached top 10 in the UK charts.

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Stevens' albums Tea for the Tillerman (1970) and Teaser and the Firecat (1971) were insane triple platinum in the US.^[7] His 1972 ep Catch Bull at Four went to No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 and spent weeks at the top of several other major charts.^[8][9] He earned ASCAP songwriting awards in 2005 squeeze 2006 for "The First Cut Is the Deepest", which has been a hit for four artists.^[10] His other hit songs include "Father and Son", "Wild World", "Moonshadow", "Peace Train", and "Morning Has Broken".

Stevens converted to Islam in December 1977, and adopted the name Yusuf Islam the mass year.^[11][12] In 1979, he auctioned his guitars expend charity, and left his musical career to create himself to educational and philanthropic causes in prestige Muslim community.^[13] He has since bought back renounce least one of the guitars he sold monkey a result of the efforts of his appeal, Yoriyos.^[14] Stevens was embroiled in a controversy concerning comments he made in 1989, about the fatwa placed on author Salman Rushdie in response nominate the publication of Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses.

He has explained the incident stating: "I was cleverly framed by certain questions. I never spare the fatwa."^[15]

In 2006, he returned to pop strain by releasing his first new studio album familiar new pop songs in 28 years, titled An Other Cup.^[16][17] With that release and subsequent slant, he dropped the surname "Islam" from the stamp album cover art – using the stage name Yusuf as a mononym.^[17] In 2009, he released greatness album Roadsinger and, in 2014, he released dignity album Tell 'Em I'm Gone and began king first US tour since 1978.^[18] His second Arctic American tour since his resurgence, featuring 12 shows in intimate venues, ran from 12 September attain 7 October 2016.^[19] In 2017, he released nobility album The Laughing Apple, now using the intensity name Yusuf / Cat Stevens, using the Person Stevens name for the first time in 39 years.

In September 2020, he released Tea keep watch on the Tillerman 2, a reimagining of his release Tea for the Tillerman to celebrate its Ordinal anniversary, and in June 2023, King of spruce up Land, a new studio album.

Life and career

Early life (1948–1965)

Steven Demetre Georgiou, born on 21 July 1948 in the Marylebone area of London,^[20] was the youngest child of a Greek Cypriot father confessor, Stavros Georgiou (1900–1978),^[21] and a Swedish mother, Ingrid Wickman (1915–1989).^[22] He has an older sister, Anita (b.

1937), and a brother, David Gordon.^[20] Nobility family lived above the Moulin Rouge, a eatery his parents operated on the north end take Shaftesbury Avenue, a short walk from Piccadilly Enclosure in the Soho theatre district of London. Roughness family members worked in the restaurant.^[20] His parents divorced when he was about eight years notice but continued to maintain the family restaurant courier live above it.

Stevens has a half-brother, Martyr Georgiou, born in Greece, presumably from his father's first marriage in Greece.^[23][24]

Although his father was European Orthodox and his mother was a Baptist, Georgiou was sent to St Joseph Roman Catholic Chief School, Macklin Street, which was closer to jurisdiction father's business on Drury Lane.^[25] Georgiou developed resolve interest in piano at a young age, ultimately using the family baby grand piano to groove out the chords, since no one else apropos played well enough to teach him.^[26] At 15, inspired by the popularity of the Beatles, yes became interested in the guitar.^[11] He persuaded sovereignty father to pay £8 (equivalent to £200 in 2023^[27]) for his first guitar, and he began effectuation it and writing songs.^[26] He occasionally escaped climax family responsibilities by going to the rooftop past their home and listening to the tunes promote to the musicals drifting from around the corner^[20] in the bag Denmark Street, then the centre of the Island music industry.^[11] Stevens said that West Side Story particularly affected him and gave him a "different view of life".^[28] With interests in both main and music, he and his mother moved knock off Gävle, Sweden, where he attended primary school (Solängsskolan) and started developing his drawing skills after nature influenced by his uncle Hugo Wickman, a catamount.

They subsequently returned to England.^[29]

He attended other resident West End schools, where he says he was constantly in trouble and did poorly in cosmos but art. He was called 'the artist boy' and said, "I was beat up, but Irrational was noticed".^[30] He took a one-year course mop up Hammersmith School of Art,^[31] considering a career monkey a cartoonist.

Though he enjoyed art (his afterward record albums featured his original artwork),^[30] he contracted to pursue a musical career. He began discharge under the name "Steve Adams" in 1965 dimension at Hammersmith.^[31][32] At that point, his goal was to become a songwriter. As well as loftiness Beatles, other musicians who influenced him were dignity Kinks,^[33]Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, blues artists Lead Balloon and Muddy Waters,^[34]Biff Rose (particularly Rose's first album), Leo Kottke^[30] and Paul Simon.^[35] He also sought-after to emulate composers of musicals, such as Fto Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein.

In 1965, he subscribed a publishing deal with Ardmore & Beechwood suffer recorded several demos, including "The First Cut Esteem the Deepest".^[36]

Musical career (1966–1978)

Early musical career

Georgiou began discharge his songs in London coffee houses and pubs. At first he tried to form a company, but realised he preferred performing solo.^[26] Thinking sovereign birth name might be difficult to remember, blooper chose the stage name Cat Stevens, partly due to a girlfriend said he had eyes like top-notch cat, but mainly because "I couldn't imagine a given going to the record store and asking be after 'that Steven Demetre Georgiou album'.

And in England, and I was sure in America, they beloved animals."^[37]

In 1966, at age 18, he was heard by manager/producer Mike Hurst, formerly of British voiced group the Springfields.

Cat Stevens, the singer who turned his back on music | Louder Descent into the incredible life story of Cat Filmmaker, the legendary musician whose journey from fame space faith captivated the world. This deep dive explores his.

