Editing Rod Stewart (section)

==Early life==
Roderick David Stewart was born at 507 Archway Road, [[Highgate, London|Highgate]], [[north London]], on 10 January 1945, the youngest of five children of Robert Joseph Stewart (1904–1990)<ref name="auto">1939 England and Wales Register</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.geni.com/people/Robert-Stewart/6000000010641917439|title=Robert Joseph Stewart|date=26 December 1904 |publisher=Geni}}</ref> and Elsie Rebecca Gilbart (1905–1996).<ref name="nb-53">Nelson and Bangs, ''Rod Stewart'', p. 53.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.geni.com/people/Elsie-Stewart/6000000010641904390|title=Elsie Rebecca Stewart|year=1906 |publisher=Geni}}</ref> His father was Scottish and had been a [[master builder]] in [[Leith]], [[Edinburgh]], while Elsie was English and had grown up in [[Upper Holloway]] in north London. Married in 1928, the couple had two sons and two daughters while living in [[Scotland]], and then they moved to Highgate.

Stewart was born at home during [[World War II]], eight years after his nearest sibling.<ref name="nb-53"/><ref name="eh-2-3">Ewbank and Hildred, ''Rod Stewart: The New Biography'', pp. 2–3.</ref>{{refn|group="nb"|For many years it was said that Stewart had been born a half-hour after a German [[V-2]] missile warhead fell on the local Highgate police station.<ref name="eh-2-3"/>

In his 2012 autobiography, Stewart said that was "just one of those legends, fables, and downright lies told in the name of publicity" and that the V-2 hit and his birth were separated by some weeks.<ref>Stewart, ''Rod: The Autobiography'', p. 6.</ref> There was a deadly V-2 strike very near the southern end of the [[Archway Road]] on 5 November 1944,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://londonist.com/2009/01/london_v2_rocket_sitesmapped.php|title=London V2 Rocket Site ... Mapped|publisher=[[Londonist]]|access-date=10 December 2012|date=12 January 2009}} Expand map, click on target icon near Highgate, read entry "Archway 5 November 1944".</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbcattic.org/ww2peopleswar/user/33/u232633.shtml|title=BBC WW2 People's War – V2 Rockets|publisher=BBC|access-date=11 December 2012|archive-date=21 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140921043221/http://www.bbcattic.org/ww2peopleswar/user/33/u232633.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> some two miles from the Stewart domicile.}} The family was neither affluent nor poor; Stewart was spoiled as the youngest, and has called his childhood "fantastically happy".<ref name="nb-53"/><ref name="eh-2-3"/> He had an undistinguished record at Highgate Primary School and failed the [[eleven-plus exam]].<ref name="eh-7">Ewbank and Hildred, ''Rod Stewart: The New Biography'', p. 7.</ref> He then attended the William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School (later [[Fortismere School]]), [[Muswell Hill]].<ref>{{Cite book|first=Dafydd|last=Rees|author2=Crampton, Luke|title=Q Encyclopedia of Rock Stars|year=1996|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|isbn=0-7513-0393-3}}</ref> When his father retired from the building trade he bought a [[Newsagent's shop#United Kingdom|newsagent's shop]] on the [[Archway Road]] and the family lived over the shop.<ref name="nb-53"/><ref name="eh-2-3"/> Stewart's main hobby was [[railway modelling]].<ref name="eh-9-10">Ewbank and Hildred, ''Rod Stewart: The New Biography'', pp. 9–10.</ref>

