British singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, humanitarian, education philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam. His present name is Yusuf Islam, though he is commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens. He began releasing gold albums in 1971. A singer, pianist, guitarist and songwriter, he first appeared as a clean cut teen-age idol. After a pause due to an illness of TB in 1968 and depression, he returned as a shaggy singer and writer of songs with considerable depth and meaning, accomplishing over 25 million records sold.
His spiritual conversion came after nearly drowning at a Malibu beach in 1976, making a deal with God, “Oh, God, if you save me, I’ll work for you.”
On 22 November 1979, he gave his last performance, giving up his music for the Muslim religion. Stevens changed his name to Yusuf Islam, married a Muslim woman, Fawzia Ali, in the formal tradition and had five children.
Residing in London with his wife of 19 years (as of 1998), Islam owns a hotel that caters to the Muslims.
At the age of 50, Yusuf Islam is promoting an album “I Have No Cannons That Roar” as a benefit to victims of the civil war in Bosnia. Some people see this as a comeback to music, but Islam states “but there is nothing about the music industry that interests me.” At least 350,000 copies sold of his 1995 recording of “The Life of the Last Prophet.”
Islam was robbed of $33,000 by Macedonian border guards when they were trying to enter the country with the funds to distribute to Kosovar refugees.
This musician returned to the Royal Albert Hall in London, the first time in over 25 years, to give one of his rare live concerts on October 20, 2003. The concert, a charitable event, was in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Islamia Schools, which he founded. Earlier this year, Islam re-recorded his classic ‘Peace Train’ for a new album entitled “Hope,” and he was nominated for the World Social Award for his humanitarian work with children.
On 22 September 2004, the singer was denied entry into the United States. The plane which he had been allowed to board was en route from London to Washington, but it was diverted to Maine where US officials interviewed Stevens and then arranged for his return to London later that day. As their reason for denying entry, US officials cited that the singer’s name was on one of the country’s “watch lists.”
Two years later, in December 2006, Yusuf was admitted without incident into the United States for several radio concert performances and interviews to promote his new record.
His most recent album, Roadsinger, was released on 5 May 2009.
Link to Wikipedia biography