Raspy-voiced hit machine Rod Stewart turns 80
Singer Rod Stewart, who helped British rock conquer the world with a string of megahits, turns 80 on Friday (10.01.2025) – with no plans to slow down.
Stewart, with his distinctive spiky blond hair and raspy voice, dominated pop charts during the 1970s and 1980s with hits like “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” and “Young Turks”, notching up more than 250 million record sales worldwide.
He also made headlines for a prolific love life that included relationships with a string of models and actresses including Britt Ekland.
Despite his landmark birthday, Stewart says he has no plans to retire.
“I love what I do, and I do what I love. I’m fit, have a full head of hair and can run 100 metres (330 feet) in 18 seconds at the jolly old age of 79,” he wrote last year.
The star will play the legends slot at the famed Glastonbury music festival this summer.
Although his forthcoming European and North American tour dates will be his last large-scale project, he has said he plans to concentrate on more intimate venues in the future.
He will headline a new residency in Las Vegas from March to June.
A tour is also slated for 2026 for Swing Fever, the album he released last year with pianist and ex-Squeeze band member Jools Holland.
As he has approached his ninth decade, Stewart has also made headlines for quirkier reasons such as his passion for model railways and his battle with potholes that have prevented him from driving his Ferrari near his home in eastern England.
The singer, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2016, has been married three times and has fathered eight children. His third wife is model and television personality Penny Lancaster.
source: france24.com
Vocabulary
| to conquer | meghódítani |
| a string of | egy sor |
| distinctive | jellegzetes |
| spiky | tüskés, égnek álló (haj) |
| raspy | reszelős, karcos (hang) |
| to notch up | to notch up |
| to make headlines | címlapokra kerülni |
| prolific | termékeny |
| despite | annak ellenére, hogy |
| although | bár |
| forthcoming | soron következő |
| large-scale | nagyszabású |
| to be slated | tervbe véve lenni |
| to approach | megközelíteni |
| quirky | furcsa |
| pothole | kátyú |
