Al Stewart & The Empty Pockets

Al Stewart (born September 5, 1945) is a British songwriter and musician. He is best known for his 1976 single "Year of the Cat" and its 1978 follow-up "Time Passages" (both produced by Alan Parsons). Stewart's inspiration for his songs primarily comes from the past; indeed, he is credited with creating his own genre, "historical folk rock". At one time in his life, Stewart took guitar lessons from King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp.

Stewart was born in Glasgow, Scotland but grew up in the coastal resort town of Bournemouth, Dorset. He emigrated to the United States as his career took off in the mid 1970s, and still lives in California. While studio albums are now few and far between, he still tours extensively in the United States, and, most years, in Europe. Recordings of concerts are often made available through his fan clubs.