Yusuf Islam (bornSteven Demetre Georgiou;21 July 1948),[1] commonly known by his stage namesCat Stevens,Yusuf, andYusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and musician. He has sold more than 100 million records and has more than two billion streams.[2] His musical style consists of 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 makingsecular music in 2006.[3][4][5] He was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.[6] He has received two honorary doctorates and awards for promoting peace as well as other humanitarian awards.
Stevensconverted to Islam in December 1977, and adopted the name Yusuf Islam the following year.[11][12] The same year he released his album "Izitso" before announcing his conversion with hits such as "(Remember the Days of The) Old School Yard", "(I never Wanted) To be a Star", and "Sweet Jamaica". In 1979, he auctioned his guitars for charity, and left his musical career to devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in theMuslim community.[13] He has since bought back at least one of the guitars he sold as a result of the efforts of his son, Yoriyos.[14] Stevens was embroiled in a controversy regardingcomments he made in 1989, about thefatwa placed on authorSalman Rushdie in response to the publication of Rushdie's novelThe Satanic Verses. He has explained the incident stating: "I was cleverly framed by certain questions. I never supported the fatwa."[15]
In 2006, he returned to pop music by releasing his first new studio album of new pop songs in 28 years, titledAn Other Cup.[16][17] With that release and subsequent ones, he dropped the surname "Islam" from the album cover art – using the stage name Yusuf as amononym.[17] In 2009, he released the albumRoadsinger and, in 2014, he released the albumTell 'Em I'm Gone and began his first US tour since 1978.[18] His second North American tour since his resurgence, featuring 12 shows in intimate venues, ran from 12 September to 7 October 2016.[19] In 2017, he released the albumThe Laughing Apple, now using the stage name Yusuf / Cat Stevens, using the Cat Stevens name for the first time in 39 years. In September 2020, he releasedTea for the Tillerman 2, a reimagining of his albumTea for the Tillerman to celebrate its 50th anniversary, and in June 2023,King of a Land, a new studio album.
Steven Demetre Georgiou, born on 21 July 1948 in theMarylebone area of London,[20] was the youngest child of aGreek Cypriot father, Stavros Georgiou (1900–1978),[21] and a Swedish mother, Ingrid Wickman (1915–1989).[22] He has an older sister, Anita (b. 1937), and a brother, David Gordon.[20] The family lived above the Moulin Rouge, a restaurant his parents operated on the north end ofShaftesbury Avenue, a short walk fromPiccadilly Circus in theSoho theatre district of London. All family members worked in the restaurant.[20] His parents divorced when he was about eight years old but continued to maintain the family restaurant and live above it. Stevens has a half-brother, George Georgiou, born inGreece, presumably from his father's first marriage in Greece.[23][24]
Although his father wasGreek Orthodox and his mother was aBaptist, Georgiou was sent to St Joseph Roman Catholic Primary School, Macklin Street, which was closer to his father's business onDrury Lane.[25] Georgiou developed an interest in piano at a young age, eventually using the family baby grand piano to work out the chords, since no one else there played well enough to teach him.[26] At 15, inspired by the popularity ofthe Beatles, he became interested in the guitar.[11] He persuaded his father to pay £8 (equivalent to £200 in 2023[27]) for his first guitar, and he began playing it and writing songs.[26] He occasionally escaped his family responsibilities by going to the rooftop above their home and listening to the tunes of the musicals drifting from around the corner[20] onDenmark Street, then the centre of the British music industry.[11] Stevens said thatWest Side Story particularly affected him and gave him a "different view of life".[28] With interests in both art and music, he and his mother moved toGävle, Sweden, where he attended primary school (Solängsskolan) and started developing his drawing skills after being influenced by his uncle Hugo Wickman, a painter. They subsequently returned to England.[29]
He attended other localWest End schools, where he says he was constantly in trouble and did poorly in everything but art. He was called 'the artist boy' and said, "I was beat up, but I was noticed".[30] He took a one-year course atHammersmith School of Art,[31] considering a career as a cartoonist. Though he enjoyed art (his later record albums featured his original artwork),[30] he decided to pursue a musical career. He began performing under the name "Steve Adams" in 1965 while at Hammersmith.[31][32] At that point, his goal was to become a songwriter. As well as the Beatles, other musicians who influenced him werethe Kinks,[33]Bob Dylan,Nina Simone,blues artistsLead Belly andMuddy Waters,[34]Biff Rose (particularly Rose's first album),Leo Kottke[30] andPaul Simon.[35] He also sought to emulate composers of musicals, such asIra Gershwin andLeonard Bernstein. In 1965, he signed a publishing deal with Ardmore & Beechwood and recorded several demos, including "The First Cut Is the Deepest".[36]
Georgiou began performing his songs in London coffee houses and pubs. At first he tried to form a band, but realised he preferred performing solo.[26] Thinking his birth name might be difficult to remember, he chose the stage name Cat Stevens, partly because a girlfriend said he had eyes like a cat, but mainly because "I couldn't imagine anyone going to the record store and asking for 'that Steven Demetre Georgiou album'. And in England, and I was sure in America, they loved animals."[37]
In 1966, at age 18, he was heard by manager/producerMike Hurst, formerly of British vocal groupthe Springfields. Hurst arranged for him to record a demo and helped him get a record deal. Stevens's first singles were hits: "I Love My Dog" reached number 28 on theUK Singles Chart; and "Matthew and Son", the title song from his debut album, reached number 2 in the UK.[38] "I'm Gonna Get Me a Gun" was his second UK top 10 single, reaching number 6, and the albumMatthew and Son, released in March 1967, reached number 7 on theUK Albums Chart.[39]
Over the next two years, Stevens recorded and toured with an eclectic group of artists ranging fromJimi Hendrix toEngelbert Humperdinck. He was considered a fresh-faced teen star, placing several single releases in theBritish pop music charts.[40] Some of that success was attributed to thepirate radio stationWonderful Radio London, which gained him fans by playing his records. In August 1967, he was one of several recording artists who had benefited from the station to broadcast messages during its final hour to mourn its closure.[41][42]
His December 1967 albumNew Masters failed to chart in the United Kingdom, and contained the single "Kitty" which was Stevens' final charting release in the UK for three years.[39]New Masters is now most notable for "The First Cut Is the Deepest", a song he sold for £30 (equivalent to £700 in 2023[27]) toP. P. Arnold and which became a massive hit for her and an international hit forKeith Hampshire,Rod Stewart,James Morrison andSheryl Crow.[43] Forty years after he recorded the first demo of the song, it earned him back-to-back ASCAP "Songwriter of the Year" awards, in 2005 and 2006.[44][45]
