Sir Rod Stewart surprised fans with a new backing singer during a gig — his 94-year-old sister Mary.
She was the star of the show when Sir Rod brought her on during Sailing.
The music legend, 78, told the Mirror how it was a joy to be “in Edinburgh with my big sister, Mary” as he wrapped up his tour of the UK.
He added: “At 94, she’s on a rock’n’roll stage and loving it. She has and continues to teach me about life.”
Mary, draped in a Royal Banner of Scotland flag, was seen beaming as she joined Sir Rod’s backing singers in front of a cheering crowd.
The two dates at Edinburgh Castle marked the culmination of a sold-out UK tour and were especially poignant given his family’s Scottish connections.
The Celtic fan is the youngest of five children of Robert Stewart and Elsie Gilbart, with his two brothers and two sisters being born in Scotland before the family moved to London, where he was born.
His older brothers and “best mates” Bob and Don died last year. Don died in September, aged 94. Bob was 88.
Last November Sir Rod said: “It’s with great sadness that I announce the loss of my brother Bob last night, who joins my brother Don on the great football pitch in the sky.
“I’ve lost two of my best mates in two months.”
He lost his elder sister Peggy to multiple sclerosis in 1975, when she was just 40.
He said of his siblings in 2019: “They were instrumental in supporting me, helping me get into music.”
Sir Rod reflected on his parents when he received a knighthood in 2016.
After meeting the Duke of Cambridge he said: “We talked about music and he said, ‘It’s great that you’re still going’ and I said, ‘I have to – I’ve got eight children’.
“He congratulated me on my long career and I said how happy this made me. I just wish my mum and dad had been here to see it."
Sir Rod's Edinburgh performance comes shortly after the music legend issued a firm denial that he would be retiring from performing any time soon.
The Maggie May singer has hit back at claims he was set to “throw in the towel” after decades performing to spend more time with his family.
Despite health concerns including recent knee surgery and battles with prostate cancer in 2016 and thyroid cancer in 2000, Sir Rod is still determined to continue to perform as he “loves what he does” and won’t be stopping any time soon.
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