Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder, born Steveland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Michigan, is a legendary American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known for his profound impact on rhythm-and-blues and pop music. Blind since infancy due to retinopathy of prematurity, Wonder displayed musical talent early on, learning to play several instruments and singing in church choirs. He was signed to Motown Records at the young age of twelve, debuting as "Little Stevie Wonder." His career took off with the hit single "Fingertips (Pt. 2)" and continued to flourish in the 1970s with critically acclaimed albums like "Talking Book," "Innervisions," and "Songs in the Key of Life," which featured major hits such as "Superstition" and "I Wish."
Over his career, Wonder has won an impressive twenty-two Grammy Awards, including three consecutive Album of the Year accolades, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Beyond his musical achievements, he is also recognized for his activism, advocating for social justice and political causes, including civil rights and education. His work has earned him honors such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a designation as a United Nations Messenger of Peace. With over 100 million albums sold, Wonder's contributions to music and society continue to resonate, making him an iconic figure in American culture.
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Stevie Wonder
Singer
- Born: May 13, 1950
- Place of Birth: Saginaw, Michigan
Wonder is well known for his contributions to rhythm-and-blues and pop music as a popular and influential singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and record producer, particularly during the 1970s. He became one of the best-selling musical artists of all time and one of the most acclaimed, with twenty-two Grammy Awards by the 2020s. He also pursued social and political activism, including as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
Early Life
Stevie Wonder was born Steveland Hardaway Judkins in Saginaw, Michigan, on May 13, 1950. He was the third of six children born to Calvin and Lula Mae Judkins. Wonder was born prematurely and suffered from an eye condition known as retinopathy of prematurity, which rendered him completely blind. Wonder’s parents divorced a few years later; his mother returned to her maiden name, Morris, and changed Wonder’s last name to Morris as well. After the divorce, Wonder’s mother moved him and his siblings to Detroit.
In Detroit, Wonder became interested in music; by the age of nine, he had already learned how to play the drums, harmonica, and piano. He also sang in local church choirs. It was not long before Wonder’s talents were noticed by the local record label, Motown, which signed him at the age of twelve. Under the guidance of Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr. Wonder made his debut under the stage name Little Stevie Wonder.
Wonder’s first few records drew little attention; however, at thirteen years old, he recorded his first hit single, “Fingertips (Pt. 2).” The song appeared on Wonder’s third album, Recorded Live: The Twelve-Year-Old Genius (1963), and topped both the rhythm-and-blues and Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Life’s Work
Wonder’s success in 1963 soon led to a series of hit singles under his shortened stage name, Stevie Wonder. The 1966 song “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” marked the first time Wonder received a cowriting credit. He began working in Motown’s songwriting department and cowrote the song “The Tears of a Clown,” which was recorded by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. The song debuted in 1967 and quickly became an international hit. The next year, 1968, Wonder recorded the hit “For Once in My Life.” In 2002, “The Tears of a Clown” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
After resolving a contract dispute in 1972, Wonder returned to the Motown label to release his album Talking Book. The album was a success, and Wonder joined the Rolling Stones on their American tour. The album contained two of Wonder’s best-known songs, “Superstition” and “You Are the Sunshine of My Life.” Shortly after the release of Talking Book, Wonder released his next album, Innervisions (1973). The album was another success and contained several well-known Wonder compositions such as “Higher Ground” and “Living for the City.” Between the Talking Book and Innervisions albums, Wonder was nominated for seven Grammy Awards in 1973. He won awards for Album of the Year and Best Engineered Recording for Innervisions, Pop Male Vocalist for “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” and Best Rhythm and Blues Male Vocal Performance and Best Rhythm and Blues Song for “Superstition.”
