Amii Stewart
A disco powerhouse who transformed a soul classic into a global dance floor anthem, defining the flash and energy of the late 1970s.
Born 1956 (age 70)·American disco singer·Birthday: January 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Amii Stewart was a trained dancer from Washington D.C. who stepped into a recording studio and helped ignite the peak of the disco inferno. Her moment came with a radical re-imagining of Eddie Floyd's Stax soul hit 'Knock on Wood.' Where the original simmered, Stewart's 1979 version exploded with a driving synth bassline, orchestral stabs, and her own commanding, clear vocals. It shot to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming an instant staple in clubs worldwide and a definitive track of the era. Stewart, with her striking looks and dynamic stage presence, leveraged the hit into a successful European career, particularly in Italy where she became a television mainstay and continued to record. While the disco backlash curtailed her American chart presence, she adeptly transitioned into soul, jazz, and stage musicals, including a celebrated run in 'Jesus Christ Superstar.' More than a one-hit wonder, Stewart proved herself a versatile performer whose signature hit remains a timeless capsule of disco's exuberant spirit.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Amii was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Amii Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Amii's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Scored a U.S. and international number one hit in 1979 with her disco remake of 'Knock on Wood,' which sold over two million copies.
- Built a sustained and successful career in Italy as a television personality and recording artist long after her initial chart success.
- Starred as Mary Magdalene in the Italian production of the musical 'Jesus Christ Superstar.'
- Her version of 'Knock on Wood' is consistently ranked among the greatest disco songs of all time and has been featured in numerous films and commercials.
Did You Know?
She was a professional dancer before she was a singer, performing with the touring company of the musical 'Hair.'
She is the stepsister of singer and actress Miquel Brown and the aunt of 1980s UK pop star Sinitta.
Her follow-up single was a disco version of The Doors' 'Light My Fire.'
She represented Italy at the 1982 Sanremo Music Festival with the song 'E' tutto qui.'
She studied classical piano as a child.
“My version of 'Knock on Wood' was built for the dance floor.”
