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"Art was what I originally started out to do and music came second at first. I had a year at art college but I left because it was too much like school. I give all my paintings away to people I like."
Cat StevensNow Ive been happy lately — Cat Stevens
"Now Ive been happy lately Thinking about the good things to come And I believe it could be Something good has begun. Oh, Ive been smiling lately Dreaming about the world as one And I believe it could be Someday its going to come."
Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
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Yusuf Islam, commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens or Yusuf/Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and musician. He has sold more than 100 million records and has more than two billion streams. His musical style consists of folk, rock, pop, and, later in his career, Islamic music. Following two decades in which he performed only music which met strict religious standards, he returned
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"The last place I wanted to return to was the music business. But its the people and the cause that matter and right now theres an important need, which is bridge-building. I wanted to support the cause of humanity, because thats what I always sang about. Music can be healing, and with my history and my knowledge of both sides of what looks like a gigantic divide in the world, I feel I can point a way forward to our common humanity again. Its a big step for me but its a natural step. I dont feel at all irked by the responsibility — I feel inspired."
Cat StevensQuote
"I wrote a song called "Father & Son" about the son running off to do his own thing. Now the story is about my son coming back and bringing a guitar into the house. A couple of years ago, one morning after prayers, his guitar was lying around. I picked it up and my fingers knew exactly where to go. Id written some words and when I put them to music, it moved me and I realized I could have another job to do. Things just grew from there."
Cat StevensQuote
"If Rushdie turned up at my doorstep looking for help, I might ring somebody who might do more damage to him than he would like. Id try to phone the Ayatollah Khomeini and tell him exactly where this man is."
Cat StevensQuote
"I love everything So dont it make you feel sad cause Ill drink to you, my baby Ill think to that, Ill think to that"
Cat StevensQuote
"Im very sad that this seems to be the No. 1 question people want to discuss. I had nothing to do with the issue other than what the media created. I was innocently drawn into the whole controversy. So, after many years, Im glad at least now that I have been given the opportunity to explain to the public and fans my side of the story in my own words. At a lecture, back in 1989, I was asked a question about blasphemy according to Islamic Law, I simply repeated the legal view according to my limited knowledge of the Scriptural texts, based directly on historical commentaries of the Quran. The next day the newspaper headlines read, "Cat Says, Kill Rushdie." I was abhorred, but what could I do? I was a new Muslim. If you ask a Bible student to quote the legal punishment of a person who commits blasphemy in the Bible, he would be dishonest if he didnt mention Leviticus 24:16."
Cat Stevens