Stevie wonder biography video for kids

American musician (born 1950)

Stevland Hardaway Morris (; néJudkins; born Could 13, 1950), known professionally rightfully Stevie Wonder, is an Land singer-songwriter, musician, and record grower. He is regarded as flavour of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

Bewilderment is credited as a colonist and influence by musicians send a range of genres meander include R&B, pop, soul, certainty, funk, and jazz. A essential one-man band, Wonder's use be totally convinced by synthesizers and other electronic mellifluous instruments during the 1970s reshaped the conventions of contemporary R&B.

He also helped drive much genres into the album generation, crafting his LPs as rigid and consistent, in addition blow up socially conscious statements with around compositions. Blind since shortly make something stand out his birth, Wonder was natty child prodigy who signed counterpart Motown's Tamla label at class age of 11, where yes was given the professional label Little Stevie Wonder.

Wonder's sui generis incomparabl "Fingertips" was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Flap 100 in 1963, when unquestionable was 13, making him picture youngest solo artist ever suggest top the chart. Wonder's depreciative success was at its crown in the 1970s. His "classic period" began in 1972 critical remark the releases of Music state under oath My Mind and Talking Book, the latter featuring "Superstition", which is one of the governing distinctive and famous examples take the sound of the Hohner Clavinet keyboard.

His works Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974) and Songs in the Important of Life (1976) all won the Grammy Award for Single of the Year, making him the only artist to be endowed with won the award with leash consecutive album releases. Wonder began his "commercial period" in influence 1980s; he achieved his pure hits and highest level get through fame, had increased album deal, charity participation, high-profile collaborations (including with Paul McCartney and Archangel Jackson), political impact, and hold close appearances.

Wonder has continued give a lift remain active in music focus on political causes.

Wonder is reminder of the best-selling music artists of all time, with rummage sale of over 100 million registers worldwide. He has won 25 Grammy Awards (the most strong a male solo artist) last one Academy Award (Best Latest Song, for the 1984 album The Woman in Red).

Awe has been inducted into honourableness Rhythm and Blues Music Foyer of Fame, the Rock humbling Roll Hall of Fame be first the Songwriters Hall of Preeminence. He is also noted use his political activism, including her highness 1980 campaign to make Actor Luther King Jr.'s birthday dinky federal holiday in the Leagued States. In 2009, Wonder was named a United Nations Discpatcher of Peace, and in 2014, he was honored with goodness Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Early life

Wonder was born Stevland Hardaway Judkins in Saginaw, Michigan, class May 13, 1950, the bag of five children born necessitate Lula Mae Hardaway,^[6] and description second of Hardaway's two breed with Calvin Judkins.^[7] Wonder was born six weeks premature, unembellished condition that, along with nobleness oxygen-rich atmosphere in the harbour incubator, resulted in retinopathy declining prematurity, a disease that aborts eye growth and often causes the retinas to detach, which left him blind.^[8][9]

When Wonder was four, his mother divorced coronet father and moved with shrewd three children to Detroit.

Bewilderment attended Whitestone Baptist Church, site he sang in the concert and became a soloist mass age eight.^[10][11] His mother next rekindled her relationship with her walking papers first child's father (whose cognomen was also coincidentally Hardaway),^[7] transformed her name back to Lula Hardaway, and had two add-on children.

Wonder began playing apparatus at an early age, with piano, harmonica, and drums. Flair formed a singing partnership climb on a friend; calling themselves Stevie and John, they played correction street corners and occasionally unexpected defeat parties and dances.^[12] When Stevie was signed by Motown flash 1961, his surname was lawfully changed to Morris, which (according to Lula Mae Hardaway's accredited biography) was an old affinity name.

Berry Gordy was accountable for creating the stage nickname of "Little Stevie Wonder".^[13]

Wonder replete Fitzgerald Elementary School in Detroit.^[14] After his first album was released, The Jazz Soul compensation Little Stevie (1962), he registered in Michigan School for class Blind in Lansing, Michigan.^[15][16]

Career

1960s: Singles as a youth

In 1961, sought-after the age of 11, Sight sang his own composition, "Lonely Boy", to Ronnie White senior the Miracles;^[17][18] White then took Wonder and his mother cross-reference an audition at Motown, at CEO Berry Gordy signed Curiosity to Motown's Tamla label.^[6] At one time signing, producer Clarence Paul gave him the name Little Stevie Wonder.^[8][19] Because of Wonder's lifetime, the label drew up practised rolling five-year contract in which royalties would be held answer trust until Wonder was 21.

He and his mother would be paid a weekly recompense to cover their expenses: Spectacle received $2.50 (equivalent to $25.49 in 2023) per week, and capital private tutor was provided like that which Wonder was on tour.^[18]

Wonder was put in the care heed producer and songwriter Clarence Missioner, and for a year they worked together on two albums.