Stevens contractedtuberculosis in 1969[30][46] and was close to death at the time of his admission to the King Edward VII Hospital,Midhurst, West Sussex.[46] He spent months recuperating in the hospital and a year ofconvalescence. During this time, Stevens began to question aspects of his life and spirituality. He later said, "To go from the show business environment and find you are in hospital, getting injections day in and day out, and people around you are dying, it certainly changes your perspective. I got down to thinking about myself. It seemed almost as if I had my eyes shut."[38]
He took up meditation,yoga, andmetaphysics,[47] read about other religions and became a vegetarian.[37] As a result of his serious illness and long convalescence[47] and as a part of his spiritual awakening and questioning, he wrote as many as 40 songs, many of which would appear on his albums in later years.[13]
The lack of success of Stevens' second album mirrored a difference of personal tastes in musical direction. He felt a growing resentment of producer Mike Hurst's attempts to re-create the style of his debut album, with heavy-handed orchestration and over-production,[35] rather than thefolk rock sound Stevens was attempting to produce. He admits having purposely sabotaged his own contract with Hurst by making outlandishly expensive orchestral demands and threatening legal action, which achieved his goal: to be released from his contract withDeram Records, a sub-label ofDecca Records.[38]
On regaining his health at home after his release from the hospital, Stevens recorded some of his newly written songs on his tape recorder and played his changing sound for several new record executives. He hired an agent, Barry Krost, who arranged an audition withChris Blackwell ofIsland Records. Blackwell offered him a "chance to record [his songs] whenever and with whomever he liked and, more importantly to Cat, however he liked".[47] With Krost's recommendation, Stevens signedPaul Samwell-Smith, previously the bassist ofthe Yardbirds, as his new producer.[48]
Stevens performing in Böblingen, West Germany, in 1976
Samwell-Smith paired Stevens with guitaristAlun Davies, who was at that time working as asession musician. Davies was the more-experienced veteran of two albums that had already begun to explore the emerging genres ofskiffle and folk rock music. Davies was also thought to be a perfect fit with Stevens, particularly for his "fingerwork" on the guitar, harmonising, and backing vocals. They originally met just to recordMona Bone Jakon in 1970,[49] but soon developed a friendship. Davies, like Stevens, was a perfectionist,[50] appearing at all sound checks to be sure that all the equipment and sound were prepared for each concert.[51]
The first single released fromMona Bone Jakon was "Lady D'Arbanville", which Stevens wrote about his young American girlfriendPatti D'Arbanville. The record had amadrigal sound, unlike most music played on pop radio, withdjembes and bass in addition to Stevens' and Davies' guitars. It reached number eight in the UK[39] and was the first of his hits to get real airplay in the US.[38] The single sold over one million copies and earned him agold record in 1971.[52] Other songs written for D'Arbanville included "Maybe You're Right" and "Just Another Night".[53] "Pop Star", a song about his experience as a teen star, and "Katmandu", withGenesis frontmanPeter Gabriel playing flute, were also featured.Mona Bone Jakon was an early example of the solo singer-songwriter album format that was becoming popular for other artists as well.Rolling Stone magazine compared its popularity with that ofElton John'sTumbleweed Connection, saying it was played "across the board, across radio formats".[54]
Stevens in 1971, as pictured in the cover artwork for his albumTeaser and the Firecat
Mona Bone Jakon was the precursor of Stevens' international breakthrough album,Tea for the Tillerman, which became a Top 10Billboard hit. Within six months of its release, it had sold over 500,000 copies, attaining gold record status in the United Kingdom and the United States. The combination of Stevens' new folk rock style and accessible lyrics, which spoke of everyday situations and problems, mixed with the beginning of spiritual questions about life, remained in his music from then on. The album features the Top 20 single "Wild World"; a parting song after D'Arbanville moved on. "Wild World" has been credited as the song that gaveTea for the Tillerman 'enough kick' to get it played on FM radio. The head of Island Records, Chris Blackwell, was quoted as calling it "the best album we've ever released".[35] Other album tracks include "Hard-Headed Woman", and "Father and Son" – sung by Stevens in baritone and tenor, portraying the struggle between fathers and sons who contrast their personal choices in life. In 2001, this album was certified by the RIAA as a Multi-Platinum record, having sold three million copies in the United States at that time.[55] It is ranked at No. 206 in the 2003 list of "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[56]
After his relationship with D'Arbanville ended, Stevens noted the effect it had on his writing, saying, "Everything I wrote while I was away was in a transitional period and reflects that. Like Patti. A year ago we split; I had been with her for two years. What I write about Patti and my family... when I sing the songs now, I learn strange things. I learn the meanings of my songs late ..."[56]
Having established a signature sound, Stevens enjoyed a string of successes in the following years. 1971'sTeaser and the Firecat album reached number two and achieved gold record status within three weeks of its release in the United States. It yielded several hits, including "Peace Train", "Morning Has Broken", and "Moonshadow". The album was also certified by the RIAA as a Multi-Platinum record in 2001, with over three million sold in the United States through that time. When interviewed on a Boston radio station, Stevens said aboutTeaser and the Firecat:
I get the tune and then I just keep on singing the tune until the words come out from the tune. It's kind of a hypnotic state that you reach after a while when you keep on playing it where words just evolve from it. So you take those words and just let them go whichever way they want ...'Moonshadow'? Funny, that was in Spain, I went there alone, completely alone, to get away from a few things. And I was dancin' on the rocks there ... right on the rocks where the waves were, like, blowin' and splashin'. Really, it was so fantastic. And the moon was bright, ya know, and I started dancin' and singin' and I sang that song and it stayed. It's just the kind of moment that you want to find when you're writin' songs.[57]
For seven months, in 1971 and 1972, Stevens was romantically linked to popular singerCarly Simon, while both were being produced by Samwell-Smith. During that time, they each wrote songs for, and about, one another. Simon wrote and recorded at least two Top 50 songs, "Legend in Your Own Time" and "Anticipation" about Stevens. He reciprocated with a song to her, written after their romance, titled "Sweet Scarlet".[58][59][60]
