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Stevie Wonder Bio
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Stevie Wonder
Steveland Hardaway Judkins (later changed to Stevie Wonder) was born May 13, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan. He is a legendary musician and producer whose staggering number of awards and hits has prompted many to classify Wonder’s work as genius.
Wonder has been blind since infancy, a condition thought to be caused by excessive oxygen while in an incubator (Wonder was born premature). Aided by his mother’s efforts to treat him like any other child, Wonder learned independence and never allowed the condition to hinder his goals. Beginning his musical career in the local church, Wonder signed with Motown Records in his adolescence under the name Little Stevie Wonder. Although the name has changed slightly, his career continues to flourish. His musicals sales and accomplishments are unprecedented, but to give some idea of his popularity, Wonder has nine #1 hits, twenty-one Grammy Awards (which is the record for a solo artist), an Oscar for Best Song with I Just Called to Say I Love You, and has sold over 100 million copies of his various albums. Wonder’s musicality does not stop at vocals. He also plays percussion, bass guitar, organ, piano, keyboard, and harmonica. In 1989 he was unsurprisingly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he has been similarly inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Wonder’s first hit came at the age of thirteen with Fingertips (Pt. 2), which also featured Marvin Gaye on percussion. It was #1 on the US pop charts, and it seemed Wonder knew how to do little else. Throughout the mid to late 1960s Wonder had a number of hits including classics like Uptight (Everything’s Alright) and a cover of Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind. He also cultivated his songwriting ability early, composing work for himself and other Motown singers.
The 1970s were much of the same for Wonder. He released more hits including My Cherie Amour and Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours). The latter became the first song Wonder both produced and wrote, and it also became the standout hit for Wonderlove—Wonder’s backup group. The group included Syreeta Wright, whom Wonder would later marry and subsequently divorce eighteen months later, although the two collaborated musically for years after.
By 1970 the relationship between Wonder and Motown was becoming strained. Wonder contested the “assembly line” mentality pressed upon Motown artists as well as their almost total lack of creative control. When arguments could not be settled between Wonder and Berry Gordy, Wonder simply allowed his contract to expire. On his 21st birthday (1971), Wonder left the label.
With the funds he acquired from previous hits, Wonder was able to independently record and release two albums. He used this as bargaining leverage when he returned to Motown, who eventually agreed to Wonder’s complete creative control and rights to his songs. In March 1972, Wonder came back to Motown and released Music of My Mind, widely considered one of the most impressive and definitive LPs of the era. Wonder went on to release his five next albums at a breakneck pace, forming what many consider the core of Wonder’s truly great years.
In 1972, he released Talking Book with the single Superstition. The following year he released Innervisions, which some say is his best album to date. It earned him the coveted Grammy for Album of the Year. Not long after the album’s release, Wonder was involved in a car accident that left him briefly in a coma and permanently destroyed his sense of smell.
Fortunately, Wonder recovered and released his next album without even skipping a beat, Fulfillingness’ First Finale which again won the Album of the Year. In 1976 his ambitious Songs in the Key of Life featured such hits as Isn’t She Lovely and yet again earned Wonder the Album of the Year. Creatively exhausted, he took a three year hiatus.
Wonder’s return to the music scene involved his 1980 album Hotter than July and his 1982 release Original Musiquarium. Wonder continued to be a dominant voice in the music scene throughout the 1980s, but he began to slow considerably. After not producing any new work for over ten years, Wonder brought forth A Time to Love in 2005.
Never one to be out of the limelight, notable television appearances recently include the 2006 Super Bowl pre-game show and American Idol.
In addition to his own work, Wonder is known for his songwriting and production including such enduring hits as The Tears of a Clown performed by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.
Wonder has been married twice and had seven children. His first marriage was to fellow singer Syreeta from 1970 to 1972. He remained unwed until 2001, when he married fashion designer Kai Millard Morris. They are still together and have two children. |
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Stevie Wonder - was a guest on Saturday Night Live |
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Stevie Wonder - Appeared with George W. Bush in Fahrenheit 9/11 |
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Stevie Wonder - Appeared with James Baker III in Fahrenheit 9/11 |
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Stevie Wonder - Appeared with Richard Gephardt in Fahrenheit 9/11 |
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Stevie Wonder - Appeared with Tom Daschle in Fahrenheit 9/11 |
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Stevie Wonder - Appeared with Jeffrey Toobin in Fahrenheit 9/11 |
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Stevie Wonder - Appeared with Al Gore in Fahrenheit 9/11 |
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Stevie Wonder - Appeared with Condoleezza Rice in Fahrenheit 9/11 |
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Stevie Wonder - Appeared with Donald Rumsfeld in Fahrenheit 9/11 |
Stevie Wonder - Has sang alongside Josh Groban .
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Stevie Wonder - 'I Just Called to say I Love You' was dedicated to Nelson Mandela .
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Yuddy top celebrities
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