The one singer Rod Stewart was “made to love” and how it shaped him
Across a range of different genres, Rod Stewart has proclaimed himself to be one of Britain’s most infectious singers.
As a somewhat patchy performance at 2025’s Glastonbury Festival might suggest, Stewart is one of the more divisive nostalgia acts on the market right now. And, while there is a certain panache that is hard to ignore, perhaps Stewart’s finest quality was recognising good music when he heard it.
Stewart has always balanced out his more atrocious moments, such as ‘Sailing’ and ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy’, with a sincere appreciation for classic soul, but it goes back further than that. One of the first generations to truly appreciate the genre in Britain, Stewart would take his love of the music of Stax and Motown artists into the work he produced with his own band, The Faces.
Managing to infuse a gentle soul rhythm into British pop sensibilities, Stewart began a career with the band that still rumbles on today. However, whereas The Faces had their own hits, such as ‘Ooh La La’, Stewart’s decades-long songwriting chops are fairly limited. Instead, he has rested on his booming vocals, being able to handle a whole range of covers. It was within his solo career that Stewart showcased an appreciation for all genres, including jazz and folk.
Etta James, Bob Dylan, Sam Cooke, and countless others have all been given the Rod treatment over the years. Stewart has been able to continue delivering many albums of covers because of his sincere passion for music, which, no matter your feelings on the musician himself, cannot be denied.
As well as the aforementioned artists, Stewart was also hugely influenced by artists like Little Richard, about whom he once noted to the BBC: “When I was little, my brother Bob, who was a bit of a teddy boy, he brought this record [‘Little Richard’] home. I put it on time and time and time again—another one that was a big influence on me, and then I met him. What a sweetheart of a man. Bless him.”
But perhaps the greatest influence on a young Stewart was the obscure figure of Al Jolson, “He was what I grew up with, listening with my mom and dad,” said Stewart to the BBC. As many can attest to, our formative years provide so much of what we love in the rest of our lives, and those in charge of our formative years have a lot to answer for.
Stewart had little choice but to dive into the work of Jolson and appreciate him: “They loved him. My brothers loved him. We all loved Al Jolson. I was made to love Al Jolson. My big brother John took me to see the two movies they made about him, and I fell in love with him. I think Michael Jackson, too, because Michael used to [use] the white gloves and the white socks, which is exactly what Al Jolson used to do.”
Al Jolson was known as ‘The World’s Greatest Entertainer’ and is seen as one of the most groundbreaking performers in the early 20th century. An artist famous for his emotional delivery, stage presence, and connection with audiences. A blend of vaudeville, jazz, and heartfelt ballads showcased his ability better than sticking with any genre.
It’s a skill that Stewart himself has continued to adopt. A theatricalist with a genre-bridging penchant for performance, Stewart undoubtedly owes a few things to that early influence, and most likely his family, too.
