Roderick On January 10, 1945, David “Rod” Stewart was born in London, England. He is the youngest of five children and the son of Robert Joseph Stewart and Elsie Rebecca Gilbart of British and Scottish descent.

His childhood was primarily consumed by hobbies such as model railroading and soccer. He captained the school soccer team and represented Middlesex Schoolboys. Stewart did not become interested in music until the early 1960s when he began to learn the harmonica and later the piano. Al Jolson and Little Richard were among his early influences. Stewart dropped out of school at the age of 15 with the goal of becoming a professional soccer player. He began his career with odd jobs, including a brief stint as a gravedigger at Highgate Cemetery.

In 1962, Stewart began busking around Leicester Square with folk singer Wizz Jones, playing the harmonica. They took their act on the road for the next year and a half, visiting places like Brighton, Paris, and Barcelona.

He got his first professional job as a musician in October 1963, when he joined an R&B group in London called The Dimensions as a harmonica player and vocalist, after developing a strong interest and liking for American rhythm and blues acts like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. He was a member of several different musical acts over the next few years.

He joined the Jeff Beck Group in 1966 and had his first taste of success, releasing two albums and touring the UK and the US. Both albums charted at #15 in the United States. He was known as “Rod The Mod” at the time because of his punk-rock alternative style and appearance.

What is Rod Stewart’s most famous song?

“Maggie May” When it topped the Hot 100 and the U.K. pop charts, this song heralded Stewart’s arrival as one of the decade’s most distinctive voices.