January 10
ROD THE MOD DAY
Born Roderick David Stewart on this day in 1945, the 5th son of Robert and Elsie Stewart spent his happy childhood doing what he did best: playing football (soccer) and singing. He excelled at the first, becoming captain of his school’s team. Then, for his 14th birthday, Rod’s father bought him a guitar.
That was the start of something big. Music auditions and emulating British and American folk artists convinced young Rod that he needed to play a harmonica. Soon he was singing with The Ray Davies Quartet (The Kinks) as their lead singer – only to irritate some with his now signature scratchy voice.
He was just 18 when he took on another signature – his spiked hairstyle – and earned the nickname, Rod the Mod! From folk music, to rock ‘n’ roll, to rhythm and blues, Stewart was running the gamut of popular music and writing some of his own. However, he wasn’t winning attention in any area until he joined the group, Faces. Going solo in 1969 led to the beginning of winning in every direction for the throaty, extremely versatile singer. From the international smash hit, Maggie May to the even bigger hit, Tonight’s the Night to the 1978 chart-topper, Do Ya Think I’m Sexy, Rod Stewart was charming audiences around the globe. Two more decades of hit songs followed, including a version of Have I told You Lately that made one think Rod was singing only to you.
It would be hard to recognize that the seemingly quiet, retiring artist singing just to you was the same man who performed in 1994 at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro to the largest concert crowd in history: 4.2 million fans celebrating New Year’s Eve and Rod Stewart.
And, although he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, Rod Stewart was never awarded with a Grammy (he had 14 nominations) until 2005 when his Stardust… The Great American Songbook, Volume III was voted the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. It was also the first time in 25 years that he had another #1 hit. That same year, Rod Stewart was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Today, audiences the world over have made the man with the most distinctive voice in pop music an icon and have purchased way more than 100 million of his records. Rod the Mod is still singing, selling more records and gaining new fans.
Those Were the Days, the Today in History service from 440 International
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