Rod Stewart talks Glastonbury Legends appearance

Sir Rod Stewart joined the BBC Sounds Sidetracked podcast with Annie and Nick…

Sir Rod Stewart has spoken with BBC Sounds’ Sidetracked Annie and Nick to discuss his feelings on the Glastonbury Legend slot. He reveals that he probably won’t confirm his Glastonbury set-list until the night before, and he reflects on the effects his throat cancer had on his voice and the importance of being on vocal rest which he calls ‘the crown jewels”…

Rod reflects on what it means to be a “legend”, “I don’t mind, I think I deserve it. I just wish they wouldn’t call it the tea-time slot!” On people asking him for tickets, “Believe it or not, all my kids, 3 of them, bought their own tickets..  Glastonbury give nothing away …” adding, “[people ask] all the time, people just come out of the woodwork… You haven’t spoken to me for 25 years, any chance of a ticket?”

On how the Sailing and Maggie May performer ‘became a legend’ he told Nick and Annie, “It’s not for me to judge… I mean it’s just pure luck that I’m here… had the voice and the silly looks that you need, couldn’t have been anything else but a rockstar…

“So many people have not made it that I’ve known, just didn’t have the little break of me being on the railway station when Long John [Baldry] boarded, saw me singing in the early sixties and asked me to join a band… simple twist of fate.”

Rod adds, “You’ve got to be dedicated to it… When I was 16, it was burning hot in my chest – I have to sing, I have to play guitar … not football… I think a lot of kids don’t have that desire now.”

Rod divulges the effects his throat cancer had on his voice, the technicalities of singing and perks of being on vocal rest..

“Strangely enough, I’ve looked into this and Doctor’s have said it’s because I broke my nose playing football and that has given me this huskiness…and they’ve actually said if you straighten your nose, you’ll breathe better but you’ll lose your voice so I said no way…I always wanted to sound like Otis Redding, so I purposely worked on the rasp but I think it’s purely by accident and was maybe God’s gift…

“…it’s a good hour’s warm-up…and a good half an hour warm up afterward, tons and tons of water. And if I lose my voice after a concert, if I over-stretch, the next day I have to wear a sign that says “I cannot talk to anybody”, and I have voice-rest for 8-10 hours and it works miracles.. Really is the crown jewels.”

“… I think when I had throat cancer. Once I had that done, the voice completely went…the muscle memory went and I had to teach myself all over again how to sing. There was one point I thought, can’t do this.”

Rod shares he doesn’t suffer from stage fright, doesn’t plan his set-list until the day before…

“It’s not nerves anymore, it’s anticipation… can’t wait to get on there… I’m never nervous – no, never.” … “[The set list is planned] the night before, probably. I have two guests coming on so I’ve been doing their songs, 3 guests actually, won’t be until the night before…”

Asked what he will enjoy performing, Rod said “Probably, She’s Only a Pilot’s Daughter but she Kept her Cockpit Clean – I’m looking forward to doing that…”

Speaking about the song he’s most proud of he stated,  “All of them! They’re all my children”and when pressed to pick one, “Probably The Killing of Georgie and Mandolin Wind, but I wont be doing either of them.”

When asked ‘Do you still get underwear thrown at you?’ And how he probably won’t want undies thrown at Glastonbury – not after three days unwashed – Rod responded, “Oh, it doesn’t matter – they’re my people!”

Sidetracked by Glastonbury is part of the BBC’s coverage of the festival on TV, radio, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2025/bbc-music-glastonbury-2025 Hear the full Rod Stewart interview on BBC Sounds.