Tribute to Uncle Ray was recorded first, when Wonder was still 11 years old. Particularly covers of Ray Charles's songs, the album included a Stupefaction and Paul composition, "Sunset". The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie was recorded next, an assisting album consisting mainly of Paul's compositions, two of which, "Wondering" and "Session Number 112", were co-written with Wonder.^[20] Feeling Sight was now ready, a tag, "Mother Thank You", was record for release as a inimitable, but then pulled and replaced by the Berry Gordy ditty "I Call It Pretty Concerto, But the Old People Challenge It the Blues" as consummate début single;^[21] released summer 1962,^[22] it almost broke into prestige Billboard 100, spending one hebdomad of August at 101.^[23] Match up follow-up singles, "Little Water Boy" and "Contract on Love", both had no success, and high-mindedness two albums, released in turn round order of recording—The Jazz Psyche of Little Stevie in Sept 1962 and Tribute to Spot Ray in October 1962—also fall over with little success.^[20][24]

At the end of 1962, just as Wonder was 12 years age, he joined the Motortown Variety, touring the "Chitlin' Circuit" cue theatres across America that general black artists.

At the Royal Theater, Chicago, his 20-minute operation was recorded and released place in May 1963 as the textbook Recorded Live: The 12 Generation Old Genius.^[20] A single, "Fingertips", from the album was too released in May, and became a major hit.^[26] The put a label on, featuring a confident and zealous Wonder returning for a voluntary encore that catches out justness replacement bass player, who high opinion heard to call out "What key?

What key?",^[26][27] was a-ok No. 1 hit on class Billboard Hot 100 when Spectacle was aged 13, making him the youngest artist ever abrupt top the chart.^[28] The nonpareil was simultaneously No. 1 depth the R&B chart, the foremost time that had occurred.^[29] Tiara next few recordings were turn on the waterworks successful; his voice was unexcitable as he got older, ride some Motown executives were all things considered cancelling his recording contract.^[29] On 1964, Wonder appeared in bend in half films as himself, Muscle Bank Party and Bikini Beach, on the other hand these were not successful either.^[30]Sylvia Moy persuaded label owner Drupelet Gordy to give Wonder choice chance.^[29]

Dropping the "Little" from fulfil name, Moy and Wonder acted upon together to create the luck "Uptight (Everything's Alright)",^[29] and Awe went on to have dialect trig number of other hits via the mid-1960s, including "With capital Child's Heart", and "Blowin' deception the Wind",^[27] a Bob Vocalist song, co-sung by his coach, producer Clarence Paul.^[31] He besides began to work in prestige Motown songwriting department, composing songs both for himself and crown label mates, including "The Sigh of a Clown", a Inept.

1 hit for Smokey Dramatist and the Miracles (it was first released in 1967, frequently unnoticed as the last aim of their Make It Happen LP, but eventually became unornamented major success when re-released gorilla a single in 1970, which prompted Robinson to reconsider circlet intention of leaving the group).^[32]

In 1968, Wonder recorded an textbook of instrumental soul/jazz tracks, principally harmonica solos, under the honour Eivets Rednow, which is "Stevie Wonder" spelled backward.^[33] The lp failed to get much consideration, and its only single, a-okay cover of Burt Bacharach's slab Hal David's "Alfie", only reached number 66 on the U.S.

Pop charts and number 11 on the U.S. Adult Fresh charts. Nonetheless, he managed top score several hits between 1967 and 1970 such as "I Was Made to Love Her",^[31] "For Once in My Life" and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours". A number of Wonder's early hits, including "My Cherie Amour", "I Was Made picture Love Her", and "Uptight (Everything's Alright)", were co-written with Speechmaker Cosby.

The hit single "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" was his first-ever self-produced song.^[34]

In 1969, Wonder participated in the Sanremo Music Festival with the tag "Se tu ragazzo mio", require conjunction with Gabriella Ferri. Among 1967 and 1970, he documented four 45 rpm singles^{[35][36][37][38]} obscure an Italian LP.^[39]

Wonder's appearance fake the 1969 Harlem Cultural Holiday opens the 2021 music movie, Summer of Soul.^[40] Wonder plays a drum solo during culminate set.

1970s: Classic albums period

In September 1970, at the move backwards of 20, Wonder married Syreeta Wright, a songwriter and find Motown secretary. Wright and Awe worked together on the job album, Where I'm Coming From (1971), Wonder writing the masterpiece, and Wright helping with say publicly lyrics.^[41] Around this time, Rarity became interested in utilizing synthesizers after hearing albums by electronic group Tonto's Expanding Head Band.^[42] Wonder and Wright wanted on hand "touch on the social botherations of the world", and untainted the lyrics "to mean something".^[41] The album was released dress warmly around the same time brand Marvin Gaye's What's Going On.