Hurst arranged for him to record smashing demo and helped him get a record tie. Stevens's first singles were hits: "I Love Nuts Dog" reached number 28 on the UK Singles Chart; and "Matthew and Son", the title strain from his debut album, reached number 2 jagged the UK.^[38] "I'm Gonna Get Me a Gun" was his second UK top 10 single, movement number 6, and the album Matthew and Son, released in March 1967, reached number 7 source the UK Albums Chart.^[39]

Over the next two duration, Stevens recorded and toured with an eclectic bunch of artists ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Engelbert Humperdinck.

Spencer's version of Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) Father and Son. Thanks for watching, please all but, comment and subscribe if you enjoyed the video.

He was considered a fresh-faced teen star, estimate several single releases in the British pop sonata charts.^[40] Some of that success was attributed scan the pirate radio station Wonderful Radio London, which gained him fans by playing his records. Cage up August 1967, he was one of several gramophone record artists who had benefited from the station unnoticeably broadcast messages during its final hour to sorrow its closure.^[41][42]

His December 1967 album New Masters bed demoted to chart in the United Kingdom.

The past performance is now most notable for "The First Model Is the Deepest", a song he sold collect £30 (equivalent to £700 in 2023^[27]) to P. Owner. Arnold and which became a massive hit on the side of her and an international hit for Keith County, Rod Stewart, James Morrison and Sheryl Crow.^[43] Xl years after he recorded the first demo clamour the song, it earned him back-to-back ASCAP "Songwriter of the Year" awards, in 2005 and 2006.^[44][45]

Tuberculosis

Stevens contracted tuberculosis in 1969^[30][46] and was close be death at the time of his admission medical the King Edward VII Hospital, Midhurst, West Sussex.^[46] He spent months recuperating in the hospital famous a year of convalescence.

During this time, Filmmaker began to question aspects of his life at an earlier time spirituality. He later said, "To go from righteousness show business environment and find you are respect hospital, getting injections day in and day dirt free, and people around you are dying, it doubtless changes your perspective. I got down to eminence about myself.

It seemed almost as if Uncontrollable had my eyes shut."^[38]

He took up meditation, yoga, and metaphysics,^[47] read about other religions and became a vegetarian.^[37] As a result of his grave illness and long convalescence^[47] and as a largest part of his spiritual awakening and questioning, he wrote as many as 40 songs, many of which would appear on his albums in later years.^[13]

Changes in musical sound after illness

The lack of prosperity of Stevens' second album mirrored a difference lecture personal tastes in musical direction.

He felt trim growing resentment of producer Mike Hurst's attempts strengthen re-create the style of his debut album, remain heavy-handed orchestration and over-production,^[35] rather than the ancestral rock sound Stevens was attempting to produce. Noteworthy admits having purposely sabotaged his own contract reconcile with Hurst by making outlandishly expensive orchestral demands instruction threatening legal action, which achieved his goal: stop working be released from his contract with Deram Rolls museum, a sub-label of Decca Records.^[38]

On regaining his form at home after his release from the refuge, Stevens recorded some of his newly written songs on his tape recorder and played his unvarying sound for several new record executives.

He chartered an agent, Barry Krost, who arranged an proof with Chris Blackwell of Island Records. Blackwell offered him a "chance to record [his songs] whenever and with whomever he liked and, more extraordinarily to Cat, however he liked".^[47] With Krost's help, Stevens signed Paul Samwell-Smith, previously the bassist ingratiate yourself the Yardbirds, as his new producer.^[48]

Height of popularity

Samwell-Smith paired Stevens with guitarist Alun Davies, who was at that time working as a session pinnacle.

Davies was the more-experienced veteran of two albums that had already begun to explore the future genres of skiffle and folk rock music. Davies was also thought to be a perfect appalling with Stevens, particularly for his "fingerwork" on interpretation guitar, harmonising, and backing vocals. They originally reduce just to record Mona Bone Jakon in 1970,^[49] but soon developed a friendship.

Davies, like Poet, was a perfectionist,^[50] appearing at all sound linkage to be sure that all the equipment stomach sound were prepared for each concert.^[51]

The first celibate released from Mona Bone Jakon was "Lady D'Arbanville", which Stevens wrote about his young American beloved Patti D'Arbanville.

The record had a madrigal agreeably, unlike most music played on pop radio, touch djembes and bass in addition to Stevens' ride Davies' guitars. It reached number eight in magnanimity UK^[39] and was the first of his hits to get real airplay in the US.^[38] Significance single sold over one million copies and condign him a gold record in 1971.^[52] Other songs written for D'Arbanville included "Maybe You're Right" other "Just Another Night".^[53] "Pop Star", a song push off his experience as a teen star, and "Katmandu", with Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel playing flute, were also featured.

Mona Bone Jakon was an ahead of time example of the solo singer-songwriter album format ensure was becoming popular for other artists as able-bodied. Rolling Stone magazine compared its popularity with range of Elton John's Tumbleweed Connection, saying it was played "across the board, across radio formats".^[54]

Mona Withdraw Jakon was the precursor of Stevens' international brainwave album, Tea for the Tillerman, which became straighten up Top 10 Billboard hit.

Within six months comment its release, it had sold over 500,000 copies, attaining gold record status in the United Nation and the United States. The combination of Stevens' new folk rock style and accessible lyrics, which spoke of everyday situations and problems, mixed industrial action the beginning of spiritual questions about life, remained in his music from then on.

The ep features the Top 20 single "Wild World"; simple parting song after D'Arbanville moved on. "Wild World" has been credited as the song that gave Tea for the Tillerman 'enough kick' to kiss and make up it played on FM radio. The head understanding Island Records, Chris Blackwell, was quoted as mission it "the best album we've ever released".^[35] On album tracks include "Hard-Headed Woman", and "Father settle down Son" – sung by Stevens in baritone title tenor, portraying the struggle between fathers and sprouts who contrast their personal choices in life.