In July 1970, Stevens recorded one of his songs, "But I Might Die Tonight", for theJerzy Skolimowski filmDeep End.[61] He contributed two songs to the 1971 filmHarold and Maude, but was annoyed when directorHal Ashby decided to use the original demos instead of allowing Stevens to finish them.[62] The film used seven other Stevens songs as well but, perhaps because of the dispute, the soundtrack album was not released until 2007.[63]
After his religious conversion in the late 1970s, Stevens stopped granting permission for his songs to be used in films. However, almost 20 years later, in 1997, the filmRushmore received his permission to use his songs "Here Comes My Baby" and "The Wind"; this showed a new willingness on his part to release music from his Western "pop star" days.[28] In 2000, "Peace Train" was included in the movieRemember the Titans,[64] andAlmost Famous used the song "The Wind".[65] In 2006 "Peace Train" featured in the soundtrack toWe Are Marshall.[66]
Stevens poster advertising a concert fromWMMS in 1976
Subsequent releases in the 1970s also did well on the charts and in ongoing sales, although they did not touch the success Stevens had from 1970 to 1973. In 1973, Stevens moved toRio de Janeiro, Brazil, as atax exile from the United Kingdom; however, he later donated the money he saved in taxes toUNESCO.[67] During that time he created the albumForeigner, which was a departure from the music that had brought him to the height of his fame. It differed in several respects: it was entirely written by Stevens; he dropped his band; and, with the exception of some guitar on the title track and "100 I Dream",[68] he produced the record without the assistance of Samwell-Smith, who had played a large role in catapulting him to fame.
In June 1974, while in Australia, Stevens was presented with a plaque representing the sale of forty gold records, the largest number ever presented to an artist in Australia.[69]
In April 1977, hisIzitso album updated his pop rock and folk rock style with the extensive use ofsynthesisers,[70] giving it a moresynthpop style.[71] "Was Dog a Doughnut", in particular, was an earlytechno-pop fusion track and a precursor to the 1980selectro music genre,[72] making early use of amusic sequencer.[73]Izitso included his last chart hit, "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard", an early synthpop song[71] that used apolyphonic synthesiser; it was a duet with fellow UK singerElkie Brooks.[73]
His final original album under the name Cat Stevens wasBack to Earth, released in late 1978. It was also the first album produced by Samwell-Smith since the peak in Stevens' single album sales in the early 1970s. Several compilation albums were released before and after he stopped recording. After Stevens left Decca Records, they bundled his first two albums together as a set, hoping to ride the commercial tide of his early success; later his newer labels did the same, and Stevens also released compilations. The most successful of the compilation albums was the 1975Greatest Hits which has sold over 4 million copies in the United States. In May 2003, he received his firstPlatinum Europe Award from theIFPI forRemember Cat Stevens: The Ultimate Collection, indicating over one million European sales.[74]
While on holiday inMarrakesh,[when?] Stevens was intrigued by the sound of theadhān, the Islamic ritual call to prayer, which was explained to him as "music for God.” Stevens said, "I thought, music for God? I'd never heard that before – I'd heard of music for money, music for fame, music for personal power, but music for God!?"[75]
In 1976, Stevens nearly drowned off the coast ofMalibu, California, and said he shouted, "Oh, God! If you save me I will work for you." He stated that, immediately afterwards, a wave appeared and carried him back to shore. This brush with death intensified his long-held quest for spiritual truth. He had looked into "Buddhism,Zen,I Ching,numerology,tarot cards, andastrology".[37] Stevens' brother David Gordon, a convert to Judaism,[76] brought him a copy of theQur'an as a birthday gift from a trip toJerusalem.[28]
Stevens said on BBC'sDesert Island Discs:[77] "I would never have picked up the Qur'an myself as a free spirit; I was more aligned to my father's Greek Orthodox beliefs." His brother's timely gift was quickly absorbed and he was taken with its content, soon beginning his transition and conversion to Islam, which would forever change his private and professional life.[78]
As he was studying the Qur'an, Stevens began to identify more and more with the story ofJoseph, a man bought and sold in the market place, which is how he said he had increasingly felt within the music business.[48] Regarding his conversion, in his 2006 interview withAlan Yentob,[79] he stated, "To some people, it may have seemed like an enormous jump, but for me, it was a gradual move to this." And, in aRolling Stone magazine interview, he said, "I had found the spiritual home I'd been seeking for most of my life. And if you listen to my music and lyrics, like ‘Peace Train’ and ‘On The Road To Find Out’, it clearly shows my yearning for direction and the spiritual path I was travelling."[80]
Stevens formally converted to Islam on 23 December 1977, and took the name Yusuf Islam in 1978. Yusuf is theArabic rendition of the name Joseph; he stated that he "always loved the name Joseph" and was particularly drawn to the story ofJoseph in the Qur'an.[48] Although he discontinued his pop career, he was persuaded to perform one last time before what became a 25-year musical hiatus. Appearing with his hair freshly shorn and an untrimmed beard, he headlined a charity concert on 22 November 1979 inWembley Stadium to benefitUNICEF'sInternational Year of the Child.[81] The concert closed with his performance along withDavid Essex, Alun Davies, and Islam's brother, David Gordon, who wrote the finale song "Child for a Day".[81]
Islam married Fauzia Mubarak Ali on 7 September 1979,[81] atRegent's Park Mosque in London. They have one son, four daughters, and nine grandchildren.[82] A second son died in infancy.[83] They have a home in London while currently preferring to spend a major part of each year inDubai.[16][84]
Yusuf Islam appearing at theIslam Expo in London (2008)
Following his conversion to Islam, Islam abandoned his musical career for nearly two decades. When he became a Muslim in 1977, theimam at his mosque told him that it was fine to continue as a musician, as long as the songs were morally acceptable. However, because others said that "it was all prohibited,” he decided to avoid the question by ceasing to perform.[85] He has said that there was "a combination of reasons, really", and that the continuing demands of the music business had been "becoming a chore, and not an inspiration anymore".[85]
In a 2004 interview onLarry King Live, he said "A lot of people would have loved me to keep singing. You come to a point where you have sung, more or less... your whole repertoire and you want to get down to the job of living. You know, up until that point, I hadn't had a life. I'd been searching, been on the road."[25]
