logo
Music Icon, 80, Reveals the Woman Who Healed Him After Heartbreaking Splits

Music Icon, 80, Reveals the Woman Who Healed Him After Heartbreaking Splits

Yahoo10 hours ago
Music Icon, 80, Reveals the Woman Who Healed Him After Heartbreaking Splits originally appeared on Parade.
Rod Stewart opened up about his past marriages and how his current relationship has brought him a sense of healing and completeness he never thought he would find again.
The music icon has been married to English model Penny Lancaster for 18 years and their romance is still going strong.
In an interview with The Times, he talked about his two failed marriages and how they led him to meet the love of his life.
The singer-songwriter's first wife was former model and actress Alana Hamilton, whom he married in 1979. The couple, who had a daughter, Kimberly and a son, Sean, separated in 1984.
Six years later, the 'Sailing' hitmaker married Rachel Hunter, with whom he had two children: daughter Renée and son Liam.
Despite a 24-year age gap, their marriage lasted nine years before they filed for divorce in 1999.
According to Stewart, the age difference was a factor in the breakdown of their relationship. He also revealed that the divorce was a painful chapter in his life.
"Rachel left me because she was too young — my sister said I should never have married her in the first place — but it tore me to shreds," he revealed.
However, the heartbreaking moment ultimately guided him toward his future wife, whom he met six months after his relationship with Hunter ended.
"There were six months between Rachel and Penny because my bass player, who had Penny's number, wouldn't give it to me,' the legendary singer recalled. 'He said, 'All you're going to do now is shag around.' And he was right: I had a splendid time in those six months."
With the rock star being with the 54-year-old TV personality for almost two decades now, he considers it a turning point in his life.
"Now I'm with Penny and she's got everything I could possibly want," the 80-year-old singer said, adding, "She's mended my heart in more ways than one."
The couple was blessed with two sons named Alastair Wallace Stewart and Aiden Patrick Stewart.
Besides his children with his former wives and Penny Lancaster, Rod Stewart has a daughter named Ruby with ex-girlfriend Kelly Emberg and his eldest daughter, Sarah Streeter, who was placed up for adoption.Music Icon, 80, Reveals the Woman Who Healed Him After Heartbreaking Splits first appeared on Parade on Jul 4, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

LGBT artists decry Supreme Court ruling at rainy London Pride parade
LGBT artists decry Supreme Court ruling at rainy London Pride parade

Yahoo

time30 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

LGBT artists decry Supreme Court ruling at rainy London Pride parade

LGBT artists including singer and actor Olly Alexander decried the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman and expressed fears trans people are being 'villainised more than ever' at a rainy Pride in London parade. Writer Shon Faye and the lead actor in the BBC drama What It Feels Like For A Girl, Ellis Howard, also criticised the judgment. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan shouted 'happy pride' and thousands people started to walk through central London, led by a more than a dozen motorcyclists from LGBT groups. There were shouts for 'trans rights now' as the engines roared and rain started to fall on Saturday afternoon. American pop singer Chaka Khan is headlining the event that saw around 500 organisations file from Hyde Park Corner, through Piccadilly Circus, and on to Whitehall Place. Former Years And Years singer Alexander told the PA news agency: 'Trans people right now, they need our support and love more than ever, they're being villainised, demonised in the press, by a lot of the media, and trans people they're just like us… they're you, they're me. 'They deserve the same respect, the same rights, the same privileges, same opportunities, and that's why pride is so important this year.' The solo artist and Eurovision 2024 contestant added: 'There's been a real backlash against DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) policies and that's been going on for years, and I think we're in a bit of a swing, that's going against where we were maybe five years ago. 'We've had the Supreme Court ruling and I feel like a lot of trans people are scared, rightfully scared, they don't understand… what their lives are going to look like.' In April the Supreme Court ruled the words 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex. Before the march began Shon Faye, author of Love in Exile and The Transgender Issue, said 'we've just seen an unprecedented attack on queer rights and trans rights across the world'. She told PA: 'For the trans community in particular here in the UK, we've seen an onslaught of misinformation, attacks in the media, and unfortunately the roll back of human rights in the courts. 'I think (pride) is more important than ever – I think a lot of trans people have been made to feel afraid in public space and pride this year is about taking back public space, and showing what we're not going to be silenced, and we're not going to be intimidated.' Asked what she hoped would change, Faye said: 'I feel like it's not a one year change deal… movements move in generations, I think what we have to do now is accept the reality of the situation we're in and we have to work together with other groups, within the LGBT community and outside it, to really start forming strong coalitions in order to fight this stuff. 'I think where we're going in the UK, unfortunately this rightward turn is going to continue for some time. The people together are powerful.' She added: 'I think the reality is what some of these attacks are designed to do is exhaust us… we become very focused and frightened and then sometimes it's easier to retreat in and the reality is we need to do the opposite of that – we need to be willing to work with people who aren't necessarily like us'. Howard played Paris Lees in the BBC dramatisation of her memoir and, like Alexander and Faye, was supporting trans rights charity Not A Phase at the parade. He told PA that 'we're in an incredibly precarious political time' and said pride this year is 'more important than ever'. The actor added: 'I think it's so, so important that we show up as queers, as allies, and we celebrate. Joy is an act of resistance. 'I hope it shows queers of all ages that we stand with you, we are for you, and we love you'. He added: 'The recent Supreme Court ruling concerns me, the lack of proper tangible support from our Government concerns me, the lack of funding to amazing organisations like Not A Phase really, really concerns me. 'But honestly, I look around, I see stuff like this, I see what grassroots activism can do, and the power that that can have'. A YouGov poll released ahead of the event found 67% of people in the UK believe the country is inclusive to LGBTQ+ people, and 60% would not welcome a shift towards more negative attitudes. Simon Blake, chief executive of Stonewall, which commissioned the survey, said despite the findings 'we know many LGBTQ+ people do not feel this in their neighbourhoods and workplaces'. He added: 'In policy terms, the reality is different too. 'The UK has dropped sharply down the global leaderboard for LGBTQ+ rights.' This year the UK fell to its lowest-ever ranking for LGBTI human rights, an annual report found. This was because of the Supreme Court ruling and subsequent UK Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) guidance, said the ILGA-Europe's Rainbow Map, which has run since 2009.

