Rod Stewart‘s raspy singing voice has been one of his trademarks for decades, but the rock legend says it may have all started with a football injury.
The singer recently revealed that doctors believe breaking his nose while playing football as a teenager may have played a major role in creating the husky voice fans know today. According to Parade, Stewart was once told he could straighten his nose to improve his breathing, but there was one major catch: the surgery could change his voice.
It wasn’t a risk he was willing to take.
Stewart has continued sharing the story in recent interviews, insisting his signature sound happened completely by chance rather than through years of vocal training or technique.
Rod Stewart Says Doctors Warned Surgery Could Change His Voice
During a 2024 appearance on the BBC Sounds “Sidetracked” podcast, Stewart recalled breaking his nose after taking “an elbow across the nose” during a football match.
“They actually said that ‘if you straighten your nose out, you’ll breathe better, but you might lose your voice,'” Stewart recalled. “And I said, ‘No way.'”
Per Parade, Stewart described the raspiness as “purely by accident” and even joked that it was “maybe God’s gift.”
He’s shared a similar story before. During a February 2024 appearance on “CBS Sunday Morning,” Stewart said he never intentionally tried to create the raspy sound that became one of his signature traits.
“I didn’t try to make it really raspy,” he explained. “It’s just the way it came out. It’s something to do with my nose and my throat, and it’s just a big accident.”
According to American Songwriter, Stewart said the injury happened when he was 19. When a doctor later suggested straightening his nose, he quickly turned down the idea.
“Leave that alone, mate. I’ll do with a bent nose,” he recalled.
Stewart also admitted he originally wanted to sound like Sam Cooke and other classic R&B singers. Instead, his voice naturally developed into the signature rasp fans know today.
He also recalled being rejected by Decca Records at 19 because executives thought he was “far too rough” and looked “really odd.” Looking back, Stewart laughed about the experience, joking, “Well, look at this face. What else could I have been but a rock singer?”
The Singer Is Doing Everything He Can to Protect His Voice
These days, Stewart is careful about protecting the voice that helped make him famous.
He drinks plenty of water before performances and follows strict vocal rest for eight to 10 hours if he strains his voice during a concert, per Parade. He even wears a sign letting people know he can’t speak while recovering.
“It works miracles,” Stewart said, adding that his voice always comes back. He also referred to it as “the crown jewels.”
His comments come after a difficult month for his vocal health. According to People, Stewart postponed several Las Vegas residency performances while recovering from the flu before later canceling and rescheduling multiple dates on his “One Last Time” tour after being diagnosed with an acute upper respiratory infection that caused laryngitis.
The singer also drew criticism after attending Scotland’s FIFA World Cup match shortly after canceling a California concert. Stewart later admitted he probably shouldn’t have gone because he “just had no voice left,” explaining he didn’t want to disappoint his two sons, who had been looking forward to the trip.
Even after decades onstage, Stewart has made it clear he’s still committed to protecting the voice that made him a star. And if that means keeping what he jokingly calls “a bent nose,” it’s a decision he has no regrets about.