Estimating in January 2007 that he was continuing to earn approximately US$1.5 million a year from his Cat Stevens music,[86] he said he would use his accumulated wealth and ongoing earnings from his music career for philanthropic and educational causes in the Muslim community of London and elsewhere. In 1983, he founded theIslamia Primary School in Brondesbury Park, which later moved to Salusbury Road[87] in the north London area ofQueen's Park[88] and, soon after, founded several Muslim secondary schools. In 1992, he set upThe Association of Muslim Schools (AMS-UK), a charity that brought together all the Muslim schools in the UK. He is also the founder and chairman of theSmall Kindness charity, which initially assisted famine victims in Africa and now supports thousands of orphans and families in theBalkans, Indonesia, and Iraq.[89] He was chairman of the charityMuslim Aid from 1985 to 1993.[90]
In 1989, following an address by Islam to students at London's Kingston Polytechnic (nowKingston University), where he was asked about thefatwacalling for the killing ofSalman Rushdie, author of the novelThe Satanic Verses, Islam made a series of comments that appeared to show support for the fatwa. He stated, "He (Rushdie) must be killed. The Qur'an makes it clear – if someone defames the prophet, then he must die."[91] He released a statement the following day denying that he supported vigilantism and claiming that he had merely recounted theIslamic Sharia law punishment for blasphemy. Subsequently, he commented in a 1989 interview on Australian television that Rushdie should be killed and stated he would rather burn Rushdie than an effigy.[92] In a statement in the FAQ section of one of his websites, Islam asserted that while he regretted the comments, he was joking and that the show was improperly edited.[93]
In the years since these comments, he has repeatedly denied ever calling for the death of Rushdie or supporting the fatwa.[13][80] Appearing on BBC's Desert Island Discs[77] on 27 September 2020, Yusuf claimed clever "sharp-toothed" journalists had framed his fatwa comment in a misleading way.[94] In a 2007 letter to the editor ofThe Daily Telegraph, Rushdie complained of what he believed was Islam's attempts to "rewrite his past", and called his claims of innocence "rubbish".[95]
On 12 August 2022,Salman Rushdie suffered a knife attack as he was about to give a public lecture at theChautauqua Institution inChautauqua, New York, United States.[96] In response to the attack, Yusuf tweeted, "Saddened and shocked to learn about the horrific act on Salman Rushdie my wish is for us all to live in peace. May God grant him and every one else who has suffered from the manic pandemic of violence in this world, a full recovery. Peace".[97]
I wish to express my heartfelt horror at the indiscriminate terrorist attacks committed against innocent people of the United States yesterday. While it is still not clear who carried out the attack, it must be stated that no right-thinking follower of Islam could possibly condone such an action. The Qur'an equates the murder of one innocent person with the murder of the whole of humanity. We pray for the families of all those who lost their lives in this unthinkable act of violence as well as all those injured; I hope to reflect the feelings of all Muslims and people around the world whose sympathies go out to the victims of this sorrowful moment.[98][99]
Islam appeared on videotape on aVH1 pre-show for the October 2001Concert for New York City, condemning the attacks and singing his song "Peace Train" for the first time in public in more than 20 years, as ana cappella version. He also donated a portion of his box-set royalties to the fund for victims' families and the rest to orphans in underdeveloped countries.[100] During the same year, he joined theForum Against Islamophobia and Racism, an organisation that worked towards battling misconceptions and acts against others because of their religious beliefs or their racial identity (or both), after many Muslims reported a backlash against them due in part to the grief caused by the events in the United States on 11 September.[67]
On 21 September 2004, Islam was on aUnited Airlines flight from London toWashington, travelling to a meeting with American entertainerDolly Parton, who had recorded "Peace Train" several years earlier and was planning to include another Cat Stevens song on an upcoming album.[79] While the plane was in flight, his name was flagged as being on theNo Fly List. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers alerted the United StatesTransportation Security Administration, which then diverted his flight toBangor, Maine, where he was detained by officers from theDepartment of Homeland Security.[101]
The following day, he was denied entry and flown back to the United Kingdom. A spokesman for Homeland Security claimed there were "concerns of ties he may have to potential terrorist-related activities".[102] TheIsraeli government had deported Islam in 2000 over allegations that he provided funding to thePalestinian organisationHamas,[103] but he denied doing so knowingly.[104] Islam stated "I have never knowingly supported or given money to Hamas".[105] "At the time I was reported to have done it, I didn't know such a group existed. Some people give a political interpretation to charity. We were horrified at how people were suffering in the Holy Land."[104]
However, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added him to a "watch list"[31] which provoked an international controversy and led theBritish Foreign SecretaryJack Straw to complain personally to theUnited States Secretary of StateColin Powell at the United Nations.[106] Powell responded by stating that the watchlist was under review, adding, "I think we have that obligation to review these matters to see if we are right".[107]
Islam believed his inclusion on a "watch list" may have simply been an error: a mistaken identification of him for a man with the same name, but different spelling. On 1 October 2004 he requested the removal of his name, "I remain bewildered by the decision of the US authorities to refuse me entry to the United States".[108] According to his statement, the man on the list was named "Youssef Islam", indicating that Islam was not the suspected terrorism supporter.[25]
Two years later, in December 2006, Islam was admitted without incident into the United States for several radio concert performances and interviews to promote his new record.[109] He said of the incident at the time, "No reason was ever given, but being asked to repeat the spelling of my name again and again, made me think it was a fairly simple mistake of identity. Rumours which circulated after made me imagine otherwise."[110]
In October 2004,The Sun andThe Sunday Times newspapers voiced their support for Yusuf's exclusion from the United States and claimed that he had supported terrorism. He sued forlibel and received an out-of-courtfinancial settlement from the newspapers, which both published apology statements saying that he had never supported terrorism and mentioning that he had recently been given aMan of Peace award from theWorld Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. However,The Sunday Times managing editor Richard Caseby said that while there was an "agreed settlement", they "always denied liability" and "disagreed with Cat Stevens' lawyers interpretation", but took a "pragmatic view" of the lawsuit.[112]
Yusuf responded that he was "delighted by the settlement [which] helps vindicate my character and good name... It seems to be the easiest thing in the world these days to make scurrilous accusations against Muslims and, in my case, it directly impacts on my relief work and damages my reputation as an artist. The harm done is often difficult to repair", and added that he intended to donate the financial award given to him by the court to help orphans of the2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.[112] He wrote about the experience in a newspaper article titled "A Cat in a Wild World".[113]
