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The Dirty Truth Behind “Maggie May”

Author Colin Newby
Rod Stewart, "Maggie May"

The legendary Rod Stewart celebrates his 78th birthday on Tuesday.

His impact extends from fame as the lead singer of Faces to a successful solo career, and he even earned the high honor of knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2016.

He also revealed an eye-opening story behind his most recognizable solo hit “Maggie May,” recorded in 1971.

Inspiration for “Maggie May”

“‘Maggie May’ was more or less a true story, about the first woman I had sex with, at the 1961 Beaulieu Jazz Festival,” Stewart told Q Magazine in 2007.

The cat was already out of the bag, but he took it much further in an interview with 60 Minutes (Australia) in 2019 when asked about the inspiration for the woman in the song.

“She was where I lost my virginity in the early ‘60s. She was a big girl, a big girl, and it was at the Beaulieu Jazz Festival,” he said. “She was a big girl, period. And she dragged me into her tent, and this was the middle of the afternoon, and the deed was done.”

He revealed later in the interview that the big girl was in her late 30s while he was only a teenager.

It’s an interesting revelation, and if nothing else, the story aligns smoothly with the lyrics.

You led me away from home/ Just to save you from being alone/You stole my soul, and that’s a pain I can do without

“Maggie May” or “Maggie Mae”

Rod Stewart mentions the name Maggie six times throughout the song, but he never actually says Maggie May.

The inspiration comes from the Beatles song “Maggie Mae” released two years earlier. The song opens with another racy theme.

Oh, dirty Maggie Mae/They have taken her away/And she’ll never walk down Lime Street anymore

The Beatles drew inspiration from prostitutes who walked the streets of Liverpool. 

Choosing the name certainly wasn’t a compliment from Rod Stewart. The lyrics didn’t paint the most beautiful picture either.

The mornin’ sun when it’s in your face really shows your age.

He was candid. He was blunt, and he was still comfortable sharing the intimate details decades after it happened. 

 

25 Rock Stars Who Celebrate January Birthdays

  • Bernard Fowler (Jan. 2)

    Bernard Fowler has sung vocals for the ageless Rolling Stones since the 1980s. He has also performed with Yoko Ono, Alice Cooper, and Steve Lukather.

  • John Paul Jones (Jan. 3)

    John Richard Baldwin, aka John Paul Jones, reached stardom at the height of Led Zeppelin’s fame during the 1970s. While Jimmy Page and Robert Plant took the bulk of the attention for the band’s success, Jones was the bassist and keyboardist as well as a talented songwriter.

    John Paul Jones is credited as a major contributor in writing some of the biggest hits from Led Zeppelin, including “Fool in the Rain,” “All My Love,” “D’Yer Maker,” and “Black Dog.”

    He entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Led Zeppelin in 1995.

  • Stephen Stills (Jan. 3)

    Stephen Stills has found success wherever he’s landed at different points throughout his career. His work as a singer for Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash earned him inductions into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of each group.

    Stills and Neil Young performed together as original members of Buffalo Springfield. Young also crashed the party to form Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young for just over a year’s span in 1969 and 1970.

    Some of Stills’ most memorable songs, including “For What it’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield and “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, involved Vietnam War protests.

  • Michael Stipe (Jan.4)

    Michael Stipe starred as the lead singer of R.E.M. during the height of their popularity in the 1980s. His crafty vocal work for “It’s the End of the World As We Know It” still makes listeners wonder how he pulled off the tongue twister.

  • Robby Krieger (Jan. 8)

    Robby Krieger became one of the original members of the Doors in 1965 along with Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek. He was a contributing writer for “Light My Fire” and “Touch Me” along with many more of the Doors’ greatest hits.

  • Elvis Presley (Jan. 8)

    The King of Rock & Roll was gone too soon.

     

  • David Bowie (Jan. 8)

    Beyond his incredible work as a musician, David Bowie revolutionized the importance of stage presence and a persona that fed his popularity. He created his alter ego Ziggy Stardust in 1972. The attraction to this character helped his album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars fly off the shelves.

    Bowie passed away on Jan. 10, 2016 after a battle with liver cancer. He is remembered for timeless hits like “Changes,” “Space Oddity,” and “Heroes,” among many others.

  • Jimmy Page (Jan. 9)

    Six days after John Paul Jones celebrates, Jimmy Page will follow. The founder and lead guitarist of Led Zeppelin also played with the Yardbirds during the 1960s. Despite confusion about the origins of the song, Page helped make “Stairway to Heaven” one of the most famous rock songs of all time.