The family was mostly focused on [[Association football|football]];<ref name="nb-54"/> Stewart's father had played in a local amateur team and managed some teams as well, and one of Stewart's earliest memories was of the pictures of Scottish players such as [[George Young (Scottish footballer)|George Young]] and [[Gordon Smith (footballer born 1924)|Gordon Smith]] that his brothers had on the wall.<ref name="eh-4-5"/><ref name="cby-374"/> Stewart was the most talented footballer in the family and was a supporter of [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] at the time.<ref name="eh-4-5">Ewbank and Hildred, ''Rod Stewart: The New Biography'', pp. 4–5.</ref><ref name="rs-2004-int"/> Combining natural athleticism with near-reckless aggression, he became captain of the school football team and played for Middlesex Schoolboys as [[centre-half]].<ref name="eh-4-5"/>
[[File:Grave of Rod Stewart's parents in Highgate Cemetery.jpg|thumb|Grave of Stewart's parents in [[Highgate Cemetery]]]]
The family were also great fans of the singer [[Al Jolson]] and would sing and play his hits.<ref name="nb-54">Nelson and Bangs, ''Rod Stewart'', p. 54.</ref><ref name="rs-timegoes"/> Stewart collected his records and saw his films, read books about him, and was influenced by his performing style and attitude towards his audience.<ref name="nb-54"/><ref name="cby-374">Moritz (ed.), ''Current Year Biography 1979'', p. 374.</ref><ref name="gray4-5"/> His introduction to rock and roll was hearing [[Little Richard]]'s 1956 hit "[[The Girl Can't Help It (song)|The Girl Can't Help It]]", and seeing [[Bill Haley & His Comets]] in concert.<ref name="rs-timegoes">{{Cite news|first=Austin|last=Scaggs|author-link=Austin Scaggs|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/rodstewart/articles/story/5936449/as_time_goes_by|title=As Time Goes By: Rod Stewart|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=7 October 2003|access-date=10 August 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090910044727/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/rodstewart/articles/story/5936449/as_time_goes_by|archive-date=10 September 2009}}</ref> His father bought him a guitar in January 1959; the first song he learned was the folk tune "It Takes a Worried Man to Sing a Worried Song"; the first record he bought was [[Eddie Cochran]]'s "[[C'mon Everybody]]".<ref name="eh-9-10"/> In 1960, he joined a [[skiffle]] group with school friends called the Kool Kats, playing [[Lonnie Donegan]] and [[Chas McDevitt]] hits.<ref name="eh-9-10"/><ref name="gray4-5">Gray, ''Rod Stewart: The Visual Documentary'', pp. 4–5.</ref>

Stewart left school at the age of 15<ref name="eh-10-11">Ewbank and Hildred, ''Rod Stewart: The New Biography'', pp. 10–11.</ref> and worked briefly as a [[screen printing|silk-screen printer]].<ref name="gray4-5"/> Spurred on by his father, his ambition was to become a professional [[association football|footballer]].<ref name="rs-2004-int"/><ref name="eh-10-11"/> In summer 1960, he went for trials at [[Brentford F.C.|Brentford]],<ref name="auto-19">Stewart, ''Rod: The Autobiography'', pp. 16–19.</ref> a [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] club at the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk/page/History/0,,10421,00.html |title=Brentford FC: History |publisher=[[Brentford F.C.]] |access-date=4 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217112853/http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk/page/History/0%2C%2C10421%2C00.html |archive-date=17 December 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Contrary to some longstanding accounts, Stewart states in his 2012 [[autobiography]] that he was never signed to the club and that the club never called him back after his trials.{{refn|group="nb"|Over the years, considerable backstory has accumulated about Stewart's involvement with Brentford F.C. It was said that he joined on as an apprentice with them,<ref name="eh-10-11"/><ref name="mojo95"/><ref name="BBC04"/> but disliked the early morning travel to [[London#West London|West London]] and the daily assignment to clean the [[First team (association football)#F|first team]]'s [[Football boot|boots]]. His playing effectiveness at [[centre-half]] was supposedly hindered by his slight build – {{convert|5|ft|11|in}} but only {{convert|9|st}} (126 lbs.) – and he pushed himself so much that he occasionally vomited at the side of the [[Association football pitch|pitch]].<ref name="eh-10-11"/>

One biography claimed he was there for two months including pre-season fixtures, that he left the team to the great disappointment of his father, and that he later reflected, "I had the skill but not the enthusiasm."<ref name="eh-10-11"/> Another biography gave an undated Stewart quote saying he was there for three weeks, paid £8 per seven-day week, but never played in any form.<ref name="nb-54"/> In a 2004 ''Rolling Stone'' interview, Stewart said he went three or four times a week and did play.<ref name="rs-2004-int">{{Cite news|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/rodstewart/articles/story/6055929/football_and_fancy_free|title=Football and Fancy Free|last=Crandall|first=Bill|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=19 May 2004|access-date=4 May 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090315140449/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/rodstewart/articles/story/6055929/football_and_fancy_free|archive-date=15 March 2009}}</ref>

In 1995, Brentford Deputy President Eric White was quoted as saying, "He trained with us for a week or two, and he may even have kicked a ball around with the juniors, but there is no record of Rod Stewart ever having signed to Brentford. Unfortunately, nobody at the club remembers his time here."<ref name="mojo95"/> In his 2012 autobiography, Stewart attributes all of this to a tale that took on its own life, partly and deliberately helped by statements he made in interviews, such as to talk show host [[Michael Parkinson]].<ref name="auto-19"/>}} In any case, regarding possible career options, Stewart concluded, "Well, a musician's life is a lot easier and I can also get drunk and make music, and I can't do that and play football. I plumped for music ... They're the only two things I can do actually: play football and sing."<ref name="nb-54"/><ref name="eh-10-11"/>

His parents are buried on the eastern side of [[Highgate Cemetery]], on the main north–south path, opposite the grave of [[Malcolm McLaren]].