Rod Stewart ‘Couldn’t Be Happier’ At 81 & Says He’s Enjoyed ‘Life’s Rich Tapestry’

Mar 09, 2023 by apost team

Rod Stewart has left an indelible mark in the hearts and minds of millions of people worldwide, continuing to make an impact in the lives of many up until today through his music. But outside his career as an artist, Stewart is known for being a great family man. The father of eight became a grandfather for the first time in 2011 and often speaks about how much family has taken priority over his career. Now, the rockstar has signaled he is ready to slow down his busy work schedule to spend more time with his nearest and dearest. 

Stewart is among the best-selling music artists of all time. He started his career in 1962, joining Jimmy Powell and The Five Dimensions as the band’s harmonica player and vocalist. Apart from joining different groups throughout his musical career, Stewart also established himself as a soloist. To date, he has released a total of 32 studio albums, and seven of those reached No. 1 on the UK album charts.

He is most known for his hits like “Sailing,” “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright),” and “You’re in My Heart (The Final Acclaim),” among many other chart-toppers that eventually became classic hits. For all his achievements over his six-decade career, Stewart’s worth now stands at $300 million.

The rockstar has eight children from five different women and has tied the knot three times. He has been married to his current wife, Penny Lancaster, for almost two decades now after walking down the aisle in 2007. They share his two youngest children aged 17 and 12. After turning 81 in 2026, Stewart has revealed he’s looking to cut back on touring as it keeps him away from his beloved family and kids far too much.

Life on the road has been part and parcel of Stewart’s life for more than 60 years now, and in October 2022, he dropped a bombshell announcement that that was now going to change. He told the Daily Record:

“Next year will be the end of my rock ‘n’ roll touring. I want to do something different. It feels like an end of an era. All things must come to an end.”

The “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” singer explained this wouldn’t mean the end of his career. 

“I’m not retiring and I still love singing, I just want to do something new. I might do a few folk clubs playing guitar. Just be different,” he said.

Stewart said a major reason he wanted to scale down his overseas ventures was the longing to be at home with his loved ones. “I don’t want to do the big tours any more, especially in America. It takes me away from my kids for so long. … It used to be OK because it was fun and games. It is still fun and games but I miss my kids so much,” he remarked.

With a packed 2023 tour that included stops in South America, Australia, Las Vegas, England and Scotland, Stewart remarked they were likely to be the last time he’d be performing some songs from his repertoire. He told the outlet:

“I’m not retiring – I just want to move on. … These last shows will be quite the party and after that I won’t be performing songs like ‘Maggie May’ or ‘Hot Legs.’ I don’t want to be singing ‘Hot Legs’ when I’m 80.”

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Despite celebrating his 78th birthday in January 2023, Stewart told RNZ’s Sunday Morning keeping disciplined about his physical fitness was a necessity for the job.

“If you’re not fit (the tour takes its toll). But I pride myself in my fitness and the strength in my voice. Both things take a lot of working on, especially the voice. I start warming up the voice a week before the first concert. I’m always in the gym, always keeping meself fit,” he said. 

He added his performances require so much from him physically. “It’s strenuous (being onstage) – it’s two hours. I don’t exactly stand at the microphone and sing. I like to jump around, dance – if you could call it that – get involved, make people happy,” he explained.

Stewart said he also enjoyed passing on what wisdom he could to the younger generation. “I try to give advice and some people listen, some people don’t. Especially in the music business, because they already think they know it all,” he bemoaned.

He also touched on how getting older has prompted him to reassess some priorities in his life, particularly after suffering some major losses.

“I’ve just lost two of my brothers in the space of three months. One was 95 and the other one was 88, and we were all very close, so that is a great loss for me,” he lamented.

However, with older age comes a greater perspective, and for Stewart, that means having an appreciation for all of life’s blessings. He said:

“I’ve grown up now. I have a wonderful wife, seven lovely kids, I really couldn’t be happier. It had its moments – when one is young, one enjoys life’s rich tapestry. I did it, I did it, and I enjoyed it, and I’ve lived a good life.”

What do you think of Rod Stewart’s decision to scale back his career for his family? At 81, do you think he should retire or keep going? Let us know and don’t forget to pass this on to all the Rod Stewart fans you know.