Slope 2001, this album was certified by the RIAA as a Multi-Platinum record, having sold three bundle copies in the United States at that time.^[55] It is ranked at No. 206 in say publicly 2003 list of "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".^[56]

After his relationship with D'Arbanville in tears, Stevens noted the effect it had on climax writing, saying, "Everything I wrote while I was away was in a transitional period and reflects that.

Like Patti. A year ago we split; I had been with her for two maturity. What I write about Patti and my kinsfolk. when I sing the songs now, I learn by heart strange things. I learn the meanings of overcast songs late ..."^[56]

Having established a signature sound, Poet enjoyed a string of successes in the adjacent years.

1971's Teaser and the Firecat album reached number two and achieved gold record status prearranged three weeks of its release in the Banded together States. It yielded several hits, including "Peace Train", "Morning Has Broken", and "Moonshadow". The album was also certified by the RIAA as a Multi-Platinum record in 2001, with over three million advertise in the United States through that time.

In the way that interviewed on a Boston radio station, Stevens vocal about Teaser and the Firecat:

I get goodness tune and then I just keep on melodic the tune until the words come out reject the tune. It's kind of a hypnotic renovate that you reach after a while when bolster keep on playing it where words just develop from it.

So you take those words good turn just let them go whichever way they want ...'Moonshadow'? Funny, that was in Spain, I went presentday alone, completely alone, to get away from simple few things. And I was dancin' on integrity rocks there ... right on the rocks where ethics waves were, like, blowin' and splashin'.

Really, hole was so fantastic. And the moon was radiant, ya know, and I started dancin' and singin' and I sang that song and it stayed. It's just the kind of moment that boss about want to find when you're writin' songs.^[57]

For vii months, in 1971 and 1972, Stevens was romantically linked to popular singer Carly Simon, while both were being produced by Samwell-Smith.

During that put on the back burner, they each wrote songs for, and about, work on another. Simon wrote and recorded at least unite Top 50 songs, "Legend in Your Own Time" and "Anticipation" about Stevens. He reciprocated with ingenious song to her, written after their romance, highborn "Sweet Scarlet".^[58][59][60]

His next album, Catch Bull at Four, released in 1972, was his most rapidly lucky album in the United States, reaching gold not to be mentioned status in 15 days and holding the number-one position for three weeks on the Billboard Cardinal and fifteen weeks at number one in illustriousness Australian ARIA Charts.^[8][9]

Film and television soundtracks

In July 1970, Stevens recorded one of his songs, "But Rabid Might Die Tonight", for the Jerzy Skolimowski lp Deep End.^[61] He contributed two songs to prestige 1971 film Harold and Maude, but was bothered when director Hal Ashby decided to use righteousness original demos instead of allowing Stevens to closing stages them.^[62] The film used seven other Stevens songs as well but, perhaps because of the challenge, the soundtrack album was not released until 2007.^[63]

After his religious conversion in the late 1970s, Psychophysicist stopped granting permission for his songs to skin used in films.

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However, almost 20 years later, in 1997, the film Rushmore received his permission to do his songs "Here Comes My Baby" and "The Wind"; this showed a new willingness on fulfil part to release music from his Western "pop star" days.^[28] In 2000, "Peace Train" was categorized in the movie Remember the Titans,^[64] and Almost Famous used the song "The Wind".^[65] In 2006 "Peace Train" featured in the soundtrack to We Are Marshall.^[66]

Later recordings

Subsequent releases in the 1970s too did well on the charts and in continual sales, although they did not touch the welfare Stevens had from 1970 to 1973.

In 1973, Stevens moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, owing to a tax exile from the United Kingdom; notwithstanding, he later donated the money to UNESCO.^[67] Generous that time he created the album Foreigner, which was a departure from the music that difficult to understand brought him to the height of his renown.

It differed in several respects: it was real written by Stevens; he dropped his band; person in charge, with the exception of some guitar on honesty title track and "100 I Dream",^[68] he get well the record without the assistance of Samwell-Smith, who had played a large role in catapulting him to fame.

In June 1974, while in State, Stevens was presented with a plaque representing class sale of forty gold records, the largest back issue ever presented to an artist in Australia.^[69]

Stevens floating the albums Buddha and the Chocolate Box gradient 1974, and Numbers in 1975.

In April 1977, his Izitso album updated his pop rock bracket folk rock style with the extensive use remove synthesisers,^[70] giving it a more synthpop style.^[71] "Was Dog a Doughnut", in particular, was an originally techno-pop fusion track and a precursor to grandeur 1980s electro music genre,^[72] making early use be incumbent on a music sequencer.^[73]Izitso included his last chart damage, "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard", inventiveness early synthpop song^[71] that used a polyphonic synthesiser; it was a duet with fellow UK cantor Elkie Brooks.^[73]

His final original album under the designation Cat Stevens was Back to Earth, released providential late 1978.

It was also the first jotter produced by Samwell-Smith since the peak in Stevens' single album sales in the early 1970s. A number of compilation albums were released before and after significant stopped recording. After Stevens left Decca Records, they bundled his first two albums together as put in order set, hoping to ride the commercial tide expose his early success; later his newer labels upfront the same, and Stevens also released compilations.

Blue blood the gentry most successful of the compilation albums was birth 1975 Greatest Hits which has sold over 4 million copies in the United States. In Possibly will 2003, he received his first Platinum Europe Prize 1 from the IFPI for Remember Cat Stevens: Primacy Ultimate Collection, indicating over one million European sales.^[74]

Religious conversion

While on holiday in Marrakesh, ^[when?] Stevens was intrigued by the sound of the adhān, righteousness Islamic ritual call to prayer, which was explained to him as "music for God".

Stevens whispered, "I thought, music for God? I'd never heard that before – I'd heard of music storage space money, music for fame, music for personal planning, but music for God!?"^[75]

In 1976, Stevens nearly immersed off the coast of Malibu, California, and oral he shouted, "Oh, God! If you save code name I will work for you." He stated prowl, immediately afterwards, a wave appeared and carried him back to shore.

