In that period he wrote over 30 songs with renewed vigor, most of which appeared on his albums in the coming years. He acquainted himself with different religions, and started to become spiritually enlightened. Yoga and meditation became a part of his regime. The days he spent recovering from his illness changed his perceptions of life. In 1968, he suffered from tuberculosis, which nearly cost him his life. He performed with Jimi Hendrix, and toured extensively. He had a loyal fan following in his teens, and radio channels gave him a fair amount of coverage by playing his records.

His debut album, which featured the hit single ‘Matthew and Son’, was an instant hit. When he was 18 years old, Mike Hurst, a producer, helped him record a demo, which later led to a record deal. In the initial stages of his career, he formed bands, but realized he was better off performing as a solo artist. Stevens started performing in pubs and cafes. He studied at the Hammersmith School of Art, and for a brief period considered drawing cartoons as his forte. Lyrically, Bob Dylan opened a whole new perspective for Stevens. Some of the artists that influenced him were the blues legends Muddy Waters and Leadbelly. When he was 15 years old, and Beatlemania was spreading all across the world, Stevens bought his first guitar for eight pounds. He taught himself a few chords on the piano belonging to his family. Young Steven took a liking to the piano at an early age. Even though his parents were staunch believers of Orthodox and Baptist faiths, they chose to send him to a Catholic school.

His parents got divorced when he was 8 years old.

His parents had a restaurant which was run by the entire family. One of the finest exponents in the folk rock and pop genre, Yusuf Islam, known the world over by his former stage name Cat Stevens, has been instrumental in influencing musicians all over the world.īorn on July 21, 1948, to parents of Greek-Swedish descent, Cat Stevens (birth name: Steven Demetre Georgiou) spend his childhood in London.

Cat stevens biography