As both albums had faithful ambitions and themes, they scheme been compared; in a coeval review by Vince Aletti weigh down Rolling Stone, Gaye's was deviant as successful, while Wonder's was seen as failing due hide "self-indulgent and cluttered" production, "undistinguished" and "pretentious" lyrics, and fraudster overall lack of unity duct flow.^[43] Also in 1970, Curiosity co-wrote (and played numerous apparatus on) the hit "It's a-ok Shame" for fellow Motown in truth the Spinners.

His contribution was meant to be a setting of his talent and as follows a weapon in his unending negotiations with Gordy about conniving autonomy.^[44] Reaching his 21st beanfeast on May 13, 1971, Bewilderment allowed his Motown contract succeed to expire.^[45]

During this period, Wonder for one`s part recorded two albums and symbol a new contract with Motown Records.

The 120-page contract was a precedent at Motown deed gave Wonder a much paramount royalty rate.^[46] He returned equivalent to Motown in March 1972 fellow worker Music of My Mind. Dissimilar to most previous albums on Motown, which usually consisted of fine collection of singles, B-sides enjoin covers, Music of My Mind was a full-length artistic relation with songs flowing together thematically.^[46] Wonder's lyrics dealt with common, political, and mystical themes by reason of well as standard romantic bend forwards, while musically he began investigative overdubbing and recording most discover the instrumental parts himself.^[46]Music indifference My Mind marked the steps of a long collaboration take out Tonto's Expanding Head Band (Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil),^[47][48] lecture with lyricist Yvonne Wright.^[49]

Released inlet late 1972, Wonder's album Talking Book featured the No.

1 hit "Superstition",^[50] which is call of the most distinctive submit famous examples of the din of the Hohner Clavinet keyboard.^[51]Talking Book also featured "You Responsibility the Sunshine of My Life", which also peaked at Maladroit thumbs down d. 1. During the same every time as the album's release, Curiosity began touring with the Get down to it Stones to alleviate the ban effects from being pigeonholed owing to an R&B artist in America.^[17] His touring with the Stones was also a factor cling the success of both "Superstition" and "You Are the Broad daylight of My Life".^[46][52] Between them, the two songs won twosome Grammy Awards.^[53] On an sheet of the children's television event Sesame Street that aired crucial April 1973,^[54] Wonder and potentate band performed "Superstition", as convulsion as an original called "Sesame Street Song", which demonstrated realm abilities with television.

Wonder's plant album Innervisions, released in 1973, featured "Higher Ground" (No. 4 on the pop charts) chimp well as the trenchant "Living for the City" (No. 8).^[50] Both songs reached No. 1 on the R&B charts. Approved ballads such as "Golden Lady" and "All in Love Admiration Fair" were also present, integrate a mixture of moods give it some thought nevertheless held together as boss unified whole.^[55]Innervisions generated three added Grammy Awards, including Album register the Year.^[53] The album in your right mind ranked No.

34 on Rolling Stone's500 Greatest Albums of Cry out Time.^[56] Wonder had become magnanimity most influential and acclaimed smoky musician of the early 1970s.^[46]

On August 6, 1973, Wonder was injured in a serious car accident while on tour of great consequence North Carolina, when a machine in which he was sport hit the back of dinky truck.^[46][57] This left him consign a coma for four life and resulted in a incomplete loss of his sense commuter boat smell and a temporary reverse of sense of taste.^[58] In defiance of orders from his doctor assortment refrain from performing, Wonder wrap up at a homecoming benefit storage Shaw University in Raleigh, scam November 1973.^[59] Shaw was overlay financial difficulties, so Wonder, who was a member of say publicly university's board of trustees, rallied other acts including Exuma, LaBelle, and the Chambers Brothers up join the concert, which peer more than $10,000 for birth school's scholarship fund.^[60]

Wonder embarked stay on the line a European tour in inauspicious 1974, performing in France pressgang the Midem convention in Metropolis, in England at the Rainbow Theatre in London, and practised the German television show Musikladen.^[61] On his return to honourableness United States, he played natty sold-out concert at Madison Rectangular Garden in March 1974, light both up-tempo material and eat humble pie, building improvisations on mid-tempo songs such as "Living for distinction City".^[46] The album Fulfillingness' Crowning Finale appeared in July 1974 and set two hits feeling of excitement on the pop charts: greatness No.

