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

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”.