Yusuf Islam confirms guest slot at Fairport's Cropredy Convention

Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) has confirmed a rare festival appearance at next month's Fairport's Cropredy Convention.

Speaking on BBC 5 Live's Simon Mayo show on Tuesday (7 July 2009), Yusuf said: "I'm going to do Fairport's Cropredy, I'm going to try to pop in to do maybe three, maybe four songs."

Regulars to the Cropredy Festival will know that Fairport always have a very special surprise guest or two up their sleeves to help them out with their 3 hour marathon Saturday night festival closing set.

As Cat Stevens, Yusuf sold more than 60 million albums worldwide from the late 1960s until he quit music in 1979. Albums such as 'Tea for the Tillerman' and 'Teaser and the Firecat' were platinum sellers and his best-known songs include 'Morning Has Broken', 'Wild World', 'Moonshadow', and 'Matthew and Son'. He also wrote 'The First Cut is the Deepest' which was covered by PP Arnold, Sheryl Crow, and Rod Stewart among others.

Fairport Convention founder-member Simon Nicol says: "As Cat Stevens, Yusuf has written many classic songs and richly deserves his stature as one of popular music's greats. Nothing has been nailed down yet but it would be marvellous to share the Cropredy stage with him."

Gareth Williams, Fairport's Cropredy Convention festival director, said: "Yusuf and Fairport go back a long way - they were stablemates on Island Records, Fairport's drummer, Gerry Conway, played in Yusuf's band for many years, and Simon Nicol joined him in the studio for the 'Numbers' album. We usually keep our special guests under wraps because we love to surprise our Cropredy audience. But now that the 'Cat' is out of the bag we can confirm we've been talking to Yusuf about a guest appearance at Cropredy."

After a long career break, Yusuf returned to the musical fold two years ago. "I've gone back to music because I love it," he says. His most recent album was 'Roadsinger' released in May 2009, and although he's making music again a live appearance by Yusuf is a very rare occurrence.

He joins a line-up that includes Steve Winwood, Buzzcocks, Ken Nicol & Phil Cool, 4 Square, Richard Thompson, Seth Lakeman, The Dodge Brothers, John Jorgensen Band, Ade Edmondson and the Bad Shepherds, Fairport Convention & special guests, Ralph McTell, Dreadzone, Feast of Fiddles, and more.

The friendly three-day festival of rock, pop and acoustic music is set in the Oxfordshire countryside. Located adjacent to Cropredy village, five miles north of Banbury, and taking place from Thursday 13th to Saturday 15th August 2009. It's a very friendly festival with great ales, no sell-out out to rampant commercialism, and no huge ticket prices.

Tickets are available priced as follows:
An adult weekend ticket £82
A weekend camping ticket £30
Adult Friday, and Saturday ticket £72
Adult Friday/Saturday camping ticket (for 14th & 15th August only) £25
Saturday only day ticket £52
Tickets for children under 12 years of age, are free. Children must be accompanied by an adult purchasing a ticket.

To buy tickets, click here.

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