Cat Stevens was born Steven Demetre Georgiou.

Cat converted to Islam at the height of his fame in December, 1977, and adopted his Muslim name, Yusuf Islam, the following year.

In 1979, he auctioned all his guitars away for charity, and left his music career to devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community.

Immediately following the 11 September 2001, attacks on the United States, he said:

" I wish to express my heartfelt horror at the indiscriminate terrorist attacks committed against innocent people of the United States yesterday. While it is still not clear who carried out the attack, it must be stated that no right-thinking follower of Islam could possibly condone such an action. The Qur'an equates the murder of one innocent person with the murder of the whole of humanity. We pray for the families of all those who lost their lives in this unthinkable act of violence as well as all those injured; I hope to reflect the feelings of all Muslims and people around the world whose sympathies go out to the victims of this sorrowful moment."

He appeared on videotape on a VH1 pre-show for the October 2001 Concert for New York City, condemning the attacks and singing his song "Peace Train" for the first time in public in more than 20 years, as an a cappella version. He also donated a portion of his box-set royalties to the September 11 Fund for victims' families, and the rest to orphans in underdeveloped countries.

... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7wEctHyuc0 ...

Peace, friends, PEACE! ...

On 21 September 2004, Yusuf (aka Cat Stevens) was on a United Airlines flight from London to Washington, travelling to a meeting with singer Dolly Parton. Dolly had recorded "Peace Train" several years earlier and was planning to include another Cat Stevens song on an upcoming album.

While the plane was in flight, the Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System flagged his name as being on a no fly list. Customs agents alerted the United States Transportation Security Administration, which then diverted his flight to Bangor, Maine. There he was detained by agents from the Department of Homeland Security.

The following day, Yusuf was deported back to the United Kingdom. The Transportation Security Administration claimed there were, "concerns of ties he may have to potential terrorist-related activities".

The Israeli government had deported Yusuf in 2000 over allegations that he provided funding to the Palestinian organisation Hamas; he denied doing so knowingly. "I have never knowingly supported or given money to Hamas," says Yusuf, who repeatedly has condemned terrorism and Islamic extremism.

"At the time I was reported to have done it, I didn't know such a group existed. Some people give a political interpretation to charity. We were horrified at how people were suffering in the Holy Land."

However, the United States Department of Homeland Security added him to their FBI watchlist. The US deportation provoked a small international controversy, and led British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to complain personally to US Secretary of State Colin Powell at the United Nations. Powell responded by stating that the watchlist was under review, adding, "I think we have that obligation to review these matters to see if we are right".

Yusuf believed his inclusion on the watch list may have simply been an error: a mistaken identification of him for a man with the same name, but different spelling. On 1 October, 2004 Yusuf requested the removal of his name, "I remain bewildered by the decision of the US authorities to refuse me entry to the United States".

According to a statement by Yusuf, the man on the list was named "Youssef Islam," indicating that Yusuf himself was not the suspected terrorism supporter. Romanization of Arabic names can easily result in different spellings: the transliteration of the Islamic name for Joseph (Yusuf's chosen name) lists a dozen spellings.

Two years later, in December 2006, Yusuf was admitted without incident into the United States for several radio concert performances and interviews to promote his new record. Yusuf said of the incident at the time, that, "No reason was ever given, but being asked to repeat the spelling of my name again and again, made me think it was a fairly simple mistake of identity. Rumours which circulated after made me imagine otherwise."

Yusuf has written a song about the 2004 deportation experience, entitled "Boots and Sand," recorded in the summer of 2008 ... and featuring Paul McCartney, Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, and Terry Sylvester.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlO6yQVAP8s

didnt he also sing a song to the governor at the time to pardon him and that governor did on hid last day in office? if you ever get a chance there is a great movie about him,from what i remember that guy from magnum pi,ithink his name is mosely..played him..also taj mahal was in there too..

Hey there, Randerio, great to see ya ... ...

Perhaps that 1976 film, 'Leadbelly', directed by Gordon Parks, better documents said pardon facts. I've not seen it, now WANT to!

