Cat Stevens has been a confounding musician for record executives and fans alike. He has always been opinionated and driven, often to the ire of those around him. But he remains one of the most important artists of these times. A folk rock musician who changed his name from Steven Georgiou to Cat Stevens to begin his career and to Yusuf Islam after adopting to Islam, he continues to sell Cat Stevens tickets based on his talent and his collection of memorable songs.

Born Steven Georgiou on July 21, 1948 and raised in the Soho theatre district of London, he grew up in the midst of popular music revolution led by the Beatles and a musical revolution led by West Side Story. His own take on music began to combine those elements, the emerging folk scene, and his own internal strife. He became Cat Stevens, the folk rock god of the early 1970s.

Cat Stevens began his career in pubs and coffee houses around London. He eventually signed with Decca Records and released his debut album Matthew and Son. The album earned rave critical reviews and peaked at number seven on the UK Album Charts. The album did not sell extremely well, but the future appeared to be bright. The producer of his second album and Cat clashed. Mike Hurst wanted to recreate the sound of the debut album and Cat wanted to move forward. In the end Cat would torpedo his own album and switch labels, signing with Island Records.