Cat Stevens

Cat Stevens: Singer/songwriter

Comparisons: Cat Stevens can most easily be compared to Paul Simon, James Taylor, Don MacLean, and Harry Chapin.

Trivia Fact: Cat Stevens converted to Islam in 1977 after nearly drowning in an accident. During his recovery from the accident, his brother had given him a copy of the Qu'ran, which Stevens credited with helping him to find peace and recover from the incident. As is customary when one converts to Islam, Stevens changed his name to Yusuf Islam, after the prophet Joseph - interpreter of dreams.

Quote From Cat Stevens: "I always stood for the elimination of conflict and wars, and any of those causes that ignite them."

Starter CDs: Tea For the Tillerman (A&M, 1971). Teaser & The Firecat (A&M, 1971). The Very Best of Cat Stevens (A&M, 2000).

Cat Stevens Biography: Steven Demetre Georgiou was born in July, 1947, in London, England. His father was a Greek Cypriot and his mother was Swedish, and together they ran a restaurant in London. His parents divorced when he was eight years old, and he and his mother later moved to Sweden.

As a teenager attending Hammersmith College, Stevens became interested in folk and rock and roll music. He began performing under the psuedonym of Steve Adams. His song, "I Love My Dog," was heard by Mike Hurst (the Springfields), who brought Stevens into the studio to demo the song.

Eventually heard by Decca Records, "I Love My Dog" won Stevens a record deal with the company, who had him change his name to Cat Stevens. Although "I Love My Dog" did well on the British charts, the song (as well as the singles he released after that) didn't do quite as well in America.

As a result, Stevens began focusing on more earnest and personal material. He also moved over to Island Records, and released his third album Mona Bone Jakon (1970). The album was well-received; and the same year, Jimmy Cliff had a hit with Stevens' song "Wild Word."

When Stevens recorded "Wild World" himself on his following record, it marked his greatest American success to that point. By the summer of 1971, Stevens had become well-established with the release of his hit single, "Moon Shadow."

After a near-death drowning experience, in 1977 Stevens converted to Islam, adopting the name Yusuf Islam. After releasing his final album as Cat Stevens, Islam retired from making folk-pop music. He's had five children with his wife, and now runs a Muslim school near London.

In 2005, he released a song about the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. In March, 2006, Rolling Stone magazine reported that Islam had finished recording his first album since 1978. According to reports, the album is due out in the autumn of 2006.