A prison guard wrote to John Lomax, then Leadbelly manager, that his two prison pardons were for good time served. A descendant of Leadbelly's also confirmed this. For a time, however, both Lead Belly and the Lomaxes believed that the record they had taken to the governor had hastened his release from Angola.

And ... Life magazine ran a three-page article titled,

"Lead Belly - Bad Nigger Makes Good Minstrel,"

...In the April 19, 1937 issue. It included a full-page, color (rare in those days) picture of him sitting on grain sacks playing his guitar and singing. Also included was a striking picture of Martha Promise (identified in the article as his manager), photos showing Lead Belly's hands playing the guitar (with the caption "these hands once killed a man"), Texas Governor Pat M. Neff and the 'ramshackle' Texas State Penitentiary. The article attributes both of his pardons to his singing of his petitions to the governors, who were so moved that they pardoned him.

Also ... In 1939, Lead Belly was back in prison for a FOURTH time, for assault. This, after the stabbing of a man in a fight in Manhattan.

Alan Lomax (his father had long since resigned the post), then 24, took Leadbelly under his wing and helped raise money for his legal expenses, dropping out of graduate school to do so.

After his release (in 1940-41), Lead Belly appeared as a regular on Alan Lomax and Nicholas Ray's groundbreaking CBS radio show, 'Back Where I Come From', broadcast nationwide.

Also, Leadbelly was the first blues artist to tour Europe ...

Irene, G'night ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmQXmqbZ3Pc

Where Did You Sleep Last Night/In the Pines ... (my fav, gives me chills!)
Where Did You Sleep Last Night

Oh! Randerio, I once got to hang out w/ Taj Mahal ... about 1978 or '79 ...

He was SO tall ... had to bend my neck straight up to talk to him ...

I still have the red rose he gave me, pressed ...

One of my very favs of his:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPkdf9y9o6s

wow,thats cool, i love taj,if you can find that movie i bet u will love it,it was kinda sad when he got outa prison,he went home and all the juke joints and stuff were closed up and his dad had died and some white people were living in his house and called the cops and he was beat up and stuff...looked like he had a hard life like so many blues artists from that time...

I'll look for it, sounds great; Leadbelly is a passion!

Yes, I so often think about it ... just imagine being that great a music talent AND black at the same time in 'THOSE' days ... shudder ...

I'm sure it also had much to do w/ the excessive drinkin' and brawlin' ...

The Grateful Dead's self titled release in the 70's was gonna' be called "Skull F**k", but their record label refused to allow that. Deadheads still refer to that album by that name however.

Didya know that Hoyt Axton is Lucinda William's Godfather?

She grew up w/ him pickin' in the parlour w/ her pappy ...

... Love ya, Lucinda baby ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mlp7N3t1fs

The Beach Boys recorded a Charles Manson song called "Cease To Exist" that appears on their "20/20" album. Charles gave them the song saying they could do whatever they wanted with the music but NOT to change any words. Guess what they did? Manson was so mad he went to Dennis Wilson's house and was greeted by Brian Wilson at the door. It was Dennis he warned to not change the words so asked if Dennis was home. Brian responded he wasn't, so Charles handed Brian a bullet saying "Tell him this is for HIM."

John Lennon and his son Sean share the same birthday....October 9th.

... John Lennon said:

"Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans ... "

Among many other absolute pearls!

yeah, he says that line in his song to Sean..Beautiful Boy.

Love John... still miss him and his message of peace and love.

Many, many, many absolute pearls

... Yes, he is a dreamer ... and he's not the only one ... the dream is NOT over ...Imagine! ... RIP, John ...

Anybody know who asks " Where's that confounded bridge?" in The Crunge by Led Zeppelin?

Plant says it.

'Desperado' by The Eagles was never released as a single. be seeing you

Louis Armstrong invented scat singing when, in the studio
and without the budget to do 2nd takes, he dropped the lyric sheet then improvised for the lyrics he couldn't read.