This day (January 10, 1945), in Highgate, London, England, is born James Patrick ‘Rod’ Stewart, a British rock singer, first the frontman for The Faces, then a solo artist.

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Early Life and Influences

Rod Stewart, born on January 10, 1945, in London, England, is rock and roll’s quintessential raspy-voiced rogue who has spent decades teetering between debonair charm and glittery excess.

Raised in a working-class family in Highgate with Scottish roots and a soccer obsession, young Rod was torn between dreams of becoming a footballer and belting out tunes like his idol, Little Richard.

Lucky for us, the football career fizzled after a brief stint with Brentford, leaving Stewart to trade the pitch for the stage—though not before a brief interlude digging graves and wandering Europe as a broke beatnik.

Rise to Fame

Rod’s rise was as bumpy as his famously spiked hair.

After being discovered busking at a train station by Long John Baldry, he joined Baldry’s Hoochie Coochie Men and earned the moniker “Rod the Mod” for his sharp-dressed antics.

He bounced through bands like Steam Packet and Shotgun Express, slowly finding his stride before hooking up with Jeff Beck in 1967.

The Jeff Beck Group gave him his first taste of fame, but it was his next venture, The Faces, that solidified him as a boozy, gravel-throated powerhouse in rock’s chaotic underbelly.

Solo Success

While The Faces were charming crowds with their scrappy, pub-band energy, Rod launched a solo career that quickly overshadowed his bandmates.

His third album, featuring the hit “Maggie May,” catapulted him into superstardom in 1971.

Rod had officially arrived, and with his newfound fame came all the trappings of a rock god: mansions, model girlfriends, and a royal knack for controversy.

The Los Angeles Era

By the mid-’70s, Stewart had moved to Los Angeles, partially to escape Britain’s high taxes and perhaps also to fully embrace the hedonistic California lifestyle.

His relationship with Swedish actress Britt Ekland cemented his image as the ultimate playboy, though critics were less enchanted by his increasingly “campy” outfits and flirtation with disco.

Despite detractors, hits like “Tonight’s the Night” and “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” kept him at the top of the charts, even as they divided his fanbase.

Reclaiming Rock Cred

The ’80s saw Stewart attempting to reclaim his rock and roll cred with albums like *Out of Order*, which silenced critics and proved he still had the chops to deliver genuine hits.

His personal life, however, remained as dramatic as his stage performances.

Marriages, divorces, and high-profile relationships—including a messy palimony lawsuit with Kelly Emberg—kept the tabloids busy.

The Great American Songbook and Beyond

In the 2000s, a cancer diagnosis threatened his career, but Stewart bounced back with a vengeance, partnering with Clive Davis to release *The Great American Songbook* series.

The albums introduced him to a new audience and reminded everyone that his raspy pipes could tackle standards as effortlessly as rock anthems.

The success of the *Songbook* series proved Stewart was more than a relic of rock’s heyday—he was an enduring force.

Enduring Legacy

Even as the years passed, Stewart’s love for performing remained undimmed.

Whether crooning ballads or leading stadium sing-alongs, he continues to captivate audiences with his unique mix of cheeky charisma and genuine talent.

Through decades of reinvention, scandals, and chart-topping hits, Rod Stewart remains rock’s ageless rascal—still kicking soccer balls into the crowd and proving that some things, like a great voice and an even better story, never go out of style.

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Photo : Claudio Guido