Sir Rod Stewart isn’t just a living legend – Young at heart despite countless miles logged in studios and on stage and with over 120 million record sales, will be performing on December 13 at the Telekom Center Athens, the Olympic Stadium’s indoor basketball arena Gala exclusively with him shortly before experiencing his passionate live performance in Athens.

“Silver Stewart” on TV (1976)

GALA: You’ve toured the world countless times. How do you feel about your first show in Greece?
ROD STEWART: Of course, I’m excited — who wouldn’t be? I’m a lover of history, and Greece is history everywhere you look. I’ve played all over the globe, but where music meets ancient culture, there’s something truly magical. We’re going to have an incredible night of music.

With Bond girl Britt Ekland in New York promoting “Atlantic Crossing” (1975)

GALA: What do you expect from the Greek audience?
R.S.: Passion. That’s the word that comes to mind. Greeks feel everything deeply — joy, pain, music, love. I want the audience to sing every chorus as if it’s directed at me. Believe me, I’m planning to give it everything I’ve got.

At his first wedding, with Alana Hamilton (1979)

GALA: People call you a legend. How does it feel to be part of the global music pantheon?
R.S.: Being called a “legend” still feels surreal to someone who never fit into boxes. Who was rock by attitude and by nature. But I’ve lived with music for more than a lifetime, and if that makes me a legend in people’s eyes, I’m grateful. I’m still doing what I love and still enjoying it.

With Britt Ekland in London, 1974 — their relationship lasted about two years

GALA: When did you realize you had a good voice?
R.S.: Good? I’d never use that word! I’d say around 19, I realized I could move people with my voice. That mattered more than sounding perfect. Here’s a story: since I was a kid — six or seven — we’d have huge family parties. My parents and siblings all had good voices, all could sing. So, I was surrounded by aspiring singers. Around 17, they started asking me to grab my guitar and play Woody Guthrie songs. That’s when I started thinking I might have something special.

GALA: Of your eight kids, has any inherited your talent?
R.S.: There were never “trained” voices in my family, but there is what we call “passion.” My daughter Ruby definitely has that more strongly in her DNA.

GALA: You’ve mentioned before you had various jobs before starting your music career.
R.S.: Yes, of course! For a while, I made money laying tombstones! That job makes you appreciate life. I was also a footballer. But when music called, everything else ended.

Live in Chicago (1979)

With one of his dogs (1971)

GALA: Is it true that British blues singer Long John Baldry played a big role in your start?
R.S.: That man was everything to me. Absolutely everything. He didn’t just get me started… He found me drunk, singing with a harmonica at Twickenham station where I had just gone to see his concert. He came up to me and said, “Young man, I need someone to open my show.” I was 16 or 17, so I said, “You have to ask my mom.” He came to London with flowers, and she loved him. His band played all the universities then, and my mom told him I could join on the condition I’d be home by 11. How could that happen when we played Newcastle University? But he was such a kind, good man he convinced her. She loved him. The whole family loved him.

With first wife Alana and Tina Turner (1981)

With third and current wife Penny Lancaster and sons Alastair and Aidan in Buckingham Palace on the day Queen Elizabeth knighted him (2016)

GALA: Which other musicians influenced you at the start?
R.S.: Great black performers like Sam Cooke, Billie Holiday, Otis Redding, and others.

GALA: Can you share a special memory from your career?
R.S.: Beaulieu Jazz Festival, 1961. I was 16. It inspired “Maggie May.” Also, my live show in front of 3 million people on Copacabana beach in Brazil on New Year’s Eve 1994. It’s hard to describe the atmosphere and feelings. Just incredible!

GALA: How easily do you write lyrics?
R.S.: Sometimes the muse is there, sometimes not. I believe the best lyrics come from truth, not thought. I can write lyrics anywhere — on a flight, in the bathroom, or just getting out of bed. But lyrics don’t come that easily. I’m not a natural lyricist. I read about Ed Sheeran writing four songs in an hour — good luck to him! I can’t do that.

GALA: Do you see future legends in younger musicians?
R.S.: Of course. It’s not my nature to dismiss others or think my generation did everything perfectly and now there’s an artistic drought. Musicians like George Ezra, Sombr, and Harry Styles are unique talents.

GALA: What’s a typical day like for you?
R.S.: Wake up, Starbucks, then workout. In the afternoon, I mess around with my model trains at home. But when on tour, I explore the city a bit, then rehearse for vocal warm-up, and finally, enjoy the concert with the crowd. I live for music, I love live shows.

GALA: You said you have model trains?
R.S.: Yes, the room with the soccer field and train models is my favorite. I can spend hours on the trains. I have one layout about 20 meters long. I grew up in London and the railway lines and trains were my everyday view from my window. My life is intertwined with those images.

GALA: What else relaxes you?
R.S.: Laughing with friends, the Celtics winning, family dinners, or a stadium full of people singing louder than me!

GALA: What’s been the hardest moment in your life?
R.S.: In 2000, I lost my voice after a tough thyroid surgery. It was terrifying. It took nine months to balance myself internally. I almost gave up — I thought about taking up gardening. But step by step, breath by breath, I made it. My voice came back stronger.

GALA: Of the famous people you’ve met, who impressed you the most?
R.S.: Frank Sinatra. Once he told me, “The art of a great singer is the strength of his lungs.” It changed my whole approach to singing. To this day, I do breathing exercises because of him.

GALA: What do you remember about the day Queen Elizabeth knighted you in 2016?
R.S.: I was walking on clouds. I just wished my mom and dad could’ve been there to see and celebrate.

GALA: What scares you in today’s world?
R.S.: Trump and Putin.

GALA: Do you use social media?
R.S.: Yes, but not obsessively. I like connecting with fans, but it can’t compare to a live show — and it never will.

GALA: What do people usually say when they meet you?
R.S.: Usually, that I’m taller than they expected. Then they ask about my hair.

GALA: How long does it take you to do your hair?
R.S.: Two minutes! Some ask how to get my look, and I say: “Grab a hairdryer, put some mousse in, dry your hair upside down to lift it, then add some wax — that’s it.” When I started, I didn’t have wax; I styled my hair with water and sugar.

GALA: In your autobiography, you revealed your life was rock ’n’ roll, alcohol, drugs, and plenty of sex.
R.S.: I talked about a lot, revealing truths about my life and career. I wrote about Janis Joplin, wild nights, and the excesses we had. People always like the truth. Rod: The Autobiography became a bestseller.

GALA: Having lived life on the edge, what’s your motto today?
R.S.: Keep moving forward. Keep singing. Be grateful. Every day is a gift — seize the moment and live it!

GALA: Will there be a movie about your life like Bohemian Rhapsody for Freddie Mercury or Rocket Man for Elton John?
R.S.: I pray so someday. My two sons could play the younger me. They’ve been shaved, but wigs do wonders now.

GALA: How do you handle the passing of time?
R.S.: By running with it. I exercise, sing, wake up, and stay grateful.