Cat Stevens Original Name

Steven Demetre Georgiou was born on July 21, 1948, in London, England. He was the youngest of three children born to a Swedish mother and a Greek Cypriot father. His parents ran a restaurant in the West End of London, and he grew up in a musical household. His father played the piano and his mother sang. He attended a Catholic school in London, but he was not particularly interested in academics. Instead, he spent most of his time playing guitar and writing songs.

In the early 1960s, Georgiou began performing in coffeehouses and clubs in London. He adopted the stage name Cat Stevens, inspired by a girlfriend who said he had eyes like a cat. In 1966, he signed a recording contract with Deram Records and released his debut album, Matthew and Son. The album included the hit single of the same name, which reached number two on the UK charts. Stevens continued to release successful albums throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, including Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat.

In 1977, Stevens experienced a near-death experience when he nearly drowned off the coast of Malibu, California. This event led him to question his life and his purpose. He began exploring different religions and eventually converted to Islam in 1978. He changed his name to Yusuf Islam and stopped performing music for several years. He focused on his family and his faith, but eventually returned to music in the 1990s. He released several albums under his new name, including An Other Cup and Roadsinger.

Yusuf Islam's conversion to Islam and his name change were met with controversy and backlash. Some accused him of supporting terrorism and radical Islam, which he vehemently denied. He was even denied entry into the United States in 2004, when he was traveling to promote his album, An Other Cup. The US government claimed that he was on a watchlist for suspected ties to terrorism, but Yusuf Islam denied any such ties and eventually won a legal battle to be removed from the watchlist.

Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam's music has had a lasting impact on the music industry and on popular culture. His songs have been covered by countless artists, and his influence can be heard in the work of musicians like Eddie Vedder and Jack Johnson. He has also been recognized for his humanitarian work, including his support for various charities and his efforts to promote peace and understanding between different cultures and religions.