Let's get straight. Cat Stevens did not write or record "of the cat in the cradle" despite announcements by the contrast in the web and perhaps natural popular misunderstanding.
"Cat in the cradle" was written by the late great performance songwriter/activist Harry Chapin. (In fact, the words of the song were written by wife of Chapin, now widow, Sandy Chapin).
Harry Chapin died in an accident of car in Long Island (N.Y.) Motorway in 1981. He was only 38 years old.
I saw Harry Chapin in concert in the 1970s at the University of Florida college. The show was halted for nearly an hour because had not yet come to Chapin. When he finally took the stage, he apologized for the delay and explained that his flight had been delayed in Tampa. He had rented a car, he said and led from Tampa Airport to Gainesville in less than an hour and a half. Rather it is 125 miles of Tampa International to Gainesville! Man, was "flying" in that "Taxi". ("Taxi" course is perhaps the most famous song of Chapin).
As Harry Chapin, Cat Stevens wrote and recorded some of the best songs ever, including "Wild World", "X-wing" and multiple time mega hit, "the first cut is the Deepest". It has also been performed by some of the most popular artists of our time: Dolly Parton, Rod Stewart, Sheryl Crow... to name a few.
Stevens also frequently has been credited with writing "Morning Has Broken" recorded in tea for The Tillerman and that is closely identified. "Morning Has Broken" really is a Christian hymn with lyrics written by Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965).
Cat Stevens was born in 1948 in London as Steven Demetri Georgiou. He took the name of Cat Stevens in the late ' 60s and, after becoming a convert to Islam in the late 1970s, she was renamed again, Yusuf Islam.
As the final Chapin, Cat Stevens is also known out-spoken as an advocate of peace. In fact, his song "Peace train" has become an anthem of peace.
The lives and the songs from Chapin and Stevens have accompanied to some degree, and are indeed similar in their styles of folk singer, poetic and politically conscious.
Cat Stevens was in 2006 with a new album, one glass of others, under his Islamic name, Yusuf Islam. Met with mixed reviews, but usually hot luke.
DA Jack Hayford is the editor of the popular music, events in Music.comreference page. Mr. Hayford is also the program Director and co-founder of DurangoSong.com, home of ten online more old year Durango songwriters Expo, a premier annual educational and inspiring event for aspiring composers.