John Leguizamo Admits He 'Learned a Lot About Respect' in His 'Starter Marriage': 'You Gotta Work' (Exclusive)
John Leguizamo Admits He 'Learned a Lot About Respect' in His 'Starter Marriage': 'You Gotta Work' (Exclusive)

Yahoo

time40 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

John Leguizamo Admits He 'Learned a Lot About Respect' in His 'Starter Marriage': 'You Gotta Work' (Exclusive)

John Leguizamo tells PEOPLE about the "work" that goes into a long-term relationship, reflecting briefly on his first marriage to actress Yelba Zoe McCourt "I don't think I'd be the same husband or man if I hadn't gone through the experience of the first marriage," the Leguizamo Does America host says Leguizamo has been married to Justine Maurer since 2003, and they share two childrenJohn Leguizamo knows that love alone isn't enough to sustain a long-term relationship. The Leguizamo Does America host, who wed Justine Maurer in 2003, was previously married from 1994 to 1996. In the new season of his MSNBC docuseries, he jokes to chef Melissa Araujo of Alma in New Orleans while discussing the gentle touch of shaping dough for Honduran baleada: "If I had your advice, maybe my first marriage would've survived." Asked what he actually learned from his first marriage, to actress Yelba Zoe McCourt, that has helped his enduring bond with Maurer, Leguizamo, 64, tells PEOPLE, "The starter marriage was definitely very important for my maturation." The Menu actor calls that time period "a life learning experience, because I don't think I'd be the same husband or man if I hadn't gone through the experience of the first marriage." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. "I learned a lot about respect," he says. "I learned a lot about compromise. I learned a lot about that it doesn't happen by itself — that marriage is really work, and you gotta work, and you gotta put work into it, and you gotta put yourself into it." That work for Leguizamo and Maurer — who share daughter Allegra, 25, and son Lucas, 24 — is in part of the mantra, "You really gotta stay interested in each other, and do things together." "You gotta be interested in your wife's interests, and she's got to be interested in your interests," the Super Mario Bros. star explains. "Even if you're not interested, you've gotta act like you're interested ... that's how you grow together. That's how you grow towards each other." "And it's doing activities together, to stay connected," he continues. "You can't allow each other to grow apart and grow separately. It'll never work. You won't. It'll end." Leguizamo and Maurer both previously opened up to PEOPLE about their 30-year love story, when the actor said he "did not want a tumultuous relationship" when they got together. "I wanted peace. I wanted to have an oasis. And Justine gave me all of that," recalled the Bob Trevino Likes It star. 'She became a healing force in my life." is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! There, of course, have been differences. 'We're both from New York, but I went to public schools; she went to private schools,' Leguizamo said. 'All my friends were Latin and Black, and all her friends were White and Jewish." "But that's what made it exciting and thrilling. It wasn't just preaching to the choir; it was converting somebody, in a way," he added. "I like talking about my culture to Justine because it helps me understand where I came from and how far I've come.' Leguizamo Does America season 2 premieres July 6, at 9 p.m. ET on MSNBC, with new episodes airing weekly through August. Read the original article on People

Angélique Kidjo Joins Hollywood Walk Of Fame As First Black African Musician
Angélique Kidjo Joins Hollywood Walk Of Fame As First Black African Musician

