This week’s news and gossip

Main photo by Marc Baulisch-Steines

Easter Greetings

Penny sent out Easter greetings on Sunday with some amazing floral shots

while she prepared for an Easter family lunch, but Rod had a small problem as Celtic were playing in the Scottish Cup semi final..

Rod told Scotland’s The Sunday Post: “I can’t come up for the semi-final. I got a proper telling off from the missus.

“If I’m spotted at the home of Scottish football rather than the home of Rod Stewart, I can’t tell you how my lovely wife may react.

”Let’s just say I’d be singing in a higher voice from now on.”

Rod’s mate Tam Cowan, co-host of BBC Radio Scotland’s Off the Ball programme, said: “Sounds like a wise decision from Rod – I can’t get First Cut is the Deepest out of my head.

“I haven’t stopped laughing since I got the call from Rod last week.

“He might be one of the most famous men on the planet, a pop superstar with a glittering 50-year career and an estimated personal fortune of £300 million, but it turns out he’s just like the rest of us… terrified of his wife!”

Rod missed a cracking game as Celtic thrashed St Johnstone 5-0, Callum McGregor, Daizen Maeda (2), Adam Idah and Jota get the goals for Celtic who now face Aberdeen in the final on May 24..Will Rod be able to attend Penny?

A man of the people

Rod and Penny both paid tribute to the late Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday.

Rod wrote “A man of the people and the greatest Pope ever. Sir Rod,” on his Instagram post, which displayed a flagpole baring the Irish flag with the Pope’s face emblazoned on the front, alongside two Celtic football club flags.

Penny also shared a photo of their meeting seven years ago in Rome on her Instagram Captioning the snap, she wrote: “A truly special moment meeting Pope Francis in Rome 7 years ago”.

Richard Marx

Rod’s mate Richard Marx mentioned him in an interview this week “There is a balance. You only see or hear about work and the projects, but Daisy and I are pretty good at enjoying our life,” he says of his wife of nine years, Daisy Fuentes, during a Zoom interview for Woman’s World. “I learned that from Rod Stewart and a couple other people I’ve watched who work really hard. We love what we do but we also have a life, and we enjoy the fruits of our labor. Sometimes that means just staying home and just vegging out.”

Kauno Žalgirio Arena

On Wednesday Rod was in Lithuania

And enjoyed a coffee posting this message on social media Lithuania’s answer to Starbucks, but the cappuccino is heavenly. Sir Rod

Marc Baulisch-Steines was at the show to bring SMILER some of his stunning photos

And Here is a review of the evening by Martin Heidt

Rod Stewart tore the place down: Kaunas celebrates an unforgettable evening

Sir Rod Stewart once again provided an unforgettable evening at the start of his 2025 European tour. A visibly cheerful singer took to the stage punctually at 8 pm to thunderous applause from the audience. ‘Kaunas, we have 23 songs for you today. I hope you enjoy the evening as much as we do,’ the 80-year-old called out to the almost 20,000 fans.

And it didn’t take long for Stewart to really get the audience in the arena fired up. With Infatuation, Tonight I’m Yours and Some Guys Have All The Luck, Stewart and his band really got the audience going and the man on stage didn’t miss out on any of his numerous hits from the last few decades. I’d Rather Go Blind, Forever Young, Downtown Train, First Cut Is The Deepest, Tonight’s The Night, It Takes Two and others found their place on the setlist, as did You’re In My Heart, I Don’t Want To Talk About It and Sailing. After around two hours, Sir Rod bid his fans an enthusiastic farewell with the Faces hit Stay With Me.

The online news portal 15min wrote afterwards very aptly of an ‘unforgettable evening’ and stated that Sir Rod, at the age of 80, ‘really tore the place down’. The conclusion was that ‘real rock knows no age limits’.
The internet portal Kaunas Kasvyksta went one step further, saying that Sir Rod had turned the arena into ‘a rock’n’roll sanctuary’. ‘His energy, charm and timeless voice created an unforgettable evening for thousands of fans’.

Loose Women

While Rod was in Lithuania Penny joined Wednesday’s Loose Women panel, As the group debated whether or not it’s ever OK for people to sell inheritance, Penny admitted: “My problem is I am a huge hoarder, I can’t help myself. I hold on to everything. I remember when you got me this, and I remember where I was when I wore that dress, and I remember my nan.. I’m terrible. Up in the loft, Rod always says to me, ‘get rid of that stuff.’ But it’s not just stuff to me”.

“And of course, Rod’s things, God forbid, you know, I mean, I always think that, like Elvis, Rod’s going to have to last forever, a lifetime. Rod will live on..He’s a part of our history that people need to remember. So there’s lots of things that I would definitely keep, and I’m sure the family would want to pass down.”

Penny also spoke about Rod’s railway layout “His railway that he’s worked on for 30 years will be a museum piece. For sure.

“I love watching programmes like ‘Antiques Roadshow’ and touching those tactile objects from the past. whether it’s a book or a medal or a something that you can attach the history and the stories that remind you of your past.”

Faces on track

Kenney Jones told The Telegraph this week that the new faces album was still on track he confirmed that himself, Rod, Ronnie, assisted by Jools Holland on one song, have recorded “about 11 tracks” at Mickie Most’s former studio, RAK in North London. “Not all of them are going to be right [for the album]. But most of them are good.

“I can’t see it coming out this year,” he continues. “But I can see it coming out next year. Everyone’s doing different things. We do little snippets [of recording] here and there. Then all of a sudden, The Stones are out [on tour] again, Rod’s out again…”

Asked if he will joining Rod at his big gig in the Glastonbury’s Legends slot in June? he said he could be but was having surgery on his wrist

So more to come on that one

To read Kenney’s full interview go to

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/kenney-jones-interview-small-faces-autumn-stone

Pollok FC

Scottish Junior club Pollok FC featured Rod on a recent match-day programmes

It featured a shot from 1995 when Rod took part in a charity game in honour of late Rangers great Davie Cooper.

Cooper tragically passed away in March of that year aged just 39 and on June 1, Celtic and Rangers icons united to pay tribute to the former Clydebank, Motherwell and Rangerss winger.

A charity game was held in his honour at Newlandsfield Park which saw the likes of Walter Smith, Tommy Burns and Jimmy Johnstone all turn out for Davie Cooper’s Appeal Select.

It was an emotional day for all as Old Firm heroes put their rivalries to one side to remember the iconic wide-man.

Rod captained his team The L.A. Exiles and played 35 minutes before he suffered an injury and was forced off before half-time.

Rod posed for a picture while holding the prized copy, which he signed with the message, “thank you Pollok”.

And finally…

If anyone is partying with Rod at Nokia Arena, Tampere, Finland tonight, Oslo Spektrum Arena Norway on Sunday, or Malmö Arena Sweden on Tuesday please send in any photos or reviews.

See you next week…