Yusef Islam, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, has signed with Atlantic Records and will record his first commercial album in 28 years.
The album, due for release in November, will mark the 40th Anniversary of the release of the first Cat Stevens record."I feel right about making music and singing about life in this fragile world again" he said in a statement. "It is important for me to be able to help bridge the cultural gaps others are sometimes frightened to cross."
The English rock star was first heard in the mid 60s with 'First Cut Is The Deepest' but was side-tracked for a few years when he was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
He returned to the spotlight with the international hit 'Lady D'Arbanville'. The following year he released his benchmark album 'Tea For The Tillerman' which featured the now classic 'Father and Son'.
He then followed that up with yet another now all-time classic 'Teaser and the Firecat' which included 'Morning Has Broken', a song now often performed in Catholic churches as a hymn.
In the late 70s, after a near death experience off the coast of Malibu, Stevens converted to Islam and turned his back on his stardom.
He has founded three Muslim schools in London and provided humanitarian relief to orphans and families in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq.
In 2004, he received the 2004 Man of Peace award from the committee of Nobel Peace Laureates.
Despite spending 28 years out of the music industry, the albums of Cat Stevens continue to sell around 1.5 million copies a year.
