Rod Stewart Brings His 94-Year-Old Sister Mary Onstage for a Special Edinburgh Duet

Rod Stewart ended his UK tour with a moment that had little to do with the spectacle of a major rock concert and everything to do with family.

During his Edinburgh show on Monday, 10 July 2023, the 78-year-old singer invited his 94-year-old sister, Mary, onto the stage for a surprise performance of his 1975 classic, “Sailing.” The unexpected appearance gave the crowd a rare glimpse of Stewart sharing the spotlight with someone who has been part of his life long before he became a global music star.

As Mary joined him at the Castle venue, Stewart proudly introduced her to the audience.

“This is my sister! 94!”

The siblings then performed “Sailing” together with their arms around each other as the audience cheered them on. Mary was also seen wearing a Royal Banner of Scotland during the performance.

Rod Stewart reflects on his sister

For Stewart, having Mary beside him onstage was clearly about more than simply adding a surprise guest to his set.

Speaking to The Mirror, he reflected on seeing his sister, now 94, enjoying herself in a rock ’n’ roll setting.

“At 94, she’s on a rock ‘n’roll stage and loving it,” he said. “She has and continues to teach me about life.”

Stewart is the youngest of five children, and the appearance came after a difficult period for the family.

In 2022, he announced the death of his brother Bob, who was 88. Bob died just two months after the death of their eldest brother Don, who was 94.

Sharing the news on Instagram in November 2022, Stewart wrote that Bob had joined Don “on the great football pitch in the sky.”

“I’ve lost two of my best mates in the space of two months. RIP Don and Bob,” he wrote, describing his brothers as “irreplaceable buddies.”

The Stewart family had experienced another devastating loss decades earlier. His elder sister Peggy died from multiple sclerosis in 1975 at the age of 40.

A six-date UK tour

The Edinburgh appearance marked the conclusion of Stewart’s UK Global Hits Tour, a six-date run that took him to Edinburgh, Bristol, Hull, Durham, Northampton and Plymouth.

The tour was built around some of the biggest songs from Stewart’s long career, with performances staged at a mixture of stadiums, estates and historic venues.

The Edinburgh concert also followed an earlier controversy in Plymouth.

Plymouth concert ended abruptly

At Stewart’s performance at Home Park stadium in Plymouth in June, his set was reportedly brought to an early end because of a 10.30pm curfew.

According to reports at the time, Stewart had been preparing to perform the final song of his set when he was told he could not continue. He reportedly left the stage abruptly, leaving fans surprised and frustrated.

Plymouth City Council later issued a statement saying that neither the council nor the venue had asked Stewart to finish his performance early.

Against that backdrop, the Edinburgh finale offered a very different ending to Stewart’s UK run: rather than controversy, the closing moments centered on family.

With his 94-year-old sister Mary beside him, Stewart turned one of his most familiar songs into a personal and memorable moment — bringing together music, family and decades of shared history on the same stage.