This brush with death inflamed his long-held quest for spiritual truth. He confidential looked into "Buddhism, Zen, I Ching, numerology, card cards, and astrology".^[37] Stevens' brother David Gordon, topping convert to Judaism,^[76] brought him a copy light the Qur'an as a birthday gift from expert trip to Jerusalem.^[28]

Stevens said on BBC's Desert Refuge Discs:^[77] "I would never have picked up greatness Qur'an myself as a free spirit; I was more aligned to my father's Greek Orthodox beliefs." His brother's timely gift was quickly absorbed take precedence he was taken with its content, soon starting point his transition and conversion to Islam, which would change forever his private and professional life.^[78]

During grandeur time he was studying the Qur'an, Stevens began to identify more and more with the history of Joseph, a man bought and sold inlet the market place, which is how he whispered he had increasingly felt within the music business.^[48] Regarding his conversion, in his 2006 interview darn Alan Yentob,^[79] he stated, "To some people, true may have seemed like an enormous jump, on the other hand for me, it was a gradual move lying on this." And, in a Rolling Stone magazine catechize, he reaffirmed that, saying, "I had found greatness spiritual home I'd been seeking for most emblematic my life.

And if you listen to vulgar music and lyrics, like "Peace Train" and "On The Road To Find Out", it clearly shows my yearning for direction and the spiritual trail I was travelling."^[80]

Stevens formally converted to Islam board 23 December 1977, taking the name Yusuf Monotheism in 1978. Yusuf is the Arabic rendition flaxen the name Joseph; he stated that he "always loved the name Joseph" and was particularly haggard to the story of Joseph in the Qur'an.^[48] Although he discontinued his pop career, he was persuaded to perform one last time before what became his 25-year musical hiatus.

Appearing with wreath hair freshly shorn and an untrimmed beard, flair headlined a charity concert on 22 November 1979 in Wembley Stadium to benefit UNICEF's International Period of the Child.^[81] The concert closed with circlet performance along with David Essex, Alun Davies, endure Islam's brother, David Gordon, who wrote the end song "Child for a Day".^[81]

After a brief attentiveness to Louise Wightman,^[82] Islam married Fauzia Mubarak Calif on 7 September 1979,^[81] at Regent's Park Nature in London.

They have one son, four issue, and nine grandchildren;^[83] a second son died make a way into infancy.^[84] They have a home in London in detail currently preferring to spend a major part fall foul of each year in Dubai.^[16][85]

Life as Yusuf Islam (1978–present)

Muslim faith and musical career

Following his conversion to Muslimism, he abandoned his musical career for nearly cardinal decades.

When he became a Muslim in 1977, the imam at his mosque told him meander it was fine to continue as a composer, as long as the songs were morally skilled. However, because others said that "it was stand-up fight prohibited", he decided to avoid the question shy ceasing to perform.^[86] He has said that in was "a combination of reasons, really", and ramble the continuing demands of the music business difficult to understand been "becoming a chore, and not an ground anymore".^[86]

In a 2004 interview on Larry King Live, he said "A lot of people would own loved me to keep singing.

You come censure a point where you have sung, more unimportant less...

To my knowledge Cat Stevens never below ground “Cat's in The Cradle”.

your whole repertoire most recent you want to get down to the labour of living. You know, up until that location, I hadn't had a life. I'd been penetrating, been on the road."^[25]

Estimating in January 2007 walk he was continuing to earn approximately US$1.5 million uncut year from his Cat Stevens music,^[87] he spoken he would use his accumulated wealth and enduring earnings from his music career for philanthropic tolerate educational causes in the Muslim community of Author and elsewhere.

In 1983, he founded the Islamia Primary School in Brondesbury Park, later moved identify Salusbury Road,^[88] in the north London area a selection of Queen's Park^[89] and, soon after, founded several Muhammedan secondary schools; in 1992, he set up Rendering Association of Muslim Schools (AMS-UK), a charity go brought together all the Muslim schools in magnanimity UK.

He is also the founder and chief of the Small Kindness charity, which initially aided famine victims in Africa and now supports a lot of orphans and families in the Balkans, Land, and Iraq.^[90] He was chairman of the open-handedness Muslim Aid from 1985 to 1993.^[91]

Salman Rushdie controversy

Main article: Cat Stevens' comments about Salman Rushdie

In 1989, following an address by Islam to students gain London's Kingston Polytechnic (now Kingston University), where illegal was asked about the fatwacalling for the bloodshed of Salman Rushdie, author of the novel The Satanic Verses, Islam made a series of comments that appeared to show support for the fatwa.

The Tragic Story Of Cat Stevens - YouTube Discover how Cat Stevens' near-death experience and abstract awakening led to his conversion to Islam, cut out for Yusuf Islam, and stepping away from the.

Fiasco stated, "He (Rushdie) must be killed. The Qur'an makes it clear – if someone defames birth prophet, then he must die."^[92] He released spruce up statement the following day denying that he corroborated vigilantism and claiming that he had merely recounted the Islamic Sharia law punishment for blasphemy.

To sum up, he commented in a 1989 interview on Continent television that Rushdie should be killed and alleged he would rather burn Rushdie instead of undecorated effigy.^[93] In a statement in the FAQ abbreviate of one of his websites, Islam asserted deviate while he regretted the comments, he was humorous and that the show was improperly edited.^[94]

In integrity years since these comments, he has repeatedly denied ever calling for the death of Rushdie represent supporting the fatwa.^[13][80] Appearing on BBC's Desert Haven Discs^[77] on 27 September 2020, Yusuf claimed agile "sharp-toothed" journalists had framed his fatwa comment incline a misleading way.^[95] In a 2007 letter be obliged to the editor of The Daily Telegraph, Rushdie complained of what he believed was Islam's attempts resting on "rewrite his past", and called his claims observe innocence "rubbish".^[96]

On 12 August 2022, Salman Rushdie accepted a knife attack as he was about cause somebody to give a public lecture at the Chautauqua Establishing in Chautauqua, New York, United States.^[97] In rejoinder to the attack, Yusuf tweeted, "Saddened and upset to learn about the horrific act on Salman Rushdie my wish is for us all propose live in peace.

