Rod Stewart Defends Support of Ukraine After Being Booed

Rod Stewart stands by his dedication to Ukraine he has added to his shows, despite being booed for it during a recent show in Germany.

In Stewart's show, he dedicates his performance of his 1991 hit "Rhythm of My Heart" to the people of Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky. However, during his June 14 show in Leipzig, Germany, Stewart was booed when he closed the performance by saluting a photo of Zelensky. Fan-shot footage of the moment can be seen below.

Despite being booed, Stewart stands by honoring Ukraine. He told U.K. wire service PA News, "I have supported the Ukrainian people throughout this war. From arranging for members of my family to take supplies to the country, to renting a house in the UK for a Ukrainian family... So yes, I do support Zelensky and the people of Ukraine, and I will continue to do so."

Stewart further noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin "must be stopped."

Sir Rod has never been very open about politics in his legendary career, but in recent years, he's been more forthcoming about his opinions.

A prime example of this happened in January 2023. Stewart called into a British television program to express his frustration over the U.K.'s National Health Service (NHS) having massive waiting lists for patients in need of hospital treatment scans. Despite being a longtime supporter of the U.K.'s Conservative Party (aka: Tories), he was in disbelief in how they were running the NHS. He was especially frustrated since he was able to go to a private healthcare facility to obtain a scan, and the facility was "empty."

"I personally have been a Tory for a long time but I think this government should stand out now and give the Labour party a go at it, because this is heartbreaking for the nurses," said Stewart.

Sir Rod added, "I would like to pay for 10 or 20 scans, or however much it takes ... There are people dying because they cannot get scans. I don’t need the publicity. I just want to do some good things and this, I think, it’s a good thing, because if other people follow me, I’d love it."

Stewart then visited Princess Alexandra Hospital the next month and paid for an entire day of scans at the NHS facility. The Guardian spoke with Stephanie Lawton, the chief operating officer of the hospital. She said Stewart coming in and paying out of pocket for the scans of 20 patients helped reduce their waiting list by 10%. Lawton added, "Rod’s a local resident, we’re his local hospital, we’re really delighted to be working with him and his team for the benefit of patients and doing everything we can to reduce the waiting lists." 

Stewart shared with the outlet, "If this is a big success, which I think it will be, I’d like to do it in Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, and just keep it going, and hope some other people follow me."

Queen Elizabeth II recognized many individuals with honors of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. During her legendary reign as Queen, she knighted a number of popular musicians.

Here is a brief explainer on the various levels of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Per the U.K.'s official Honours System website, the following are the five title distinctions in order of importance the British Monarchy can bestow upon individuals for their non-combative contributions to the U.K.:

-Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE): "Achievement or service in and to the community which is outstanding in its field and has delivered sustained and real impact which stands out as an example to others."

-Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE): "Distinguished regional or county-wide role in any field, through achievement or service to the community including notable practitioners known nationally."

-Commander of the British Empire (CBE): "A prominent national role of a lesser degree, a conspicuous leading role in regional affairs through achievement or service to the community, or a highly distinguished, innovative contribution in his or her area of activity."

-Damehood/Knighthood (DBE/KBE): "A pre-eminent contribution in any field of activity (usually, but not exclusively, at national level), or in a capacity which will be recognized by peer groups as inspirational and significant nationally and demonstrates sustained commitment."

-Dame/Knight Grand Cross (GBE): "Grand Cross is the highest class in many of the Orders."

Typically, the head monarch will unveil these honors as part of every New Year. Additionally, their birthday also serves as a time to unveil new additions to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. People can be nominated via a special form.

With those definitions and information in mind, here are 13 iconic musicians knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.