Rod Stewart still wears it well after decades on the road

“It keeps the band on their toes – and they keep me on mine! It’s a big band, six girls, six men and they’re very lively, it’s good to have the youngsters around.”

Also featuring in the 2019 tour will be special guests Johnny Mac And The Faithful, opening the summer shows after being hand-picked by Rod himself.

After hearing their music at Celtic matches and events, Rod had fallen for their barn-storming Irish-influenced Americana sound, with one instrumental especially standing out.

“I’d heard them play over the years but never knew anything about who they were,” he said. “And one time I was watching footage of the players training on Celtic’s TV channel, and I loved the background music which was being used. I looked all over the place to find out what it was.

“I thought it was a band from Australia and we’d tracked it down… But it turned out it was Johnny, and they were on the doorstep. I instantly had lyrics to go with the music, and that led to us co-writing Julia on Blood Red Roses.

“Johnny supplies all the music for Celtic Football Club and is a big supporter, like I am, and I think they’re brilliant.

“ I really like the music; it’s real party music, just want you need to warm up the audience, but they are a very, very flexible band and very talented. I wanted to give him a chance.”

Recent years have seen Rod back writing, after his exploration of the Great American Songbook in the Noughties. He’d turned away from penning his own music for several years after losing confidence in the early Nineties, as documented in his 2012 book Rod: The Autobiography.

“When I wrote my book, that sparked in me the realisation that I had stories still to tell, about my early beginnings, my dad, and that book spawned the writing, it came back to me,” he said.

“I had thought it had gone and left me, but it doesn’t really, it’s not a physical thing, you just have to put your mind to it. I teamed up again with Kevin Savigar, my co-writer and producer now, and he brought it out of me again.

“There was a point when I didn’t even want to go into the studio again too. I couldn’t bear the thought of going into the dark studio space.

“But again, it was Kevin who got me back, he came along and we started doing it on our computers.

“He would write a tune, send it to me, I’d ‘la-di-diddly-dah’ over it and send it back. We’d add drum machines or whatever, and see how it sounded, then if we felt it needed a drummer, we would get a drummer in, and embellish it with real musicians…

“And all the while, I’d be seeing daylight and enjoying fresh air.

“I don’t think I jump on bandwagons, maybe a little bit with disco and Do Ya Think I’m Sexy, but mainly I’ve followed my own instincts and I’m glad to see changes in the industry, and it stepping up a bit.

“Whether it’s a small festival or a bloody great big one, we give every show the same 110%. We have played to 54 people once, for a wealthy Russian man in Rome who must have only known 50 people – and he invited all of them.

“He paid me a lot of money, and we gave the same show as we would at Madison Square Garden.

Rod Stewart, 74, makes a bold statement in blue coordinated outfit and mirrored shades as he heads to radio interview

He's carved out an incredible music career spanning almost 60 years.

And Rod Stewart proved he was a success in the fashion stakes too as he showed off his flair for style as he arrived for an interview at BBC Radio 2 Studios in London on Thursday. 

The Maggie May hitmaker, 74, caught the eye in a bold blue coordinated outfit, which the confidently rocked with a pair of round mirrored shades in the same hue.

Rod donned a smart indigo blazer, which he layered over a pale blue shirt, while he added a blue and white gingham neckerchief to his look. 

The star added a pair of colbalt skinny jeans teamed with purple socks and jazzy blue and orange tartan trainers. 

As customary, Rod's trademark locks were styled into their usual spiky do. 

Father-of-eight Rod looked happy and relaxed as he stopped to pose for photographs with his adoring fans outside the studio. 

Rod recently enjoyed a family holiday with wife Penny Lancaster and six of his brood. 

The rocker posed for a snap which was uploaded to Instagram by Penny, 48, who lamented that not all his relatives could make it.

She wrote: 'Family holiday time but sadly there is always one or two missing @renee_stewartt @rubystewart. Miss you guys!'

Joining him were his eldest daughter Kimberly Stewart, 39, who he had with model and actress Alana Stewart.

Happy to oblige: Father-of-eight Rod looked happy and relaxed as he stopped to pose for photographs with his adoring fans outside the studio

Rod Stewart is back in the studio

Only seven months after the release of Blood Red Roses, Rod Stewart is already at work on his next album.

In an interview with BILD in Germany, he says, “I'm on a high right now. My latest album made it to number-one [in England]. So, there is no need to retire right now and I'm spending no thought on it. We are in the studio at the moment and recording songs for my next album which will be a collection of the 20 greatest country and folk songs.”

Stewart’s last album of cover tunes -- not counting a 2012 Christmas album -- was Fly Me to the Moon... The Great American Songbook Volume V in 2010.

SIR Rod Stewart has revealed that his love of Celtic stems from a chance meeting with Jock Stein.

The famous Hoops fan shared the story on social media on Wednesday, pegging a chance-meeting with the legendary Celts manager - thanks to Kenny Dalgish - as the reason for his “conversion”.

