Former Cat Stevens Donates Royalties To Charity

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Yusuf Islam, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, will donate royalties from the forthcoming "Cat Stevens Box" to charity in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks on the U.S. The four-CD set is due Oct. 30 from A&M. "A lot of my lyrics were about searching for peace and happiness in this wild world we live; a few came true," Islam said in a statement. "I hope that this donation will bring some comfort. I am glad that my songs are still able to help people in some way."

Islam, who retired from music in 1979, has been involved in the recent reissues of his back catalog. He has previously donated royalties to charities such as Small Kindness, which aids orphans and needy families in Kosovo and Bosnia.

"Box Set" sports 79 tracks, 21 of which are rare or unreleased. Among the novelties are the track "Honey Man," featuring a then-little known Elton John on piano and vocals; the instrumental "Crab Dance"; and live versions of "Lady D'Arbanville" and "Bad Penny" from the rare concert set "Saturnight (Cat Stevens Live in Tokyo)." The album is capped off with a 1997 track, "God Is the Light," credited to Raihan with Yusuf Islam.