Forbes

timean hour ago

  • Forbes

Angélique Kidjo Joins Hollywood Walk Of Fame As First Black African Musician

GLASGOW, UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 17: Angelique Kidjo performs on stage at Celtic Connections ... More Festival at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on January 17, 2015 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ross Gilmore/Redferns via Getty Images) The African diaspora and admirers of the cultural potency that stems from the socioculture are celebrating the latest accolade granted unto legendary Afroworld fusion artist, Angélique Kidjo. On Wednesday, July 2, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce held a live press conference with Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President Steven Nissen and actor Eugenio Derbez and radio personality Richard Blade, also Walk of Famers, announcing the honorees encompassing the 2026 Class of Walk of Famers. Blade announced Kidjo's honor which deemed her as Africa's 'premiere diva,' which is moreover alluding to her Mama Africa aesthetic. Kidjo's coming into the Hollywood Walk of Fame Class of 2026 stands as a historic moment, making Kidjo the first African artist to receive a star on the acclaimed California cement. Kidjo is receiving the honor as part of the Recording category where she joins the legendary gospel group The Clark Sisters, iconic hip-hop Cleveland collective Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Afro Brazilian percussionist Paulinho da Costa, Miley Cyrus, Zapata Mexican band Grupo Intocable, legendary Australian soft-rock Air Supply, Josh Groban, and Grammy award winning country artist and actor Lyle Lovett. Angélique Kidjo's four-decade career has been marked by an unapologetic grace and global acclaim, with her 2025 Grammy nomination standing as a testament to the enduring success of authentic African artistry in the professional music world. During our exclusive interview at Carnegie Hall last year, Kidjo reflected on her remarkable journey and shared, "Music gave me the strength to talk about anything. My music is steeped in the story of resilience, love, and what you can accomplish with very little." Her words resonated deeply, encapsulating the essence of her four-decade-long career that has seamlessly blended African traditions with global influences. NEW YORK, NY - August 12: MANDATORY CREDITAngélique Kidjo performing on ... More August 12th, 1996 in New York City. (Photo by) With roots in Benin through her Nigerian mother and Beninese father, Kidjo's impact transcends her celebrated music and distinctive Mama Africa persona. She has become a bridge between generations, uplifting rising and seasoned African artists alike. Over the course of her remarkable 40-year career, Kidjo has earned 15 Grammy nominations, securing six wins along the way. In 1995, she received her first Grammy nomination for 'Agolo,' which was recognized in the Best Music Video category. The visual is heralded for its vibrant celebration of Benin culture featuring showcases of Fá deities, costumes adorned with ileke beads, Yoruba-style gele headwraps, and mesmerizing dance routines inspired by the Fon cultural dance, Zinli. The 'Wombo Lombo' songstress swiftly solidified her place on the music globe with subsequent nods for her sixth album Oremi in 1999 and following album, Black Ivory Soul, her 7th in 2003. Her first Grammy win came in 2007 for Best Contemporary World Music Album with Djin Djin, her ninth studio release. The album featured a groundbreaking fusion of African rhythms and Western influences, exemplified by her collaboration with Alicia Keys on the title track. She went on to win Best World Music Album for Eve in 2014, Sings in 2015, and Celia in 2019 and 2020. Most recently, she clinched the Best Global Music Album award for Mother Nature in 2022. Beyond her wins, Kidjo's collaborations with icons like Burna Boy, Yo-Yo Ma, and the Soweto Gospel Choir have also earned her Grammy nods, reflecting her unparalleled ability to bridge generations and cultures through music. In the early 1980s, Angélique Kidjo found herself at a crossroads, grappling with the oppressive political regime in her homeland of Benin. After releasing her debut album, Pretty, in 1981—a project that gained traction across West Africa thanks to Cameroonian producer, Ekambi Brilliant—Kidjo began touring the region. Beninese Jazz musician Lionel Loueke (left) plays guitar as he performs onstage, with his trio, at ... More Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, New York, New York, December 13, 2019. Pictured with Loueke are trio-member, Swedish-Italian-American musician Massimo Biolcati (in grey), on upright acoustic bass, and special guest, Beninese Jazz and World Music singer Angelique Kidjo. (Photo by) Speaking with Kidjo during her Carnegie Hall stint last year, she recalled, "I did my first album in 1981. And it becomes a success because the producer was from Cameroon, so I went to Cameroon to do a show. And I started touring in the region." However, her growing prominence couldn't shield her from the pressures of censorship. Musicians were expected to toe the line of propaganda, a reality her father had warned her about: "When you're an artist, you cannot be affiliated with any political party because they come, and they go. Don't be involved." Kidjo's 40-year career and counting proves that African authenticity can lead to sustained success in the music industry—cementing her Mama Africa persona.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store