Yusuf Islam Biography

Yusuf Islam recorded pop songs under the name Cat Stevens between 1966 and 1978, including the 1971 hits “Morning Has Broken” and “Peace Train.” After attending art school, he recorded a single as Cat Stevens in 1966, and followed in 1967 with an album, Matthew & Son. He quickly gained a reputation as a talented songwriter and had his first hits in the United Kingdom. His popularity spread to the United States and he had a string of hits, including “Wild World” (1970), “Moonshadow” (1971) and “Oh Very Young” (1974). His albums became top sellers, sometimes even without the benefit of a hit single. They include Tea for the Tillerman (1970), Catch Bull at Four (1972) and Buddha and the Chocolate Box (1974). He stopped recording and performing after converting to Islam in 1978, changed his name to Yusuf Islam and devoted his time to raising a family and being active in Britain’s Islamic community. As Yusuf Islam he has made several recordings, mostly educational and pertaining to Islam. In 2004 he released Majikat, a DVD of his 1976 multimedia concert tour, and in 2006 he released an album of new material, An Other Cup.