Rod Stewart's Big Railway Break

This is where Rod Stewart's drunken singing got him known.

Location: Twickenham Station, Rugby Road, TW1 1DZ

Description: A young crooner called Rod Stewart got his lucky break at nineteen years old when he was invited to join Long John Baldry's Hoochie Coochie Men. They were on the brink of finishing the R&B All Stars just before their leader, Cyril Davies, died.

Long John Baldry had seen Rod playing harp for the Dimensions at Ken Colyer's club in London's Oxford Street, found Rod drunk and singing on Twickenham railway station and it was there that he asked him to join his new band.

During the following journey to Waterloo station Long John explained that he was thinking of breaking up the All Stars and forming a new band.

By the time they got to Waterloo, Rod took the tube back to Highgate telling himself that this might be the sort of break he'd been waiting for. It was a couple of days later he heard the unexpected news that Cyril Davies was dead.

Baldry kept his promise and contacted Rod with an offer of work and just weeks later he was on stage in his first professional band.

Long John went solo eventually and Rod soon had his big hit Maggie May propelling him to stardom.

Tours: Rod Stewart & Faces Tour

Themes: Music Music Theme