‘Maggie May’ singer is featured tonight
AMPHITHEATER 2022
Gregory Wolfe as Rod Stewart Sept. 1 | 7:30 p.m. Amphitheater Stage
Sponsors: Optum and United Healthcare Cannon Legal Firm
Gregory Wolfe’s Tribute To Rod Stewart will start at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Amphitheater.
When Wolfe hits the stage as Stewart and starts to sing, people do a double take. He is as close to the British rock superstar as a tribute artist can get.
Wolfe covers all Stewart’s greatest hits in a raspy voice that evokes one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Stewart has sold over 250 million records worldwide. He has had ten No. 1 albums and 16 Top 10 singles in the U.S., with four reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. He was knighted in a 2016 Birthday Honor for his services to music and charity.
Stewart’s music career began in 1962 when he took up busking with a harmonica. His early albums were a fusion of rock, folk music, soul music and R& B. His third album, 1971’s “Every Picture Tells a Story,” was his breakthrough, topping the charts in the UK, U.S., Canada and Australia, as did its ballad “Maggie May.”
Wolfe moved from Michigan to California in the mid 1980s. After winning contests for his ability to look and sound like Stewart, he took to exploring the idea of creating a complete tribute showcasing the artist’s long illustrious career.
Wolfe has since traveled around the world performing concerts, events and venues.
He is as comfortable in front of a four-piece band as he is a large orchestra. His ability to stir the audience to dance—while dancing on stage with Stewart’s signature moves—is what his fans love and remember.
In 2012, Wolfe underwent treatment for cancer.
As a survivor, his talent and passion drives him to continue doing what he loves the most: Entertaining.
His journey is similar to one Stewart himself faced. He was diagnosed and had surgery in 2000 for thyroid cancer. The surgery threatened Stewart’s iconic voice, and he had to relearn how to sing.
In the aftermath, Stewart has been active in raising funds for charities to find cures for all forms of cancer.
Meanwhile, Wolfe went on to play to packed and sold out shows in California, Arizona, Washington, Texas, Maryland, Georgia, Iowa, Missouri, and all the way to exotic Singapore. And he is ready for more. In performing as Stewart, Wolfe skillfully blends in a mix of other popular songs from the pop, soul, Motown and blues genres.
But a perennial concert highlight is his ability to get the audience on its feet.
“I refuse to let the crowd just sit there,” he says. “No matter who they are, I make sure they’ll get into it. If I’m having fun, usually the crowd reciprocates and has a good time.”
