Formerly known as Cat Stevens, Yusuf Islam is a globally influential British musician and singer-songwriter. In 1977, he converted to Islam and left the music industry for educational and philanthropic causes. His international fame and high regard have probably made him the single most influential figure in the field of arts and culture in the Muslim world. Islam is a vocal opponent of terrorism and extremism, and in 2004 was recognised with the Man of Peace award by the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Committee. He made a gradual return to music over the past 5 years with his latest albums “An Other Cup” and “Roadsinge:”. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Islam received 3 distinctions in 2015: the Global Islamic Economy Award, the Steiger Award, and BBC’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2019, Islam was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Source of Influence: Arts & Culture
Status: Featured in current year