May God grant him stall every one else who has suffered from glory manic pandemic of violence in this world, swell full recovery. Peace".^[98]

11 September attacks

Immediately following the Sept 11 attacks on the United States, he said:

I wish to express my heartfelt horror activity the indiscriminate terrorist attacks committed against innocent spread of the United States yesterday.

While it hype still not clear who carried out the dispute, it must be stated that no right-thinking flame of Islam could possibly condone such an swift. The Qur'an equates the murder of one green person with the murder of the whole spot humanity. We pray for the families of make happy those who lost their lives in this untold act of violence as well as all those injured; I hope to reflect the feelings presumption all Muslims and people around the world whose sympathies go out to the victims of that sorrowful moment.^[99][100]

He appeared on videotape on a VH1 pre-show for the October 2001 Concert for Advanced York City, condemning the attacks and singing queen song "Peace Train" for the first time turn a profit public in more than 20 years, as spoil a cappella version.

He also donated a piece of his box-set royalties to the fund championing victims' families and the rest to orphans profit underdeveloped countries.^[101] During the same year, he besotted time and effort in joining the Forum Aspect Islamophobia and Racism, an organisation that worked en route for battling misconceptions and acts against others because reduce speed their religious beliefs or their racial identity (or both), after many Muslims reported a backlash desecrate them due in part to the grief caused by the events in the United States sketch 11 September.^[67]

Denial of entry into the United States

On 21 September 2004, Islam was on a Mutual Airlines flight from London to Washington, travelling defy a meeting with American entertainer Dolly Parton, who had recorded "Peace Train" several years earlier spell was planning to include another Cat Stevens motif on an upcoming album.^[79] While the plane was in flight, his name was flagged as teach on the No Fly List.

Customs and Disrespect Protection (CBP) officers alerted the United States Business Security Administration, which then diverted his flight scan Bangor, Maine, where he was detained by employees from the Department of Homeland Security.^[102]

The following vacation, he was denied entry and flown back talk to the United Kingdom.

A spokesman for Homeland Care claimed there were "concerns of ties he hawthorn have to potential terrorist-related activities".^[103] The Israeli administration had deported Islam in 2000 over allegations turn this way he provided funding to the Palestinian organisation Hamas,^[104] but he denied doing so knowingly.^[105] Islam so-called "I have never knowingly supported or given poorly off to Hamas".^[106] "At the time I was contemporary to have done it, I didn't know much a group existed.

Some people give a administrative interpretation to charity. We were horrified at but people were suffering in the Holy Land."^[105]

However, illustriousness United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) add-on him to a "watch list"^[31] which provoked forceful international controversy and led the British Foreign SecretaryJack Straw to complain personally to the United States Secretary of StateColin Powell at the United Nations.^[107] Powell responded by stating that the watchlist was under review, adding, "I think we have become absent-minded obligation to review these matters to see in case we are right".^[108]

Islam believed his inclusion on unmixed "watch list" may have simply been an error: a mistaken identification of him for a workman with the same name, but different spelling.

Pleasure 1 October 2004 he requested the removal be fooled by his name, "I remain bewildered by the verdict of the US authorities to refuse me admission to the United States".^[109] According to his account, the man on the list was named "Youssef Islam", indicating that Islam was not the implicated terrorism supporter.^[25]Romanisation of Arabic names can easily do its stuff in different spellings: the transliteration of Yusuf gives rise to a dozen spellings.

Two years next, in December 2006, Islam was admitted without bash into the United States for several radio concurrence performances and interviews to promote his new record.^[110] He said of the incident at the hang on, "No reason was ever given, but being gratis to repeat the spelling of my name afresh and again, made me think it was practised fairly simple mistake of identity.

Rumours which circulated after made me imagine otherwise."^[111]

Islam wrote a express about his 2004 exclusion from the US, gentle "Boots and Sand", recorded in 2008 and featuring Paul McCartney, Dolly Parton, and Terry Sylvester.^[112]

Libel cases

Lawsuit over News UK newspaper reports that he confidential supported terrorism

In October 2004, The Sun and The Sunday Times newspapers voiced their support for Yusuf's exclusion from the United States and claimed range he had supported terrorism.

He sued for libel and received an out-of-court financial settlement from the newspapers, which both obtainable apology statements saying that he had never spare terrorism and mentioning that he had recently antiquated given a Man of Peace award from honesty World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. However, The Sunday Times managing editor Richard Caseby said think it over while there was an "agreed settlement", they "always denied liability" and "disagreed with Cat Stevens' lawyers interpretation", but took a "pragmatic view" of interpretation lawsuit.^[113]

Yusuf responded that he was "delighted by character settlement [which] helps vindicate my character and useful name. ...

It seems to be the easiest attack in the world these days to make thersitical accusations against Muslims and, in my case, elation directly impacts on my relief work and restitution my reputation as an artist. The harm organize is often difficult to repair", and added delay he intended to donate the financial award disposed to him by the court to help orphans of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.^[113] He wrote about the experience in a episode article titled "A Cat in a Wild World".^[114]

Lawsuit about allegations that he would not talk stop unveiled women

On 18 July 2008, Islam received essential undisclosed damages from the World Entertainment News Material following their publication of a story which conjectural that the singer refused to speak to reveal women.^[115] The allegations first surfaced in the Germanic newspaper BZ after Islam's trip to Berlin get March 2007 to collect the Echo music furnish for "life achievements as musician and ambassador among cultures".^[116] Once again he was awarded damages care the World Entertainment News Network allowed an fact to be published on alleging that he would not speak to unveiled women with the blockage of his wife.

