Sir Rod Stewart Turns 78 and Is Going to Be Grandad for Second Time | His Wife of 15 Years Helped Him Become Family Man

The musician was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017 and he leaned on his wife for support to get through it.

Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L) Photo by David Parker - WPA Pool; (R) Photo by Ian MacNicol

By Shruti Menon

January 10, 2023

Posted January 10, 2023

Rock legend Sir Rod Stewart is celebrating his 78th birthday with his beloved wife Penny Lancaster. Not only are fans paying tribute to the icon for his contribution to the music industry but his work as a philanthropist throughout his lifetime is not going unnoticed. According to Charity Today he has dedicated much of his life and resources to giving back.

The singer is particularly focused on helping others with cancer as he knows the battle all too well. The father-of-eight was diagnosed first with thyroid cancer nearly two decades ago. "I always thought I was so fit," Stewart told Good Morning America in a three-part interview with Diane Sawyer in 2001, according to ABC News. "You know, I play soccer and I work out every day. I mean, the big "C" was the furthest thing from my mind ... yeah, it was a terrible shock. I mean, I just went into total silence for a few days. Early detection. Men have got to get to the doctors and get, you know, get it detected."

Rod Stewart Beats Prostate Cancer After Three-Year Battle
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In 2017 he once again received the terrible news of a second diagnosis. The musician was diagnosed with prostate cancer and found it an incredibly challenging time. However, he had an amazing support system and leaned on his wife of 15 years. He credits intimacy as the key factor in keeping their relationship thriving all these years.

In an interview with PEOPLE in 2021, the Forever Young singer remembered telling six women in his band while on a flight about lessons in love. "On the plane, we were talking about how some of them are broken up and how some of them are thinking of breaking up. I told them, 'Intimacy is the most important thing in a relationship.' Don't take it for granted," the singer recalled. "I'm not talking about sex, but a kiss and a cuddle and a hold," he explained. "Penny and I do that every morning. We hug each other — sometimes in bed, sometimes out of bed, all throughout the day. It's a wonderful relationship. Lucky geezer, aren't I?" The rocker has been with multiple women in his life but finally decided that Lancaster was a keeper and the one true love of his life.

More recently the musician shared a rare family photo on his Instagram Story during the holiday season, according to PEOPLE. Stewart posed with his wife Lancaster who he married in 2007 and six of his eight kids in front of a giant, lit-up Christmas tree. Their two sons, Alastair and Aiden, now 17 and 11 respectively, were also in the family photo.

He also posed with his adult children with various other partners and they are Renee, 30, Ruby, 35, Sean, 42, and Kimberly, 43. Kimberly's daughter, Delilah, 11, was also in the sweet snap. Stewart also has a daughter named Sarah, 59, whom he and ex-girlfriend Susannah Boffey placed for adoption as teens; she is not pictured. His son Liam with ex-wife Rachel Hunter, whom he was married to from 1990 to 2006, is also not in the family photo. In a recent video shared on Instagram, Stewart announced that he is going to be a grandad for the second time.