Lawsuit about allegations that he would not talk to unveiled women
On 18 July 2008, Islam received substantial undisclosed damages from theWorld Entertainment News Network following their publication of a story which claimed that the singer refused to speak to unveiled women.[114] The allegations first surfaced in the German newspaperBZ after Islam's trip to Berlin in March 2007 to collect theEcho music award for "life achievements as musician and ambassador between cultures".[115] Once again he was awarded damages after the World Entertainment News Network allowed an article to be published onContactmusic.com alleging that he would not speak to unveiled women with the exception of his wife. His solicitor said "he was made out to be 'so sexist and bigoted that he refused at an awards ceremony to speak to or even acknowledge any women who were not wearing a veil'".[114][116] The news agency apologised and issued a statement saying that Islam has never had any problem in working with women and that he has never required a third party to function as an intermediary at work.[115] The money from this lawsuit went to hisSmall Kindness Charity.[114]
On his website, he discussed the false allegation, saying,
The accusation that I do not speak or interact with ladies who are not veiled is an absurdity.... It's true that I have asked my manager to respectfully request that lady presenters refrain from embracing me when giving awards or during public appearances, but that has nothing to do with my feelings or respect for them. Islam simply requires me to honour the dignity of ladies or young girls who are not closely related to me, and avoid physical intimacy, however innocent it may be. ... My four daughters all follow the basic wearing of clothes which modestly cover their God-given beauty. They're extremely well educated; they do not cover their faces and interact perfectly well with friends and society.[117]
Islam gradually resumed his musical career in the 1990s. These initial recordings did not include any musical instruments other than percussion, and they featured lyrics about Islamic themes, some inspoken word orhamd form. He invested in building his own recording studio,[where?] which he named Mountain of Light Studios in the late 1990s, and he was featured as a guest singer on "God Is the Light", a song on an album ofnasheeds by the groupRaihan. In addition, he invited and collaborated with other Muslim singers, including Canadian artistDawud Wharnsby.
After Islam's friendIrfan Ljubijankić, theForeign Minister ofBosnia and Herzegovina, was killed by a Serbian rocket attack, Islam appeared at a 1997 benefit concert inSarajevo and recorded a benefit album named after a song written by Ljubijankić,I Have No Cannons That Roar.[118]
Realising there were few educational resources designed to teach children about the Islamic religion, Islam wrote and produced a children's album,A Is for Allah, in 2000[119] with the assistance of South African singer-songwriterZain Bhikha. The title song was one Islam had written years before to introduce his first child to both the religion and the Arabic alphabet. He also established his own record label, "Jamal Records", and Mountain of Light Productions, and he donates a percentage of his projects' proceeds to hisSmall Kindness charity, whose name is taken from the Qur'an.[120]
On the occasion of the 2000 re-release of his Cat Stevens albums, at the urging of his label rep Sujata, Islam agreed to interviews with the media to tell his story and reconnect with his fans.[121] Islam explained that he had stopped performing in English due to his misunderstanding of the Islamic faith. "This issue of music in Islam is not as cut-and-dried as I was led to believe ... I relied on heresy, that was perhaps my mistake."[119] He also participated in the first documentary on his life for a two-part VH1Behind the Music.[122]
Islam has reflected that his decision to leave the Western pop-music business was perhaps too quick with too little communication for his fans. For most it was a surprise, and even his long-time guitarist Alun Davies said in later interviews that he had not believed that his friend would actually go through with it after his many forays into other religions throughout their relationship.[48] Islam himself has said the "cut" between his former life and his life as a Muslim might have been too quick, and too severe, and that more people might have been better informed about Islam, and given an opportunity to better understand it, and himself, if he had simply removed those items that were consideredharām, in his performances, allowing him to express himself musically and educate listeners through his music without violating any religious constraints.[123]
In 2003, after repeated encouragement from within the Muslim world,[124] Islam once again recorded "Peace Train" for a compilation CD, which also included performances byDavid Bowie and Paul McCartney. He performed "Wild World" inNelson Mandela's46664 concert with his earlier collaborator,Peter Gabriel, the first time he had publicly performed in English in 25 years.
In December 2004, he andRonan Keating released a new version of "Father and Son": the song entered the charts at number two, behindBand Aid 20's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" They also produced a video of the pair walking between photographs of fathers and sons, while singing the song. The proceeds of "Father and Son" were donated to theBand Aid charity. Keating's former group,Boyzone, had a hit with the song a decade earlier. As he had been persuaded before, Islam contributed to the song, because the proceeds were marked for charity.
On 21 April 2005, Islam gave a short talk before a scheduled musical performance inAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on the anniversary of the prophetMuhammad's birthday. He said:
There is a great deal of ignorance in the world about Islam today, and we hope to communicate with the help of something more refined than lectures and talks. Our recordings are particularly appealing to the young, having used songs as well as Qur'an verses with pleasing sound effects ...[125]
Islam observed that there are no real guidelines about instruments and no references about the business of music in the Qur'an, and thatMuslim travellers first brought the guitar toMoorish Spain. He noted that Muhammad was fond of celebrations, as in the case of the birth of a child, or a traveller arriving after a long journey. Thus, Islam concluded that healthy entertainment was acceptable within limitations, and that he now felt that it was no sin to perform with the guitar. Music, he now felt, is uplifting to the soul; something sorely needed in troubled times.[126] At that point, he was joined by several young male singers who sang backing vocals and played a drum, with Islam as lead singer and guitarist. They performed two songs, both half in Arabic and half in English; "Tala'a Al-Badru Alayna", an old song in Arabic which Islam recorded with a folk sound to it, and another song, "The Wind East and West", which was newly written by Islam and featured a distinctR&B sound.
