Before converting to Islam and turning his back on his musical career in 1978, the man called Yusuf Islam was Cat Stevens. He's the folk icon behind introspective, contemplative and infectious crossover hits like "Wild World" and "Where Do the Children Play" (who, as legend has it, helped the founders of the Islamic Center of Nashville open one of the first mosques in Tennessee). Later, he gained for speaking out in support of the Ayatollah Khomeini's fatwa against Salman Rushdie — something he's tried to put behind him, more or less.Â
Following a return to secular music in the Aughts and his induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, Yusuf Islam did his first concert tour of the U.S. since 1976 in 2014. In honor of the 50th anniversary of "I Love My Dog," his debut single as Cat Stevens (he was born Steven Demetre Georgiou), he's hitting the road again, for a short run of acoustic concerts billed as the A Cat's Attic tour.
The tour stops at the Ryman on Sept. 27. Ticket prices haven't been announced (a portion of proceeds will benefit UNICEF and International Rescue Committee through Yusuf's charity organization Small Kindness), but they'll go on sale here on Aug. 15.