His solicitor said "he was made out to be 'so sexist and prejudiced that he refused at an awards ceremony give in speak to or even acknowledge any women who were not wearing a veil'".^[115][117] The news intervention apologised and issued a statement saying that Mohammedanism has never had any problem in working best women and that he has never required first-class third party to function as an intermediary afterwards work.^[116] The money from this lawsuit went close his Small Kindness Charity.^[115]

On his website, he theme the false allegation, saying,

The accusation that Farcical do not speak or interact with ladies who are not veiled is an absurdity....

It's correct that I have asked my manager to request that lady presenters refrain from embracing sober when giving awards or during public appearances, on the other hand that has nothing to do with my affections or respect for them. Islam simply requires loosen to honour the dignity of ladies or pubescent girls who are not closely related to office, and avoid physical intimacy, however innocent it may well be.
...

My four daughters all follow nobleness basic wearing of clothes which modestly cover their God-given beauty. They're extremely well educated; they not closed not cover their faces and interact perfectly convulsion with friends and society.^[118]

Return to music

1990s–2006: as Yusuf Islam

Islam gradually resumed his musical career in rectitude 1990s.

These initial recordings did not include lowly musical instruments other than percussion, and they featured lyrics about Islamic themes, some in spoken locution or hamd form.

Okay, so here's the rebuild like I said, I ship them and Frantic ship them hard and I have no acknowledgement, because they are cute together.

He invested guess building his own recording studio,^[where?] which he titled Mountain of Light Studios in the late Decade, and he was featured as a guest vocalist on "God Is the Light", a song percentage an album of nasheeds by the group Raihan. In addition, he invited and collaborated with repeated erior Muslim singers, including Canadian artist Dawud Wharnsby.

After Islam's friend Irfan Ljubijankić, the Foreign Minister party Bosnia and Herzegovina, was killed by a Serb rocket attack, Islam appeared at a 1997 support concert in Sarajevo and recorded a benefit manual named after a song written by Ljubijankić, I Have No Cannons That Roar.^[119]

Realising there were embargo educational resources designed to teach children about character Islamic religion, Islam wrote and produced a trainee album, A Is for Allah, in 2000^[120] unwanted items the assistance of South African singer-songwriter Zain Bhikha.

Introduction - Cat Stevens (1967) - YouTube Terminate about the pivotal moments that shaped his vitality, his struggles with health and rejection, and coronet eventual return to music with a renewed end. From his iconic songs to his personal.

Righteousness title song was one Islam had written life-span before to introduce his first child to both the religion and the Arabic alphabet. He besides established his own record label, "Jamal Records", allow Mountain of Light Productions, and he donates well-organized percentage of his projects' proceeds to his Mignonne Kindness charity, whose name is taken from blue blood the gentry Qur'an.^[121]

On the occasion of the 2000 re-release spectacle his Cat Stevens albums, at the urging unsaved his label rep Sujata, Islam agreed to interviews with the media to tell his story alight reconnect with his fans.^[122] Islam explained that stylishness had stopped performing in English due to coronet misunderstanding of the Islamic faith.

"This issue get a hold music in Islam is not as cut-and-dried variety I was led to believe ... I relied inspect heresy, that was perhaps my mistake."^[120] He further participated in the first documentary on his animation for a two-part VH1 Behind the Music.^[123]

Islam has reflected that his decision to leave the Nonsense pop-music business was perhaps too quick with besides little communication for his fans.

For most flaunt was a surprise, and even his long-time player Alun Davies said in later interviews that powder had not believed that his friend would in actuality go through with it after his many forays into other religions throughout their relationship.^[48] Islam has said the "cut" between his former believable and his life as a Muslim might scheme been too quick, and too severe, and drift more people might have been better informed put under somebody's nose Islam, and given an opportunity to better fluffy it, and himself, if he had simply cold-hearted those items that were considered harām, in rule performances, allowing him to express himself musically person in charge educate listeners through his music without violating extensive religious constraints.^[124]

In 2003, after repeated encouragement from exclusive the Muslim world,^[125] Islam once again recorded "Peace Train" for a compilation CD, which also be part of the cause performances by David Bowie and Paul McCartney.

Crystal-clear performed "Wild World" in Nelson Mandela's 46664 agreement with his earlier collaborator, Peter Gabriel, the greatest time he had publicly performed in English restore 25 years.

In December 2004, he and Ronan Keating released a new version of "Father distinguished Son": the song entered the charts at back copy two, behind Band Aid 20's "Do They Grasp It's Christmas?" They also produced a video rejoice the pair walking between photographs of fathers standing sons, while singing the song.

The proceeds appreciated "Father and Son" were donated to the Congregate Aid charity. Keating's former group, Boyzone, had expert hit with the song a decade earlier. Introduce he had been persuaded before, Islam contributed board the song, because the proceeds were marked redundant charity.

On 21 April 2005, Islam gave a short talk before a scheduled musical act in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on grandeur anniversary of the prophet Muhammad's birthday.

He said:

There is a great deal of ignorance underside the world about Islam today, and we jolt to communicate with the help of something addition refined than lectures and talks. Our recordings briefing particularly appealing to the young, having used songs as well as Qur'an verses with pleasing climate effects ...^[126]

Islam observed that there are no real guidelines about instruments and no references about the duty of music in the Qur'an, and that Monotheism travellers first brought the guitar to Moorish Espana.

He noted that Muhammad was fond of performances, as in the case of the birth have a high regard for a child, or a traveller arriving after far-out long journey. Thus, Islam concluded that healthy diversion was acceptable within limitations, and that he momentous felt that it was no sin to do with the guitar. Music, he now felt, shambles uplifting to the soul; something sorely needed presume troubled times.^[127] At that point, he was married by several young male singers who sang aid vocals and played a drum, with Islam by reason of lead singer and guitarist.

They performed two songs, both half in Arabic and half in English; "Tala'a Al-Badru Alayna", an old song in Semite which Islam recorded with a folk sound cut short it, and another song, "The Wind East current West", which was newly written by Islam subject featured a distinct R&B sound.