The rocker, 74, shared an old interview where he discussed his love for Celtic.

The grainy clip shows a younger Rod turned out in a green and white outfit answering a few questions about his passion for the Glasgow team.

Asked why he chose to become a life-long Celtic supporter, Sir Rod responds: “Ermm…. It was way back in the early ‘70s when I first met Dalglish just when he’d signed for Celtic, and I think we were out for dinner at Dalhousie Castle, and I think it was just after he got married.

“And he took me down and I met Jock Stein, and I don’t know if you ever met the late Jock Stein but once you met him you were a Celtic supporter, because he made football sound like poetry.

"That was the early ‘70s and I’ve been a Celtic supporter ever since.”

Rod Stewart to perform exclusive intimate show at Cliffs Pavilion

WORLD famous Rod Stewart is set to play Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion in a special one-off performance.

The Maggie May singer will use the stripped back, close-up show on April 30 as a warm-up for his UK tour which kicks off next month.

It will also give fans with the chance to experience a behind the scenes look at the process of creating a touring show and the audience will be welcome to give their feedback during the very exclusive opportunity.

The fully seated tour is being promoted by Cuffe and Taylor, whose director Peter Taylor said: “We work with Cliffs Pavilion on a number of different touring shows so we are delighted they are able to host this exclusive warm up show for Rod’s tour.

“Fans are going to be in for a real treat as they get to see this very stripped back performance where Rod and his band will be finalising their tour set list, working on what fits where and maybe even asking the audience for their input.

“This will be a fantastic night ahead of what is set to be an amazing tour and we can’t wait to see Rod get Southend rocking!

“He will then travel the length and breadth of the UK and across Europe performing to hundreds of thousands of people in what will be a formidable tour for 2019.”

The show comes as the Scottish singer's 30th studio album, Blood Red Roses, debuted at number one

To be in with a shout for tickets, sign up at www.ticketmaster.co.uk/rodstewart-vf.

Fans will be asked to verify their identity before accessing the page. 

The deadline for registration is 11.59pm on Wednesday night. 

Tickets for the full tour are on sale now from www.ticketmaster.co.uk

                Handbags or gladrags?

                  Rod wears them well!

HANDBAGS and Gladrags is one of his most famous songs. But it appears Sir Rod Stewart is now taking his 1969 hit literally after being spotted with a smart satchel at the football.

The 74-year-old was snapped with the tan leather bag over one shoulder during Celtic’s 3-0 victory over Aberdeen at the Scottish Cup semi-final on Sunday.

He teamed it with a white coat, check waistcoat and green, yellow and black stripped tie.

The Celtic fan was pictured greeting VIP supporters during the match at Hampden Park, grinning at the final whistle and forming a ‘Celtic huddle’ with nearby fans.

His model wife Penny Lancaster, 48, was absent from the match, along with his footballdaft sons Alastair, 13, and Aiden, eight.

The boys were alongside their father for Celtic’s Old Firm win against Rangers last month, at which the singer donned bright green slippers. He was subsequently filmed taking part in an acoustic singalong with fellow fans after the game.

Parkhead regular Sir Rod has previously disclosed that he would like his ashes scattered at Celtic Park when he dies.

ROD Stewart was all smiles as he posed with Maisie Williams ina  cute Instagram pic.

The rocker shared the snap on Instagram ahead of the start of the final season of the hit HBO show.

Rod, 74, was pictured alongside the young actress, who plays Arya Stark in the acclaimed fantasy drama.

And fans loved the snap of the unlikely duo.

The pic, uploaded late last night, has been liked over 18,000 times.

The iconic performer captioned the photo with “A girl has no name,” a cryptic phrase associated with Arya in the show.

A Night at the Bowl: Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck reunite for Los Angeles concert in September

Rod Stewart will reunite with his old collaborator, guitar legend Jeff Beck, to play a special performance at the famous Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on September 27. The show is being called Stewart and Beck's "most in depth concert [together] in over 35 years."

According to a poster advertising the event, the concert will feature Stewart singing hits and "rare early classics," and "a landmark reunion set" with Beck. 

Tickets for the show go on sale to the general public this Friday, April 12, at 10 a.m. PT via LiveNation.com. A pre-sale for both artists' fan club members and American Express card members starts Tuesday, April 9, at 10 a.m. local time; a Live Nation pre-sale will begin on Thursday, April 11, at 10 a.m.

Rod rose to fame as the lead singer of The Jeff Beck Group from 1967 to 1969.  In fact, his first-ever show in the U.S. was a member of that band, when they opened for The Grateful Dead in 1968 at the Fillmore East in New York City. Rod and Ronnie Wood, who played bass in Beck's group, both left the band to become members of Faces.

Stewart and Beck went on to collaborate again numerous times over the years, including on Rod's 1984 hit "Infatuation," and on a hit 1985 version of The Impressions' classic "People Get Ready."

