Maggie May, Da Ya Think I'm Sexy, Forever Young
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$240 Million
“If you want my body and you think I’m sexy, come on sugar let me know… Come on honey tell me so!” Now ranked as one of the best-selling music artists of all time with over 100 million records sold worldwide, Roderick “Rod” Stewart fell into a music career by happenstance. The youngest of five children raised in North London in the late 1940s, Stewart was a star athlete on the soccer field and envisioned a future with a professional club. After dropping out of school at the age of 15, he tried out for the Brentford F.C. but never received a call back. By then, he had already decided on his future saying, “Well a musician’s life is a lot easier and I can also get drunk and make music, and I can’t do that and play football. I plumped for music...They’re the only two things I can do actually: play football and sing.”
Spending the rest of the 1960s developing his look and his signature spiked rooster hairstyle, Stewart lent his trademark raspy vocals to multiple bands before launching his solo career in 1969 with his debut album, An Old Raincoat Won’t Ever Let You Down. From there, he earned a reputation as a stellar, high-energy performer in his native England before enjoying his first taste of success in the United States with his 1971 single, “Maggie May.” Never looking back, he continued to wow audiences around the world belting out hits like “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright),” “Da Ya Think I'm Sexy” and “All for Love.”
Amid his incredible success as one of the greatest singers of all time, Stewart has faced—perhaps more than any other musician in his genre—a multitude of rumors surrounding his looks and the possibility of plastic surgery. In fact, fans widely agree that Stewart has gone under the knife with most of the rumors focusing on his nose, which has seen a few changes over the last five decades. The British rocker had good reason, however, after explaining how his nose had been crooked for years after it was broken during a soccer match when he was a kid.
“I wouldn’t call it nose surgery,” Stewart said after going in for a procedure on his nose a few years ago. “I didn’t have my nose straightened. I had some polyps. Easy in and out in an hour.” To his credit, Stewart left the hospital with his nose still crooked although it does look a bit different than it did just a few short years ago. But, as you can imagine, that isn’t the only thing the world has noticed about Stewart’s aging look.
After GQ magazine pointed out how youthful he looked for being 70 years old at the time, Stewart denied all plastic surgery rumors and pointed out the wrinkles on his forehead and around his mouth. In response, the interviewer said, “I’m surprised. I thought you’d have gone for a bit of Botox, at least.” In complete disbelief, the famed rocker replied, “Botox? No, Jesus. I have my share of wrinkles. I’ve just been lucky. My older brothers have still got their barnets.” That means hair for those of us on the other side of the pond. Stewart did mention that if he ever lost his hair, he already had a solution in mind. “I’d have gone for a weave, like Elton [John]. The Stewarts have longevity on their side [so I don’t have to worry].”
Instead of plastic surgery, the now 71-year-old Stewart says that his secret to staying young is by dating and marrying younger women, which is a big part of his wild reputation on the road. Although it hasn’t been scientifically proven, he might be onto something. One of his former wives, Alana Hamilton, admitted to taking human growth hormones to make herself look younger. Alana and Stewart’s daughter, Kimberly, is also rumored to have gone under the knife for a rhinoplasty. With that said, it seems that having a few nips and tucks is a family affair, which makes it odd that Stewart hasn’t visited the plastic surgeon at least once or twice himself over the years.
It’s hard to argue that Stewart looks much more natural than most singers who were born in the late 1940s. From the wrinkles lining his forehead and the crow’s feet around his eyes to the identifiable mole near his mouth, these are all sure signs that he is doing his best to age gracefully in the spotlight. As for the rumors regarding his nose, Stewart remains adamant that it’s his signature snout and, while critics aren’t buying it, his fans honestly don’t care. Instead, they’re too busy flocking to arenas around the world to hear their favorite Brit rock the house. And, with his tour continuing into 2017 across the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Ireland, there’s a good chance that the 71-year-old truly is forever young.
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