Wonder's next two albums also won the Grammy for Album of the Year, making him the first person to earn that award with three consecutive releases and tying him for most all time. Fulfillingness' First Finale was released in 1974 and presented a more introspective style than Innervisions. Wonder’s album Songs in the Key of Life (1976) is considered one of his most influential releases. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Album Chart, the first time that an album by an American artist had achieved that feat. The album contained number-one singles such as “I Wish” and “Sir Duke,” and in 1977 it was certified diamond (more than ten million units sold). The critical acclaim of Wonder's 1970s "classic period" would set the tone for the rest of his career. By 2021 he had won twenty-two Grammy Awards, more than any other male pop artist since the award’s inception in 1958. He also received the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.
After Songs in the Key of Life, Wonder continued to release commercially and critically successful albums and singles but did not achieve quite the same level of crossover commercial and critical success. However, his 1982 duet with Paul McCartney, “Ebony and Ivory,” returned him to number one for seven straight weeks. “Ebony and Ivory” also marked the first time in Wonder’s career that he reached number one on the British charts. His only other British number-one single was “I Just Called to Say I Love You.” The song was featured in the motion picture The Woman in Red (1984) and earned Wonder an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Wonder also had successful collaborations with many other musicians, including an appearance on Michael Jackson's 1987 album Bad.
Wonder's studio album output throughout the 1990s and 200s was limited to Conversation Peace (1995) and A Time to Love (2005). In 2013 he announced two albums planned for 2014, entitled When the World Began and Ten Billion Hearts, but the releases were delayed indefinitely. However, he continued to make guest appearances both in concert and on recordings. He released two singles in 2020 to accompany his move from Motown Records to his own label, What the Fuss Records, an imprint of Republic Records.
In addition to his musical career, Wonder earned a reputation for political and social activism. In the early 1970s he began to express his political opinions by criticizing President Richard M. Nixon and his administration, for example in the compositions “He’s Misstra Know It All” and “You Haven’t Done Nothin’.” Politics would become a recurring theme in his music and beyond. Wonder supported the campaign to make Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday a federal holiday, played benefit concerts for the needy, did substantial work with the United Negro College Fund, and lent his support to the Democratic Party for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential bid. After Obama’s election, Wonder performed at an inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial. In 2009, Wonder was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace—a title awarded every three years to an outstanding individual in sports or the arts who has helped raise awareness of UN peace efforts. In 2013 he declared that he would not perform in Florida until the state got rid of its "stand your ground" law, throwing his star power behind the protests surrounding the shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida in 2012.
In 2014 President Obama presented Wonder with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award given to civilians, for his cultural contributions. Wonder was included as one of the initial inductees into the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2021. In 2024 Wonder spoke at the Democratic National Convention endorsing Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and speading a message of unity. Soon after he released his single "Can We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart" echoing the themes of his speech.
Significance
Wonder was a highly influential figure in rhythm-and-blues and pop music from very early in his career. He received numerous accolades, including induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His music career includes more than 100 million albums sold and dozens of Grammy nominations. Wonder also showed dedication to many social and political causes, and used his considerable influence to enact protest and social change.
Bibliography
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Boyer, Dave. "Obama Bestows Medal of Freedom on 19, Including Stevie Wonder, Meryl Streep." Washington Times. Washington Times, 24 Nov. 2014. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.
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Hamilton, Jack. "Stevie Wonder's Florida Boycott." Slate. Slate Group, 17 July 2013. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.
Havens, Lyndsey. "Stevie Wonder Returns with New Music on His Own Republic Records Imprint." Billboard, 13 Oct. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/news/9464244/stevie-wonder-leaves-motown-releasing-new-songs-what-fuss/. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
Huey, Steve. "Stevie Wonder." AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/artist/stevie-wonder-mn0000622805/biography. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
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Powel, James. “Stevie Wonder Speaks and Performs at the 2024 DNC: Watch.” USA TODAY, 22 Aug. 2024, www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/21/stevie-wonder-dnc-convention-video/74897425007/. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
Ribowsky, Mark. Signed, Sealed, and Delivered: The Soulful Journey of Stevie Wonder. Hoboken: Wiley, 2010. Print.