With this performance, Islam began slowly to integrate instruments into both older material from his Cat Stevens era (some with slight lyrical changes) and new songs, both those known to the Muslim communities around the world and some that have the same Western flair from before with a focus on new topics and another generation of listeners.[123]
In a 2005 press release, he explained his revived recording career:
After I embraced Islam, many people told me to carry on composing and recording, but at the time I was hesitant, for fear that it might be for the wrong reasons. I felt unsure what the right course of action was. I guess it is only now, after all these years, that I've come to fully understand and appreciate what everyone has been asking of me. It's as if I've come full circle; however, I have gathered a lot of knowledge on the subject in the meantime.[124]
"In Islam there is something called the principle of common good. What that means is that whenever one is confronted by something that is not mentioned in the scriptures, one must observe what benefit it can bring. Does it serve the common good, does it protect the spirit, and does it serve God? If the scholars see that it is something positive, they may well approve of what I'm doing."
In early 2005, Islam released a new song, titled "Indian Ocean", about the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami disaster. The song featured Indian composer/producerA. R. Rahman,a-ha keyboard playerMagne Furuholmen andTravis drummerNeil Primrose. Proceeds of the single went to help orphans inBanda Aceh, one of the areas worst affected by thetsunami, through Islam's Small Kindness charity. At first, the single was released only through severaldigital music stores but later featured on the compilation albumCat Stevens: Gold. "I had to learn my faith and look after my family, and I had to make priorities. But now I've done it all and there's a little space for me to fill in the universe of music again."[128]
Inmid-2005, Islam played guitar for the Dolly Parton albumThose Were the Days on her version of his "Where Do the Children Play?" (Parton had also covered "Peace Train" a few years earlier.)
Islam has credited his then 21-year-old son Muhammad Islam, also a musician and artist, for his return to secular music, when the son brought a guitar back into the house, which Islam began playing.[13] Muhammad's professional name isYoriyos[16] and his debut album was released in February 2007.[130][131] Yoriyos created the art on Islam's albumAn Other Cup, something that Cat Stevens did for his own albums in the 1970s.
In May 2006, in anticipation of his forthcoming new pop album, the BBC1 programmeImagine aired a 49-minute documentary withAlan Yentob calledYusuf: The Artist formerly Known as Cat Stevens. This documentary film features rare audio and video clips from the late 1960s and 1970s, as well as an extensive interview with Islam, his brother David Gordon, several record executives,Bob Geldof,Dolly Parton, and others outlining his career as Cat Stevens, his conversion and emergence as Yusuf Islam, and his return to music in 2006. There are clips of him singing in the studio when he was recordingAn Other Cup as well as a few 2006 excerpts of him on guitar singing a few verses of Cat Stevens songs including "The Wind" and "On the Road to Find Out".[79]
In December 2006, Islam was one of the artists who performed at theNobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, in honour of the prize winners,Muhammad Yunus andGrameen Bank. He performed the songs "Midday (Avoid City After Dark)", "Peace Train", and "Heaven/Where True Love Goes". He also gave a concert in New York City that month as aJazz at Lincoln Center event, recorded and broadcast byKCRW-FM radio, along with an interview byNic Harcourt. Accompanying him, as in the Cat Stevens days, wasAlun Davies, on guitar and vocals.
In March 2006, Islam finished recording his first all-new pop album since 1978.[132] The album,An Other Cup, was released internationally in November 2006 on his own label, Ya Records (distributed byPolydor Records in the UK, and internationally byAtlantic Records)—the 40th anniversary of his first album,Matthew and Son. An accompanying single, called "Heaven/Where True Love Goes", was also released. The album was produced withRick Nowels, who has worked withDido andRod Stewart. The performer is noted as "Yusuf", with a cover label identifying him as "the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens". The art on the album is credited to Yoriyos. Islam wrote all of the songs except "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood",[133] and recorded it in the United States and the United Kingdom.[132]
Islam actively promoted this album, appearing on radio, television and in print interviews. In November 2006, he told the BBC, "It's me, so it's going to sound like that of course ... This is the real thing ... When my son brought the guitar back into the house, you know, that was the turning point. It opened a flood of, of new ideas and music which I think a lot of people would connect with."[134] Originally, he began to return only to his acoustic guitar as he had in the past, but his son encouraged him to "experiment", which resulted in the purchase of aStevie Ray VaughanFender Stratocaster[135] in 2007.
Also in November 2006,Billboard magazine was curious as to why the artist is credited as just his first name, "Yusuf" rather than "Yusuf Islam".[128] His response was "Because 'Islam' doesn't have to besloganised. The second name is like the official tag, but you call a friend by their first name. It's more intimate, and to me that's the message of this record." As for why the album sleeve says "the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens", he responded, "That's the tag with which most people are familiar; for recognition purposes I'm not averse to that. For a lot of people, it reminds them of something they want to hold on to. That name is part of my history and a lot of the things I dreamt about as Cat Stevens have come true as Yusuf Islam."[128]
Islam was asked by the SwissperiodicalDas Magazin why the title of the album wasAn Other Cup, rather than "Another Cup". The answer was that his breakthrough album,Tea for the Tillerman in 1970, was decorated with Islam's painting of a peasant sitting down to a cup of steaming drink on the land. He commented that the two worlds "then, and now, are very different". His new album shows a steaming cup alone on this cover. His answer was that this was actually another cup; something different; a bridge between the East and West, which he explained was his own perceived role. He added that, through him, "Westerners might get a glimpse of the East, and Easterners, some understanding of the West. The cup, too, is important; it's a meeting place, a thing meant to be shared."[127]
OnCBS Sunday Morning in December 2006, he said, "You know, the cup is there to be filled ... with whatever you want to fill it with. For those people looking for Cat Stevens, they'll probably find him in this record. If you want to find [Yusuf] Islam, go a bit deeper, you'll find him."[13] He has since described the album as being "over-produced" and refers toAn Other Cup as being a necessary hurdle he had to overcome before he could release his new album,Roadsinger.[citation needed]
In April 2007, BBC1 broadcast a concert given at thePorchester Hall by Islam as part ofBBC Sessions, his first live performance in London in 28 years (the previous one being theUNICEF "Year of the Child" concert in 1979). He played several new songs along with some old ones like "Father and Son", "The Wind", "Where Do the Children Play?", "Don't Be Shy", "Wild World", and "Peace Train".[136]
In July 2007, he performed at a concert inBochum, Germany, in benefit of ArchbishopDesmond Tutu's Peace Centre in South Africa and the Milagro Foundation of Deborah andCarlos Santana. The audience included Nobel LaureatesMikhail Gorbachev, Desmond Tutu and other prominent global figures. He later appeared as the final act in theGerman leg ofLive Earth in Hamburg performing some classic Cat Stevens songs and more recent compositions reflecting his concern for peace and child welfare. His set includedStevie Wonder's "Saturn", "Peace Train", "Where Do the Children Play?", "Ruins", and "Wild World". He performed at thePeace One Day concert at theRoyal Albert Hall on 21 September 2007.[137]In 2008 Islam contributed the song "Edge of Existence" to the charity albumSongs for Survival, in support of the indigenous rights organisationSurvival International.