    He entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds in 1992 and as a member of Led Zeppelin in 1995.

  • Pat Benetar (Jan. 10)

    Pat Benetar entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022. She climbed toward the top of the charts with “Heartbreaker” in 1979 and “Love Is a Battlefield” in 1983.

  • Rod Stewart (Jan. 10)

    Rod Stewart achieved success through his solo career and as the lead singer of Faces. His solo album Every Picture Tells a Story included some of his biggest hits like “Maggie May” and “Reason to Believe.”

  • Donald Fagen (Jan. 10)

    Steely Dan lead singer and keyboardist Donald Fagen still tours solo even after the unfortunate passing of Walter Becker in 2017.

  • Jim Croce (Jan. 10)

    South Philly native and Upper Darby High School alum Jim Croce passed away in 1973. He died tragically during the prime years of his music career in 1973. One of his biggest hits, “I Got a Name,” was released the day after he died.

     

  • Tommy Conwell (Jan. 14)

    While Andre Gardner and Tony Harris might grab all the attention at MGK on Jan. 14, three rock stars will also celebrate their birthdays.

    Local legend Tommy Conwell also turns 61.

  • Dave Grohl (Jan. 14)

    Dave Grohl played in two of the most influential rock bands of the 1990s. He helped Nirvana spearhead the popularity of grunge rock in the early 1990s before forming Foo Fighters in 1994.

  • Zakk Wylde (Jan. 14)

    Zakk Wylde has played guitar in Ozzy Osbourne’s band after the Black Sabbath era. He has also performed with Black Label Society and more recently with Pantera.

  • Mick Taylor (Jan. 17)

    Mick Taylor played with the Rolling Stones from 1969-1974, appearing on six albums before pursuing a solo career that lasted through five decades.

  • Susanna Hoffs (Jan. 17)

    Susanna Hoffs sang hits like “Manic Monday” and “Walk Like an Egyptian” for the Bangles during the 1980s. She began a solo career during the 1990s.

  • Paul Stanley (Jan. 20)

    Paul Stanley has mastered a role as the “driving force and unwavering voice of KISS” since the 1970s. The band’s unique sense of fashion reserved them a spot in history on top of their excellent music.

    Stanley wrote KISS’s most widely-recognized song “Rock and Roll All Nite” in 1975.

  • Steve Perry (Jan. 22)

    Steve Perry entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Journey in 2017 after two stints as the band’s lead singer. Odds are that you’ve heard “Don’t Stop Believin'” at least once or twice.

  • Steven Adler (Jan. 22)

    Drummer Steven Adler helped Guns ‘N Roses become a prominent band in the hard rock scene of the 1980s. He entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the band in 2012.

  • Robin Zander (Jan. 23)

    Robin Zander sang lead vocals for Cheap Trick. “Surrender” and “I Want You to Want Me” became two of their most popular hits during the 1970s.

    However, their adaptation of “That ’70s Song” brought them back into the public eye in the late 1990s and early 2000s when it was used as the theme song for the final seven seasons of That ’70s Show.

  • Tom Keifer (Jan. 26)

    Delaware County’s own Tom Keifer became the lead singer and guitarist for Cinderella in the 1980s.

  • Eddie Van Halen (Jan. 26)

    Eddie Van Halen and his brother Alex co-founded Van Halen in 1982. Eddie is remembered as one of the greatest and most innovative guitar players in history.

    He passed away in 2020 at age 65.

  • Nick Mason (Jan. 27)

    Nick Mason played drums for Pink Floyd at the height of their popularity during 1970s. He enter the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the band in 1996.

    One of the Pink Floyd’s most impressive strengths was creating concept albums, including Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. Mason is credited as a contributing writer to “Speak to Me” and “Time” from Dark Side of the Moon.

  • Phil Collins (Jan. 30)

    Phil Collins reached stardom as the drummer and lead singer of Genesis during the 1970s. Genesis made a major impact on the ’70s progressive rock scene with hits like “That’s All” and “Follow You, Follow Me.”

    Collins also put together a successful solo career beginning in the 1980s, most famously through “In The Air Tonight.”

Colin Newby is a contributor for 97.5 The Fanatic who transitions Beasley Media's radio content onto digital platforms. His work includes on-site coverage of the Philadelphia Flyers and Philadelphia Phillies.

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