Rod Stewart was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2025 American Music Awards in Las Vegas.
Five of Sir Rod’s eight children were on hand to present him with the honor.
In his acceptance speech, Stewart was “flabbergasted” by his children being there. He said he thought they had recorded their introduction and didn’t know they would be there in person.
He continued, with his trademark charm, “When I started singing in the early ’60s, well before all you lot were here, the reason I got into it is because I had this burning ambition to sing. That’s all I wanted to do. I didn’t want to be rich or famous. And here I am, a few years later, picking up this wonderful award.”
Stewart added, “I want to thank all of the musicians I played with, all my influences like Sam Cooke, David Ruffin, Muddy Waters, all those guys who influenced me.”
He closed by turning to his children and saying, “I’m just so f—ing overwhelmed that you’re here! Jesus Christ! But thank you very much. I am appearing down the road at Caesar’s Palace, if you’d like to come along … I’ll go over and sing ‘Forever Young’ for you now. Thank you.”
The 80-year-old icon then sang his 1988 hit, which also featured an interlude of big pipes, fiddlers, and Irish step dancers, that brought the crowd to its feet.
