# In 1976, Rod Stewart put his macho image to one side for a “difficult subject”. Now, it’s the song he wants to be remembered for

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1976-rod-stewart-put-his-macho-image-to-one-side-for-a-difficult-subject-now-its-the-song-he-wants-to-be-remembered-for/
- Published: 2026-10-27T18:09:57+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-27T18:15:24+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-1976-song-rod-stewart-wants-to-be-remembered-for/
- Topics: Art, Culture

## Key points

- Stewart says ‘The Killing of Georgie’ is the song he is proudest of.
- The 1976 song addressed homophobia in popular music.
- It was loosely inspired by the death of a friend.

## Summary

Rod Stewart has said that ‘The Killing of Georgie’ is the song he is most proud of, choosing it over his better-known hits. His choice highlights a more serious side to his catalogue: in 1976, he used a popular song to address homophobia, a subject rarely discussed so openly in mainstream music at the time.

The two-part song, from his seventh solo album, *A Night on the Town*, tells the story of a gay man beaten and murdered because of his sexuality. Stewart has said it was loosely inspired by the death of a close friend, though he used poetic licence in telling the story. In a 2011 interview, he singled it out as a work that tackled a “very difficult subject”.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.