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SOME GUYS HAVE ALL THE LUCK
(continued)
"It was a bit of an unfortunate week, actually, because I had to appear in court the day the album debuted. I had a court case because I have [sic] to cancel a concert in South America. Then I had knee surgery up in Vail, Colorado, so that was five days, and when it was number one, I didn't have a chance to celebrate it. After all those years of playing soccer, I needed surgery. There's no cartilage left in the knee now. I've got a 75 percent chance of playing again, but if I don't, I'll have to hang up my boots, as they say." Or in his case, Prada loafers.
The ever-stylish rocker has graduated from the tight jeans and spandex he wore during his earlier incarnation, trading them in for understated, exquisitely cut pinstriped suits and tuxedos -- still worn with a certain irreverent "je ne c'est quoi." But despite the upgrade in his outerwear, he is still sporting the same hairstyle. "It's amazing, isn't it? It refused to go any other way but standing straight up. I've tried many other hairstyles, but it just doesn't work. And it's not really high maintenance at all. I just wet it down and dry it upside down, and the individual hairs speak to each other and they all fall into line. ... I'm just pulling it all into position as I'm getting ready to step out this New Year's Eve," Stewart says, laughing.
But did the singer realize back in 1968 that he had a haircut that would revolutionize the world? "No, not at all. But I want to have it on record that Woody [Ronnie Wood, Rolling Stones guitarist and former Faces band member] copied me."
His old diehard rock fans, who remember his very first tonsorial efforts, haven't deserted him entirely, but Stewart has pulled in a completely new audience. "It's hard to analyze who's out there, but definitely a lot of new people. It's hard to imagine no one's ever heard these songs before, but it's definitely brought in a new audience who likes this sort of stuff," explains the musician.
But unlike Tom Jones and Josh Groban, Stewart is missing one small tribute from his fans. "I don't get many underpants and things like that thrown at me," he attests. "But then, I used to wear them myself back in the old days; back to front because you didn't get any panty lines that way. And I wasn't the only one who did, either," he adds.
You'll just have to check very closely for those telltale lines yourselves on GREAT PERFORMANCES' ONE NIGHT WITH ROD STEWART. Recorded live at London's Royal Albert Hall, the concert shows the singer in all his glory, performing both his timeless hits and choice songs from his SONGBOOK series, the first time he played in Britain in more than three years.
Top banner photos: Chrissie Hynde; Stewart performing with Ronnie Wood, his friend and former bandmate (photo by James Quinton); Rod Stewart (photo by James Quinton). |
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Violinist J'Anna Jacoby lends her voice to "Maggie May," the concert finale. |
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Special guest Chrissie Hynde joins Stewart for a duet of "As Time Goes By" (photo by James Quinton). |
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This program is currently not available through Shop Thirteen or ShopPBS. |
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