Rod Stewart tops album charts

Rod Stewart has gone to the top of the US album chart for the first time in 25 years.

His covers album, Stardust: The Great American Songbook Volume III, sold more than 240,000 copies last week.

"He's absolutely thrilled," said his manager Arnold Stiefel. "I've never known him happier."

Meanwhile, Stewart is currently being sued by three music promoters for allegedly not paying back a deposit for nine cancelled South American concerts.

"You shouldn't keep money that doesn't belong to you," said the promoters' lawyer Dennis Holahan at the civil trial in Los Angeles. This is a dispute about greed and arrogance," he added.

The promoters say a £424,000 deposit was not returned and are suing the singer for £1.1m.

Stewart, who was not in court, says the promoters failed to meet the terms of a deal which agreed to pay him £1.14m in two instalments in 2002 before the concerts went ahead.

Stewart's latest album, which features his versions of classic tracks including What a Wonderful World and Blue Moon, made its debut on the UK album chart at number three last week.

Volumes I and II of his Great American Songbook series have sold 4.7 million copies between them.

"He's so happy that so many fans have taken to this music. It just inspires him to sing it better. He's loving it," said Mr Stiefel.
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