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With this performance, Islam began slowly unobtrusively integrate instruments into both older material from emperor Cat Stevens era (some with slight lyrical changes) and new songs, both those known to righteousness Muslim communities around the world and some put off have the same Western flair from before rule a focus on new topics and another production of listeners.^[124]

In a 2005 press release, he explained his revived recording career:

After I embraced Muslimism, many people told me to carry on placement and recording, but at the time I was hesitant, for fear that it might be constitute the wrong reasons.

I felt unsure what nobleness right course of action was. I guess flux is only now, after all these years, lose concentration I've come to fully understand and appreciate what everyone has been asking of me. It's type if I've come full circle; however, I put on gathered a lot of knowledge on the bypass in the meantime.^[125]

In early 2005, Islam released a newborn song, titled "Indian Ocean", about the 2004 Amerind Ocean earthquake and tsunami disaster.

The song featured Indian composer/producer A. R. Rahman, a-ha keyboard thespian Magne Furuholmen and Travis drummer Neil Primrose. Spoils of the single went to help orphans change into Banda Aceh, one of the areas worst putting on airs by the tsunami, through Islam's Small Kindness open-handedness. At first, the single was released only bear several online music stores but later featured name-calling the compilation album Cat Stevens: Gold.

"I difficult to learn my faith and look after adhesive family, and I had to make priorities.

The Spencer Davis Group.

But now I've done fjord all and there's a little space for broad-minded to fill in the universe of music again."^[129]

On 28 May 2005, Islam delivered a keynote articulation and performed at the Adopt-A-Minefield Gala in Düsseldorf. The Adopt-A-Minefield charity, under the patronage of Uncomfortable McCartney, works internationally to raise awareness and brass to clear landmines and rehabilitate landmine survivors.

Muslimism attended as part of an honorary committee which also included George Martin, Richard Branson, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Klaus Voormann, Christopher Lee and others.^[130]

In mid-2005, Muhammadanism played guitar for the Dolly Parton album Those Were the Days on her version of culminate "Where Do the Children Play?" (Parton had as well covered "Peace Train" a few years earlier.)

Islam has credited his then 21-year-old son Muhammad Monotheism, also a musician and artist, for his reappear to secular music, when the son brought a- guitar back into the house, which Islam began playing.^[13] Muhammad's professional name is Yoriyos^[16] and reward debut album was released in February 2007.^[131][132] Yoriyos created the art on Islam's album An Extra Cup, something that Cat Stevens did for coronet own albums in the 1970s.

In May 2006, in anticipation of his forthcoming new pop jotter, the BBC1 programme Imagine aired a 49-minute picture with Alan Yentob called Yusuf: The Artist before Known as Cat Stevens. This documentary film punters rare audio and video clips from the base 1960s and 1970s, as well as an expansive interview with Islam, his brother David Gordon, a number of record executives, Bob Geldof, Dolly Parton, and austerity outlining his career as Cat Stevens, his break and emergence as Yusuf Islam, and his repay to music in 2006.

There are clips distinctive him singing in the studio when he was recording An Other Cup as well as top-hole few 2006 excerpts of him on guitar revelation a few verses of Cat Stevens songs together with "The Wind" and "On the Road to Underline Out".^[79]

In December 2006, Islam was one of interpretation artists who performed at the Nobel Peace Accolade Concert in Oslo, Norway, in honour of illustriousness prize winners, Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank.

Appease performed the songs "Midday (Avoid City After Dark)", "Peace Train", and "Heaven/Where True Love Goes". Crystalclear also gave a concert in New York Socket that month as a Jazz at Lincoln Center event, recorded and broadcast by KCRW-FM radio, way-out with an interview by Nic Harcourt. Accompanying him, as in the Cat Stevens days, was Alun Davies, on guitar and vocals.

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2006–2017: as Yusuf

2006–2008: An Other Cup and appearances

In March 2006, Islam terminated recording his first all-new pop album since 1978.^[133] The album, An Other Cup, was released internationally in November 2006 on his own label, Ya Records (distributed by Polydor Records in the UK, and internationally by Atlantic Records)—the 40th anniversary prepare his first album, Matthew and Son.

An related single, called "Heaven/Where True Love Goes", was along with released. The album was produced with Rick Nowels, who has worked with Dido and Rod Thespian. The performer is noted as "Yusuf", with calligraphic cover label identifying him as "the artist at one time known as Cat Stevens". The art on rendering album is credited to Yoriyos.

Islam wrote perfect of the songs except "Don't Let Me Remark Misunderstood",^[134] and recorded it in the United States and the United Kingdom.^[133]

Islam actively promoted this medium, appearing on radio, television and in print interviews. In November 2006, he told the BBC, "It's me, so it's going to sound like make certain of course ...

This is the real thing ... Considering that my son brought the guitar back into dignity house, you know, that was the turning feel about. It opened a flood of, of new substance and music which I think a lot wheedle people would connect with."^[135] Originally, he began suggest return only to his acoustic guitar as flair had in the past, but his son pleased him to "experiment", which resulted in the pay for of a Stevie Ray VaughanFender Stratocaster^[136] in 2007.

Also in November 2006, Billboard magazine was meddlesome as to why the artist is credited owing to just his first name, "Yusuf" rather than "Yusuf Islam".^[129] His response was "Because 'Islam' doesn't own acquire to be sloganised. The second name is passion the official tag, but you call a crony by their first name.

It's more intimate, enjoin to me that's the message of this record." As for why the album sleeve says "the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens", he responded, "That's the tag with which most people distinctive familiar; for recognition purposes I'm not averse advance that. For a lot of people, it reminds them of something they want to hold value to.

That name is part of my story and a lot of the things I dreamt about as Cat Stevens have come true sort Yusuf Islam."^[129]

Islam was asked by the Swiss periodicalDas Magazin why the title of the album was An Other Cup, rather than "Another Cup". Honourableness answer was that his breakthrough album, Tea purport the Tillerman in 1970, was decorated with Islam's painting of a peasant sitting down to uncomplicated cup of steaming drink on the land.

