Roderick David Stewart, the youngest of Robert Joseph Stewart’s five children (26 December 1904–1990) and Elsie Rebecca Gilbart’s five children, was born on January 10, 1945, at 507 Archway Road in Highgate, North London (14 December 1905–1996). While Elsie was English and had grown up in Upper Holloway in North London, his father was Scottish and had been a master builder in Leith, Edinburgh. Married in 1928, the couple lived in Scotland where they had two sons and two daughters before relocating to Highgate. Stewart delivered newspapers and worked in the family business. The brief time he spent working as a laborer for Highgate Cemetery later became another part of his life story. He created signs, built fences, and worked in a North Finchley funeral home. He went to Denmark Street with The Raiders in 1961 and got a singing audition with renowned record producer Joe Meek. However, Meek abruptly ended the session. Stewart started listening to American and British topical folk musicians like Derroll Adams and Bob Dylan’s first album, as well as Ewan MacColl, Alex Campbell, Woody Guthrie, and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott.
Stewart became interested in beatnik attitudes and left-wing politics after spending time on a beatnik houseboat in Shoreham-by-Sea. He was an active supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament at the time, taking part in the annual Aldermaston Marches from 1961 to 1963 and being arrested three times when he participated in sit-ins for the cause in Trafalgar Square and Whitehall. He also used the marches to meet and sleep with girls. In 1962, he began a serious relationship with London art student Suzannah Boffey (a friend of future model and actress Chrissie Shrimpton); to be near her, he moved to a bed-sit in Muswell Hill. [38] Rod and Suzannah’s relationship ended when she became pregnant, but neither Rod nor his family wanted him to marry; the baby girl was given up for adoption, and Rod and Suzannah’s relationship ended.
How did Rod Stewart find his adopted daughter?
On the Stars Cars Guitars podcast, Jim, 74, recalled the incredible discovery, saying: “So we’re working on an album at Cherokee Recording Studios in Los Angeles when the front desk calls. “And this voice says, ‘there’s a girl out here who claims to be Rod Stewart’s daughter and wishes to enter.’ “And Rod says to me, “Go take a look, I don’t know anything about this.” So I walk into the reception and she has the dimpled chin and the hooter.”
Jim went on to describe what happened after he returned to Rod after meeting the girl. “I take one look at her and think, ‘oh god okay,’ so I go back in the room and say, ‘I’m sorry to break it to you, mate, either she’s had plastic surgery or she’s a dead ringer.'”
“It turned out to be the Maggie May story; the daughter from that relationship was adopted when they were children.”
“Maggie, she wasn’t really a Maggie,” Jim added. And Rod was only 18, so they placed this girl for adoption, and she was allowed to find out who her father was when she was 21.
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