December 17, 2013 4:25AM ET

Cat Stevens’ Road to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

From his young debut to his Seventies smashes to his return to the world stage

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Cat Stevens was just 19 years old when he released his debut album Matthew and Son in 1967. It was the height of the psychedelic movement, but the young British singer/songwriter was focusing on beautiful folk songs unlike anything else on the radio. He found a huge audience in the early Seventies when his songs "Father and Son," "Wild World" and "Moon Shadow" exploded onto the radio. Later that decade, he largely walked away from his career when he converted to Islam and changed his name to Yusaf Islam. He began releasing new pop music and playing concerts in 2006. Here are photos from his long and storied career.

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Cat Stevens circa 1967.

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Cat Stevens poses for a portrait near Island Records' Basing Street studio in London on May 25th, 1972.

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Cat Stevens circa 1974.

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Cat Stevens posed at A&M studio circa 1975.

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Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), 25th November 1980.

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Yusuf Islam, former folk singer Cat Stevens, poses for a photograph May 2000 in London, United Kingdom.

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Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens performs at the "46664 – Give One Minute of Your Life to AIDS" concert at Greenpoint Stadium on November 29, 2003 in Cape Town, South Africa. It was one of the biggest rock events ever staged in Africa.

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Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, is awarded an honorary doctorate from the University Of Gloucestershire in recognition of his humanitarian work, at The Centaur, Cheltenham Racecourse on November 4, 2005 in Cheltenham, England.

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Yusuf Islam performs on stage during the German broadcasting 'Wetten, dass..?' on December 10th, 2006 in Bremen, Germany.

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Cat Stevens, also known as Yusuf Islam, is pictured in a hotel room during an interview with AFP in Beirut on February 18, 2012 ahead of his concert in the Lebanese capital.