Rod Stewart says The Killing of Georgie is the song he wants remembered for

Rod Stewart has revealed the one song he would love his legacy to be remembered for—and it is not Maggie May or any of the disco-era staples that helped cement his status as a global rock icon. The British singer, now 80, has long been identified with a string of chart-toppers and enduring ballads, but his own preferred touchstone is a much less heralded track from the 1970s: The Killing of Georgie.

The Killing of Georgie is a two-part narrative featured on Stewart’s seventh solo album, A Night on the Town, released in 1976. The song tackles a topic seldom addressed in pop music at the time: homophobia and the violent consequences faced by someone because of their sexuality. The story, which unfolds across the song’s two segments, centers on a man named Georgie who is beaten and murdered for his sexuality. The track opens with a line that plants Georgie’s identity in the listener’s mind and frames the broader social climate of the era: "I these days of changing ways/ So called liberated days/ A story comes to mind of a friend of mine/ Georgie boy was gay, I guess/Nothin’ more or nothin’ less/ The kindest guy I ever knew." The narrative, Stewart has suggested, draws on a real-life acquaintance, though he has said he was not present at the time.

In a 2011 interview, Stewart explained that his pride in The Killing of Georgie stems from its social message and its willingness to address a difficult issue head-on. He told Dean Goodman that if he had to pick one song he was most proud of, it would be this track. That sentiment reflects a broader view of his career: alongside his more commercial successes, he has produced music that engages with social themes and personal storytelling, as well as pop-oriented crowd-pleasers.

The connection to Georgie, as articulated by Stewart, extends beyond the song’s fiction into a personal anecdote. In later conversations, he described Georgie as a handsome, kind friend who introduced them to music and whose experience left a lasting impression on him. In a Guardian interview published in 2016, Stewart acknowledged that while the Georgie story rings true, he also admitted he embellished parts of it because he wasn’t on the scene when the events occurred. He said, "I wasn’t on the scene when it happened, so I embellished a bit." The admission underscores the way artists often blend fact and fiction to convey important social themes through song.

The enduring interest in The Killing of Georgie sits alongside the best-known chapters of Stewart’s career, which have included chart-toppers such as Maggie May, Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?, Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright) and Sailing. Yet the artist’s selection of Georgie as the piece he hopes to be remembered for signals a broader, more contemplative arc in his work—the willingness to step outside pure entertainment to reflect on human rights, empathy and the consequences of prejudice.

The reflection on legacy comes amid a storyline of personal life recalibration in the present. Stewart’s wife, Penny Lancaster, spoke publicly this week about their relationship, describing him as a fountain of energy. Lancaster told Saga Magazine that she sees her husband as "so youthful, he’s a machine." The couple, who have been married for 18 years, have a blended family footprint that includes six children by different partners. Lancaster’s comments come as they discuss touring in the near future, with the couple indicating they are already planning shows for next year and beyond. She also recalled meeting Stewart when she was 27 and he was 53, navigating an age gap that drew initial questions from his children at the time. In her reflection, Lancaster emphasized warmth and inclusivity, noting that she and Stewart have built a strong, supportive family unit despite the complexities of his past relationships.

The discussion around Georgie sits against the backdrop of Stewart’s long-running fame and influence in the music world. The Killing of Georgie remains a notable entry in a catalog that spans more than six decades, illustrating Stewart’s willingness to tackle sensitive subjects within accessible, melodically engaging storytelling. The song’s two-part structure and its then-uncommon focus on a marginalized life made it a touchstone for discussions about music as social commentary during the mid-1970s, a period when much of pop culture prioritized romance, escapism or exuberant swagger over deeper civic themes.

As Stewart continues to perform and reflect on his career, the choice of The Killing of Georgie as a defining work offers fans a window into the values that shaped his art. The track’s message about prejudice and violence remains relevant decades later, and the artist’s candid discussion about the song’s origins provides a rare glimpse into how personal experience and social conscience can converge in a single piece of music. While his commercial legacy is secure, the selection underscores a more nuanced, documentary attitude toward his body of work—one that acknowledges the power of song to illuminate human stories that might otherwise go unheard.

In the present moment, fans can look to Stewart’s ongoing activity—concerts and potential tours—alongside a historically rich catalog that continues to draw new listeners while offering long-time fans a chance to revisit the stories that shaped a cultural moment. The Killing of Georgie stands as a testament to the era’s artistic risk-taking and to a performer who has, over decades, varied his approach while remaining quintessentially Rod Stewart.