Yusuf Islam (born
Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his former stage name
Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, humanitarian, and education philanthropist. He is a prominent convert to Islam. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
Stevens' albums
Tea for the Tillerman (1970) and
Teaser and the Firecat (1971) were both certified triple platinum in the United States by the RIAA. His 1972 album
Catch Bull at Four sold half a million copies in the first two weeks of release alone and was
Billboards number-one LP record for three consecutive weeks. He also earned two ASCAP songwriting awards in consecutive years for "The First Cut Is the Deepest"; the song has been a hit single for four different artists. and adopted the name Yusuf Islam the following year. In 1979, he auctioned all his guitars for charity and left his music career to devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community. He has received several awards for his work in promoting peace in the world, including the 2003 World Award, the 2004 Man of Peace Award, and the 2007 Mediterranean Prize for Peace. Known professionally by the single name Yusuf', in 2006 he returned to pop music with his first album of new pop songs in 28 years, titled
An Other Cup. On 5 May 2009, he released the album
Roadsinger.