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Yusuf/Cat Stevens ‘as music memoirs’ “Cat on the road to Findout” be hardly more suitable. In almost 60 years, hardly anyone in pop has gone a swallowed path as the bearded troubadour: from teen-idol cat stevens to the thoughtful ballad star to the believing Yusuf Islam-with occasional musical return moments.
On the way he struggled with tuberculosis, almost drowned, had a liaison with Carly Simon – and was one of the first big pop stars to “canceled” after he was misunderstood, misunderstood or misunderstood in 1989 to Ayatollah Khomeinis Fatwa against Salman Rushdie.
The autobiography appeared in Great Britain on Thursday and will be released in the USA on October 7th. Here are the most important revelations.
From the nickname to a career
The name Cat Stevens was created in 1965 – inspired by film titles such as Cat Ballou and what’s New Pussycat?, The song “Walkin ‘My Cat Named Dog” and a friend who found “he looked like a cat”. Christine, his first great love, also inspired the classic “The First Cut Is The Deepest”.
When he landed his first hit with “I love my dog” in 1966, he had no dog at all. By chance, he found a stray black Dachshund lady at night, which he called “Willemina” – and who helped him to answer questions from the press credibly.
Carly Simon, songs and vanity
In 1971 there was an affair with Carly Simon, who opened his shows. Her song “Anticipation” was created while waiting for a date with him. Yusuf jokes about “You’re so vain”: “Of course I knew that I was meant, Bro!”
His peace-loving aura is deceptive: As a child, he made Balsa-Holz-Guillotinen to Dickens’ a story from two cities. He heard the record collection of his sister.
Almost gifted “Wild World”
“Wild World” was originally supposed to sing Jimmy Cliff, produced by Yusuf. But in the end his own version became a top 20 hit.
For Hal Ashby’s cult film Harold and Maude (1971) he wrote “If you want to sing out, sing out” and “Don’t be shy”. Raw demos were enough for the director who used them unprocessed. An official soundtrack album with all songs was not published until 2022.
Magician, tiger and a pop-up stool
With the concept album Numbers, he went on tour with a show in the seventies that was spinal Tap: colorful boxes from which he jumped onto the stage, magicians, the blondes decreased, countless pigeons and rabbits – and a tiger in the cage.
After a near -death experience in the sea in 1975, his turn to Islam began. His album Back to Earth appeared with a golden Arabic calligraphy – but Malaysia demanded the removal of the word “Allah”. The record company glued over a sticker, later it was left out completely.
Missed chance at Live Aid
In 1985 he was supposed to appear at Live Aid – with a new song a cappella. But because Elton pulled John’s set over, he was deleted. Yusuf was destroyed on the ground; His name still appeared in the credits.
He describes the Fatwa affair around Salman Rushdie as the “blisting asteroid” of his life. A journalist lured him into the trap. His public apology had been ignored that the press had portrayed him as a supporter of Khomeini. In retrospect, he speaks of a “rush of misunderstanding and hatred like never before”.