Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Cat Stevens

Role / Field:

British singer-songwriter known for folk, pop, and later Islamic music.

Born:

1948-07-21

Century / Era:

1948s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; 21 July 1948), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens or Yusuf/Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and musician. He has sold more than 100 million records and has more than two billion streams. His musical career has explored folk, rock, pop, and, later in his career, Islamic music. Following two decades in which he performed only music which met strict religious standards, he returned to making secular music in 2006.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. He has received two honorary doctorates and awards for promoting peace as well as other humanitarian awards. His 1967 debut album and its title song "Matthew and Son" both reached top 10 in the UK charts. Stevens's albums Tea for the Tillerman (1970) and Teaser and the Firecat (1971) were certified triple platinum in the US. His 1972 album Catch Bull at Four went to No.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

1 on the US Billboard 200 and spent weeks at the top of several other major charts. He earned ASCAP songwriting awards in 2005 and 2006 for "The First Cut Is the Deepest", which has been a hit for four artists. His other hit songs include "Father and Son", "Wild World", "Moonshadow",...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abby Aldrich Rockefeller — Contemporary (Died in 1948) (1948): American socialite and influential philanthropist, key patron of modern art.
• Abdullah Öcalan — Contemporary (Born in 1948) (1948): Founder of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and advocate for Kurdish rights.
• Abdulrazak Gurnah — Contemporary (Born in 1948) (1948): Acclaimed Tanzanian novelist and Nobel laureate exploring themes of colonialism and refuge.
• Alan Shepard — Shared historical date (07-21 · Died) (1998): Pioneering American astronaut, second in space and first American on the Moon.
• Albert Luthuli — Shared historical date (07-21 · Died) (1967): Pioneering anti-apartheid activist and leader of the ANC in South Africa.
• Akira Mutō — Historical peer (Died in 1948) (1948): Imperial Japanese Army General implicated in war crimes during WWII.
• Akira Yoshino — Historical peer (Born in 1948) (1948): Pioneering chemist credited with the first safe, production-viable lithium-ion battery.
• Aaron Spelling — Historical peer (Died in 2006) (2006): Pioneering American producer of hit TV series like Dynasty and Beverly Hills, 90210.
• Abu Musab al-Zarqawi — Historical peer (Died in 2006) (2006): Jordanian jihadist militant known for orchestrating violence in Iraq (1966–2006)
• 2014 League of Legends World Championship — Historical peer (Born in 2014) (2014): The 4th League of Legends World Championship, held in Asia in 2014.
• 1948 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1948
• July 21 (07-21) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on July 21

Frequently Asked Questions about Cat Stevens