In January 2009, Yusuf released a single in aid of children inGaza, a rendition of theGeorge Harrison song "The Day the World Gets Round", along with the German bassistKlaus Voormann, who had formerly collaborated withThe Beatles. To promote the new single, Voormann redesigned his famous BeatlesRevolveralbum cover, drawing a picture of a young Cat Stevens along with himself and Harrison.[138] Proceeds from the single were donated to charities and organisations includingUNESCO,UNRWA, and the nonprofit groupSave the Children, with the funds earmarked for Gaza children.[139] IsraeliConsulDavid Saranga criticised Yusuf for not dedicating the song to all of the children who are victims of the conflict, including Israeli children.[140]
On 5 May 2009, Yusuf releasedRoadsinger, a new pop album recorded in 2008. The lead track, "Thinking 'Bout You", received its debut radio play on a BBC programme on 23 March 2009.[141] UnlikeAn Other Cup, he promoted the new album with appearances on American television as well as in the UK. He appeared onThe Chris Isaak Hour on theA&E Network in April 2009, performing live versions of his new songs, "World O'Darkness", "Boots and Sand", and "Roadsinger". On 13 May he appeared onThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno in Los Angeles, and on 14 May, onThe Colbert Report in New York City, performing the title song from theRoadsinger album. On 15 May, he appeared onLate Night with Jimmy Fallon, performing "Boots and Sand" and "Father and Son". On 24 May he appeared on the BBC'sThe Andrew Marr Show, where he was interviewed and performed the title track ofRoadsinger. On 15 August, he was one of many guests atFairport Convention's annualFairport's Cropredy Convention where he performed five songs accompanied byAlun Davies, with Fairport Convention as his backing band.[citation needed]
A world tour was announced on his web site to promote the new album. He was scheduled to perform at an invitation-only concert at New York City's Highline Ballroom on 3 May 2009[142] and to go on to Los Angeles, Chicago and Toronto, as well as some to-be-announced European venues.[16] However, the New York appearance was postponed due to issues regarding his work visa. He appeared in May 2009 at Island Records' 50th Anniversary concert in London.[16] In November and December 2009, Yusuf undertook his "Guess I'll Take My Time Tour" which also showcased his musical playMoonshadow. The tour took him to Dublin, where he had a mixed reception; subsequently he was well received in Birmingham and Liverpool, culminating in an emotional performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In June 2010 he toured Australia for the first time in 36 years,[143] and New Zealand for the first time ever.[144]
On 2 March 2011, Yusuf released his latest song, "My People", as a free download available through his official website, as well as numerous other online outlets.[146] Said to have been recorded at a studio located within a hundred yards of the site of the Berlin Wall, the song is inspired by a series of popular uprisings in the Arab world, known as theArab Spring.[147]
On 1 April 2011, he launched a new tour website (yusufinconcert.com) to commemorate his first European tour in over 36 years scheduled from 7 May to 2 June 2011. The ten-date tour visited Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and cities such asStockholm, Hamburg,Oberhausen, Berlin,Munich,Rotterdam, Paris,Mannheim, Vienna andBrussels.[148]
In May 2012,Moonshadow, a new musical featuring music from throughout his career opened at thePrincess Theatre in Melbourne, Australia. The show received mixed reviews and closed four weeks early.[149][150]
In October 2013, Yusuf was nominated for induction into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work under the Cat Stevens name (this was his second nomination – the first being an unsuccessful nomination in 2005).[151][152][153][154] He was selected and was inducted byArt Garfunkel in April 2014 at theBarclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, where he performed "Father and Son", "Wild World", and "Peace Train".[155][156][157] A record of his travel from Dubai to New York is captured in an episode of theNational Geographic Channel television showUltimate Airport Dubai (season 2, episode 6), first aired in China on 17 January 2015. In this episode he talks about his difficulty in entering the US.[158]
2014–2017:Tell 'Em I'm Gone, "He Was Alone" and tours
On 15 September 2014, Yusuf announced the forthcoming release on 27 October 2014 of his new studio album,Tell 'Em I'm Gone, and two short tours: a November 2014 (9-date) Europe tour and a December 2014 (6-date) North America tour, the latter being his first one since 1976.[159][160] On 4 December 2014, he played to his first public US audience since the 1970s at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia.[161]
On 1 June 2016, Yusuf shared a new song called "He Was Alone" and its corresponding video. Part of his newly launched fundraising campaign for child refugees, #YouAreNotAlone, the song was inspired by a trip to southern Turkey's camps for Syrian refugees.[162] He performed the song live for the first time in a special charity concert, his first show in more than a year, on 14 June 2016 at the Westminster Central Hall in London.[162]
On 26 July 2016, Yusuf announced he would be part of theGlobal Citizen Festival held on 24 September 2016 in Central Park,New York, New York.[163]
On 9 August 2016, Yusuf announced "A Cat's Attic Tour", his second North American tour since 1978, beginning on 12 September 2016 at theSony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto and ending on 7 October 2016 at thePantages Theatre in Los Angeles. The string of 12 dates roughly coincides with the 50th anniversary of his first single, "I Love My Dog", and would "feature a limited run of stripped down, introspective performances."[164] The tour included three shows in New York City (two shows at theBeacon Theatre and one show inCentral Park at theGlobal Citizen Festival),[163] his first shows in New York City since 1976.[19] In keeping with his spirit of humanitarianism,[165] he would be donating a portion of the revenue from each ticket sale towards his charitySmall Kindness, as well asUNICEF and theInternational Rescue Committee[166] in an effort to assist children affected by the currentSyrian refugee crisis. The tour continued in the UK with shows in Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle and London. The London show took place at theShaftesbury Theatre, only a block away from where he grew up.