The Hollywood Bowl show is scheduled on an off night during Rod's upcoming Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, which runs from September 18 through October 5. Stewart also has dozens of European dates on his tour schedule in the spring, summer and fall.

Jeff, meanwhile, is part of the lineup of Eric Clapton's 2019 Crossroads Guitar Festival, taking place September 20-21 at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Veteran star Rod Stewart is ready as ever to tour at 74

Sir Rod Stewart is still rockin’ and is coming to a venue near you. That’s the message as he embarks on one of his biggest UK tours for years. It’s so long he will be taking at least one holiday break!

“I’m really looking forward to it,” said Rod. “I have toured for years of course and often tour some of Britain but this one is going to be huge and I can’t wait. We are taking the show to other parts of Europe as well but the big focus is on home and I shall be meeting up with a lot of old friends, I’m sure.”

Rod is now 74 but make no mistake, he is not only fit for a fantastic tour but looking to more tours and albums in the future. He is definitely not living on yesterday’s success and is very at home in the modern world.

“Memories are great and I like to think and talk about the things we did in the past but today and tomorrow can be just as exciting.

“When you look at the way we record today, for instance, my new album Blood Red Roses was great to make because we did most of the recordings while on tour.

“We would be sitting in a hotel room or backstage and if we felt like doing a bit of recording we just got on with it.

“Modern technology makes that possible. It’s fantastic because it captures you in the right mood and it is much more personal somehow. It also means you’re not locked in one space for months on end.

“I’ve spent too many years locked in studios, not really wanting to be in there, busting to get out and do something else.

“Maybe it is a lack of discipline but today’s possibilities are much better and everyone who has heard the new album has loved it so that’s the icing on the cake.”

The music world is much changed since Rod started his still amazing career.

“I grew up in North London the youngest of five,” he said. “My dad was from Leith in Scotland and my mother was English. We lived over the family newsagent’s shop and I did a paper round as soon as I could. I was into football in a big way and also railway modelling. It was more than just a toy to me, it was real.

“Believe it or not the whole family were Al Jolson fans. I used to personally have his records and used to love seeing his performances on film. He really knew how to handle an audience and have a great relationship with them. I learned a lot from Al Jolson.

“At the same time I used to befriend every dog in the neighbourhood. I didn’t mind cats but they were always aloof and would scratch you to put you in your place.

“Dogs were never like that. They always seemed to have a sense of fun and were always up for a game of football, except a lot of them used to pinch the ball and run off with it.

“I had to admire them for that so I think I was a dog lover right from the start.

“Sometimes they would look a bit threatening when I was doing the paper round but that never put me off"

Rod’s rise to fame might have been totally different; he has been very open about his ambition to play football professionally.

“I always wanted to be a footballer and perhaps one day play for Scotland,” he said. “I played for my school and I wasn’t bad. I had trials with Brentford and there was a chance I might join them but at the same time I was getting more and more into my music.

“I had to decide whether I wanted to be a singer and musician or a footballer. I thought I had more chance of singing and also I wasn’t sure I would get on with training every day. Playing music seemed an easier option.

“I had a run of jobs while I was waiting to be discovered; I was a silk screen printer, assistant in a funeral parlour, a labourer at Highgate Cemetery and I even did a bit of signwriting.

“So, you could say I had an interesting CV before I got anywhere with anything else. My dad had bought me a guitar when I was about 15 and I tried to copy my heroes, Little Richard and Bill Haley as well as Lonnie Donegan. They were all greats to me.

“I got discovered in the end and here we are today – Sir Roderick Stewart. It still doesn’t seem right somehow, I’m delighted of course but I’ve never seen myself as a knight. I am still Rod, a Scottish bloke born in London.”

Rod Stewart, 74, poses for family photo as he and wife Penny Lancaster, 48, jet off on holiday to Florida with five of his EIGHT children 

Rod Stewart is enjoying a family holiday in Palm Beach, Florida with his wife Penny Lancaster and several of his children.

The singer, 74, and his family posed for a snap which was uploaded to Instagram by Penny, 48, who lamented that not all his relatives could make it.

She wrote: 'Family holiday time but sadly there is always one or two missing @renee_stewartt @rubystewart. Miss you guys!'

Joining him were his eldest daughter Kimberly Stewart, 39, who he had with model and actress Alana Stewart.

Also there was his second child with Alana, Sean, 38, who was born just over a year after Kimberly.

Married from 1979 to 1984, Rod then dated model Kelly Emburg who he was with until 1990 and had daughter Ruby, 31, however she was absent from the holiday.

He then got hitched to model Rachel Hunter in 1990 and had two children with her, Renee, 26, who was also absent from the holiday, and Liam, 24. 

Family: The singer, 74, and his family posed for a snap which was uploaded to Instagram by Penny who lamented that not all his relatives could make it