Al Stewart

Al Stewart is a Scottish singer-songwriter ("folkie") who is perhaps best known for his hit song "Year of the Cat." There is much more to him than one song, though it is generally possible to remind someone of who he is by mentioning that song. One of the things he does best is to combine a historical situation with a personal one.

The history behind his songs is well-researched; Kim Dyer, one of the Al Stewart Mailing List (ASML) members (with the assistance of other list members) has done an excellent job of writing up many of the figures and events mentioned in his songs.

Al Stewart has always had a penchant for history, contemporary or otherwise. His current CD, Between the Wars, is about the Twenties and Thirties. One of its best-known predecessors, Past, Present and Future (1973) introduced pop fans to Nostradamus.

An avid collector of French wine, Al has received numerous awards. "I'm running the collection down now, but there are still well over 1000 bottles left. Enough to see me into my senility," he explains.