2017–present: as Yusuf / Cat Stevens,The Laughing Apple,TT2
On 15 September 2017, he released his fifteenth studio album,The Laughing Apple.[167] The album is credited to "Yusuf / Cat Stevens" and is his first record under the Cat Stevens name sinceBack to Earth in 1978.[168][169] The album earned him his first nomination for aGrammy Award forBest Folk Album. In July 2018, Yusuf signed withBMG Rights Management, which will publish his songwriting credits worldwide and distribute nine of his studio albums.[170] On 29 March 2019, Yusuf performed inChristchurch, New Zealand, at the National Remembrance Service for victims of theChristchurch mosque shootings.[171]
On 3 March 2020, Yusuf played the Music for the Marsden benefit concert at theO2 Arena in London. On 28 May 2020, Yusuf announced his next album,Tea for the Tillerman 2, and it was released on 18 September 2020, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the original LP. Known asTT2,Tea for the Tillerman 2 is a re-imagining and re-recording of the songs from the earlier album,[172] with updated interpretations and arrangements.[173] On 25 September 2020, Yusuf was the guest on the BBC'sDesert Island Discs.[84] Yusuf is one of a small number of guests that have chosen their own music as a desert island choice, however he picked the Stevie Wonder Motown hit 'As' for his favoured choice in front of his own recording, if only one could be saved.
Teaming up withPlaying for Change, in 2021 Yusuf / Cat Stevens recorded a new version of "Peace Train" with over 25 musicians from 12 countries.[174]
2023: Yusuf / Cat Stevens - European Tour andKing of a Land
In June 2023, Yusuf performed shows inBerlin, Hamburg,Rome,Marbella, and made his first ever appearance atGlastonbury Festival: on 25 June 2023, he played the Pyramid Stage, performing songs including covering iconic Beatles hits and his Teacup album memories.[175][nb 1]
In October 2025, Yusuf released his official autobiographyCat on the Road to Findout. In his review of the book for the Guardian newspaper, Alexis Petridis said of Yusuf "He seems happy, ending his story with a poem that opens “when I was a little foetus”. Whatever you make of that, it reads remarkably like one of the more wide-eyed lyrics from his heyday. Yusuf Islam has been on quite a journey, but some things never change."[177][178][179]
A book tour had been planned in support of the autobiography. In September of 2025, it was announced that the North American leg of the tour had been cancelled as a result of unspecified visa issues.[180]
2003:World Award (also known as the "World Social Award"), an award organised byMikhail Gorbachev, for "humanitarian relief work helping children and victims of war".[183]
2007: Honorary doctorate (LLD) by theUniversity of Exeter, in recognition of "his humanitarian work and improving understanding between Islamic and Western cultures".[189][190]
^Amghar, Samir; Boubekeur, Amel; Emerson, Michael (2007).European Islam: Challenges for Public Policy and Society. CEPS. pp. 71–.ISBN978-92-9079-710-4.
^abcFitzsimmons, Mick; Harris, Bob (5 January 2001)."Cat Stevens – A Musical Journey".Taped documentary interview synopsis. BBC2. Retrieved20 December 2008.
^Islam, Yusuf."Biography". catstevens.com.Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved26 May 2022.
^"Songwriter of the Year". The American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers. 2006. Archived fromthe original on 22 October 2006. Retrieved20 December 2008.
^abO'Driscoll, Michelle (29 July 1972)."Tea with the Tillerman".Disc Magazine. Retrieved24 October 2008.
^abcHely, Allan (1972)."Cat Stevens 1972 Concert Programme".Festival Records PTY, Limited. The Paul Dainty Corporation (Australia) Pty. Retrieved23 January 2009.
^DesBarres, Pamela; D'Arbanville, Patti (1 September 2008). Helter Skelter Publishing (ed.).Let's Spend the Night Together. Chicago Review Press. p. 54.ISBN978-1-55652-789-0.
^Fong-Torres, Ben (1 April 1971)."Cat Stevens Out of a Bag".Rolling Stone. Retrieved1 March 2010 – via majicat.com.
^abcThompson, Richard; Stevens, Cat (1979)."International Year of the Child".'Together for Children' (a joint Oxfam/Unicef Programme) presents. Performance at the Year of the Child Concert. Retrieved30 January 2009.
^Note: Yusuf's denial on Radio 4: "I was really certainly not prepared or equipped to deal with sharp-toothed journalists and the whole way in which the media spins stories, and so I was cleverly framed, I would say, by certain questions where I couldn't, for instance, rewrite the ten Commandments; you can't expect me to do that! At the same time, I never actually ever supported the fatwa. I even wrote a whole kind of press statement very early on which the press completely ignored. And they went for the one which was written by the journalist who originally wrote the story, and so I had to live through that; but the interesting thing is that it brought me to kind of study the whole subject of jurisprudence, which again led me to realise that music, where you have certain rules which are dictated to by certain scholars, you have to dig a bit deeper and you find out that no, hang on, this is an opinion, an opinion, that's what a fatwa is actually. An opinion, which doesn't come directly from the Koran at all."
^abcWilliamson, Nigel (17 November 2006)."The Billboard Q and A: Yusuf Islam".Billboard Magazine. Interview with Yusuf Islam; Return to Music. Archived fromthe original on 6 March 2008. Retrieved31 January 2009.
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