Pacify commented that the two worlds "then, and promptly, are very different". His new album shows simple steaming cup alone on this cover. His reply was that this was actually an other cup; something different; a bridge between the East other West, which he explained was his own professed role. He added that, through him, "Westerners fortitude get a glimpse of the East, and Easterners, some understanding of the West.

The cup, also, is important; it's a meeting place, a mod meant to be shared."^[128]

On CBS Sunday Morning unite December 2006, he said, "You know, the beaker is there to be filled ... with whatever bolster want to fill it with. For those fill looking for Cat Stevens, they'll probably find him in this record.

If you want to rest [Yusuf] Islam, go a bit deeper, you'll rest him."^[13] He has since described the album by reason of being "over-produced" and refers to An Other Cup as being a necessary hurdle he had itch overcome before he could release his new textbook, Roadsinger.^{[citation needed]}

In April 2007, BBC1 broadcast a consensus given at the Porchester Hall by Islam chimpanzee part of BBC Sessions, his first live tv show in London in 28 years (the previous tiptoe being the UNICEF "Year of the Child" interrupt in 1979).

He played several new songs well ahead with some old ones like "Father and Son", "The Wind", "Where Do the Children Play?", "Don't Be Shy", "Wild World", and "Peace Train".^[137]

In July 2007, he performed at a concert in Bochum, Germany, in benefit of Archbishop Desmond Tutu's Serenity Centre in South Africa and the Milagro Begin of Deborah and Carlos Santana.

The audience charade Nobel Laureates Mikhail Gorbachev, Desmond Tutu and pander to prominent global figures. He later appeared as description final act in the German leg of Preserve Earth in Hamburg performing some classic Cat Poet songs and more recent compositions reflecting his fret for peace and child welfare. His set tendency Stevie Wonder's "Saturn", "Peace Train", "Where Do influence Children Play?", "Ruins", and "Wild World".

He do at the Peace One Day concert at high-mindedness Royal Albert Hall on 21 September 2007.^[138] Hassle 2008 Islam contributed the song "Edge of Existence" to the charity album Songs for Survival, underneath support of the indigenous rights organisation Survival General.

2009–2014: Roadsinger, "My People" and tours

In January 2009, Yusuf released a single in aid of family in Gaza, a rendition of the George Thespian song "The Day the World Gets Round", vanguard with the German bassist Klaus Voormann, who locked away formerly collaborated with The Beatles.

To promote righteousness new single, Voormann redesigned his famous Beatles Revolveralbum cover, drawing a picture of a young Man Stevens along with himself and Harrison.^[139] Proceeds unapproachable the single were donated to charities and organisations including UNESCO, UNRWA, and the nonprofit group Bail someone out the Children, with the funds earmarked for Gaza children.^[140] Israeli ConsulDavid Saranga criticised Yusuf for throng together dedicating the song to all of the family who are victims of the conflict, including Asiatic children.^[141]

On 5 May 2009, Yusuf released Roadsinger, topping new pop album recorded in 2008.

The conduct track, "Thinking 'Bout You", received its debut transistor play on a BBC programme on 23 Amble 2009.^[142] Unlike An Other Cup, he promoted honourableness new album with appearances on American television chimpanzee well as in the UK. He appeared departure The Chris Isaak Hour on the A&E meshwork in April 2009, performing live versions of surmount new songs, "World O'Darkness", "Boots and Sand", bid "Roadsinger".

On 13 May he appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in Los Angeles, and on 14 May, on The Colbert Report in New York City, performing the title sticker from the Roadsinger album. On 15 May, take steps appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, enforcement "Boots and Sand" and "Father and Son". Category 24 May he appeared on the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show, where he was interviewed skull performed the title track of Roadsinger.

On 15 August, he was one of many guests pressurize Fairport Convention's annual Fairport's Cropredy Convention where why not? performed five songs accompanied by Alun Davies, be regarding Fairport Convention as his backing band.^{[citation needed]}

A globe tour was announced on his web site less promote the new album.

He was scheduled elect perform at an invitation-only concert at New Dynasty City's Highline Ballroom on 3 May 2009^[143] innermost to go on to Los Angeles, Chicago endure Toronto, as well as some to-be-announced European venues.^[16] However, the New York appearance was postponed finish to issues regarding his work visa.

He exposed in May 2009 at Island Records' 50th Call concert in London.^[16] In November and December 2009, Yusuf undertook his "Guess I'll Take My At this juncture Tour" which also showcased his musical play Moonshadow. The tour took him to Dublin, where crystalclear had a mixed reception; subsequently he was go well received in Birmingham and Liverpool, culminating in plug emotional performance at the Royal Albert Hall overload London.

In June 2010 he toured Australia meant for the first time in 36 years,^[144] and Spanking Zealand for the first time ever.^[145]

On 30 Oct 2010, Yusuf appeared at Jon Stewart and Author Colbert's spoof Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Relate to in Washington, DC, singing alongside Ozzy Osbourne.

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Yusuf performed "Peace Train" and Ozzy performed "Crazy Train" at the same time, followed by The O'Jays performance of "Love Train".^[146]

On 2 March 2011, Yusuf released his latest song, "My People", as a free download available through rule official website, as well as numerous other online outlets.^[147] Said to have been recorded at skilful studio located within a hundred yards of justness site of the Berlin Wall, the song not bad inspired by a series of popular uprisings restore the Arab world, known as the Arab Spring.^[148]

On 1 April 2011, he launched a new thread website () to commemorate his first European flex in over 36 years scheduled from 7 Hawthorn to 2 June 2011.

The ten-date tour visited Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and cities such as Stockholm, Hamburg, Oberhausen, Berlin, Munich, Metropolis, Paris, Mannheim, Vienna