Press Release: New Rod Stewart Autobiography
RANDOM HOUSE ANNOUNCES GLOBAL ACQUISITION OF
ROD STEWART’S AUTOBIOGRAPHY
‘Forget skeletons in the closet; this one’s going to be socks and knickers under the bed.’
– Rod Stewart
Music legend, Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rod Stewart will be releasing his highly sought-after autobiography in October 2012 with Random House.
(October 5, 2011, New York, NY) The Random House Group (UK) and Random House Inc. (US) today jointly announced the global acquisition of the memoir of music legend Rod Stewart for publication in 2012. The deal was struck by Gail Rebuck, Chairman and Chief Executive of T he Random House Group, and Susan Sandon, Managing Director of Cornerstone Publishing in the UK, and Tina Constable, Senior Vice President and Publisher, Crown Archetype in the US, with Arnold Stiefel of Stiefel Entertainment.
With his soulful and singular voice, narrative songwriting and passionate live performances, Rod Stewart has paved one of the most iconic and successful musical careers of all time. After more than five decades at its pinnacle, he is finally ready to take a candid and romping look back at his life both on and off the stage. From his humble British roots – to his hell-raising years touring with the trailblazing bands ‘The Jeff Beck Group’ and ‘The Faces’, not forgetting his great loves (including three marriages and eight children) and decades touring the world as a solo performer, Stewart’s as yet-untitled book promises readers a riveting ride through one of Rock’s most remarkable lives.
Arnold Stiefel, Rod Stewart’s long-time manager says, ‘For more than 20 years publishers have pursued me to convince Rod to write his autobiography; however he didn’t feel the moment was right and as I learned long ago, he is the master of timing and that time is now. At long last Rod is ready to put pen to paper and Random House , legendary, fabled and never less than relevant, is the ideal publisher.’
Commenting on the book, Rod Stewart says, ‘I thought long and hard before committing to write my book. It is a funny old thing telling my life story but I truly intend to hold nothing back. I’ve had quite a life, known some extraordinary people and had some amazing experiences. I’ve waited all this time, until my 50th year in the business and realise I can no longer put it off. Forget skeletons in the closet; this one’s going to be socks and knickers under the bed.’
Susan Sandon says, ‘Rod Stewart is one of a small number of musicians who truly deserve the title of rock ’n’ roll legend – a truly ionic figure whose life story will fascinate readers and music fans around the world.’
Tina Constable says, ‘From his early days with The Jeff Beck Group and The Faces to the present day, Rod Stewart has won the deep affection of generations of fans around the world. They will be thrilled that he is finally ready to recount his remarkable and uniquely colourful life and career in his own words and inimitable style.’
Rod Stewart is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Grammy Living Legend and in 2007 was bestowed the prestigious CBE (Commander of The British Empire). In 2011, he kicked off a two-year residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas joining a shortlist of elite musical superstars with the international drawing power to headline the Colosseum. He has garnered an estimated 250 million in album and single sales with hit songs including: ‘Maggie May’, ‘Tonight’s the Night’, ‘Hot Legs’, ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?’, ‘Young Turks’, ‘Rhythm of My Heart’, ‘Stay With Me’, ‘Mandolin Wind’, ‘You Wear It Well’, and many more.
The book will be published simultaneously in October 2012 by Century in the UK and Crown Archetype in the US in hardcover, ebook and audio formats. Random House UK will represent foreign right sales. Jack Fogg, Editorial Director at Century, will edit and publish the book in the UK, and the US editor will be Suzanne O’Neill, Senior Editor.
Jack Fogg says. ‘I’ve always loved Rod’s work. From the age of five, listening to him in the car, through my teens, trying (and failing) to emulate his coolness, and on to the present day, where my appreciation for him grows ever stronger. Simply put, he is a legend, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be publishing his memoir.’
Century is an imprint of The Random House Group in the UK; Crown Archetype is an imprint of The Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc in the US. Random House is owned by Bertelsmann AG, the international media company.
Contacts:
In the UK: Charlotte Bush, Publicity Director, Cornerstone Publishing, The Random House Group, +44 207 840 8613, cbush@randomhouse.co.uk
In the US: Tammy Blake, Publicity Director, Crown Archetype, +1212-572-2542, tblake@randomhouse.com