1 "You Haven't Unmatched Nothin'" and the Top Decaying "Boogie on Reggae Woman". Glory Album of the Year was again one of three Grammys won.^[53]

The same year, Wonder took part in a Los Angeles jam session with ex-BeatlesJohn Songwriter and Paul McCartney that would become known as the contraband album A Toot and unembellished Snore in '74.^[62][63] He besides co-wrote and produced the 1974 Syreeta Wright album Stevie Curiosity Presents: Syreeta.^[64]

On October 4, 1975, Wonder performed at the important "Wonder Dream Concert" in Town, Jamaica, a benefit for leadership Jamaican Institute for the Blind.^[65] In 1975, he played harp on two tracks on Company Preston's album It's My Pleasure.^[66]

By 1975, at the age fairhaired 25, Wonder had won figure consecutive Grammy Awards: in 1974 for Innervisions and in 1975 for Fulfillingness' First Finale.^[67] Kick up a rumpus 1976, when Paul Simon won the Album of the Gathering Grammy for his Still Fatuous After All These Years, grace wryly noted: "I'd like puzzle out thank Stevie Wonder, who didn't make an album this year."^[68][69]

The double album-with-extra-EP, Songs in primacy Key of Life, was unconfined in September 1976.

Sprawling straighten out style and sometimes lyrically burdensome to fathom, the album was hard for some listeners in depth assimilate, yet is regarded soak many as Wonder's crowning completion and one of the chief recognizable and accomplished albums advance pop music history.^[46][50] The book became the first by air American artist to debut anxious at No.

1 in decency Billboard charts, where it unattractive for 14 non-consecutive weeks.^[70] Join tracks became No. 1 Pop/R&B hits: "I Wish" and "Sir Duke". The baby-celebratory "Isn't She Lovely?" was written about reward newborn daughter Aisha, while songs such as "Love's in Require of Love Today" and "Village Ghetto Land" reflected a long way more pensive mood.

Songs critical the Key of Life won Album of the Year innermost two other Grammys.^[53] The sticker album ranks 4th on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of Hobo Time.^[71]

Also in 1976, Wonder heard about the demonstration of justness Kurzweil Reading Machine, the foremost multi-font reading machine for decency blind, on The Today Show, and later became the alcohol of the first production piece, beginning a long-term association halfway himself and Ray Kurzweil.^[72]

Until 1979's Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants", culminate only further 1970s release was the retrospective three-disc album Looking Back (1977), an anthology unbutton his early Motown period.

1980s: Commercial albums period

The mainly useful soundtrack album Stevie Wonder's Voyage Through "The Secret Life fend for Plants" (1979), was composed application an early music sampler styled a Computer Music Melodian.^[73] Originate was also his first digital recording, and one of nobility earliest popular albums to reward the technology, which Wonder sentimental for all subsequent recordings.

Astonishment toured briefly with an in support of the publication, and used a Fairlight CMI sampler onstage.^[74] In this best Wonder also wrote and get well the dance hit "Let's Pretend Serious", performed by Jermaine Singer and ranked by Billboard tempt the No. 1 R&B single light 1980.

Hotter than July (1980) became Wonder's first platinum-selling free album, and its single "Happy Birthday" was a successful mechanism for his campaign to ignoble Martin Luther King Jr.'s red-letter day as a national holiday. Magnanimity album also included "Master Workman (Jammin')", "I Ain't Gonna Be upstanding a set for It", and the tender ballad, "Lately".

In 1982, Surprise released a retrospective of queen 1970s work with Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium, which included unite new songs: the ten-minute shrink classic "Do I Do" (which featured Dizzy Gillespie), "That Girl" (one of the year's pipe singles to chart on honourableness R&B side), "Front Line", clever narrative about a soldier inconsequential the Vietnam War that Astonishment wrote and sang in picture first person, and "Ribbon gauzy the Sky", one of sovereignty many classic compositions.

He very gained a No. 1 smack that year in collaboration wrestle Paul McCartney in their anthem to racial harmony, "Ebony careful Ivory".

Also in 1982, Rarity invited Raymond Kurzweil to wreath Los Angeles recording studio, Wonderland,^[75] and asked if "we could use the extraordinarily flexible figurer control methods on the valued sounds of acoustic instruments?" Enhance response, and with Wonder though musical advisor, Kurzweil founded Kurzweil Music Systems, which unveiled position Kurzweil K250 in 1984.^[76][72]

In 1983, Wonder performed the song "Stay Gold", the theme to Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation show consideration for S.

E. Hinton's novel The Outsiders. Wonder wrote the text altercation. In 1983, he scheduled spoil album to be entitled People Work, Human Play. The lp never surfaced and instead 1984 saw the release of Wonder's soundtrack album for The Lady in Red. The lead unique, "I Just Called to Limitation I Love You", was span No.

1 pop and R&B hit in both the Pooled States and the United Realm, where it was placed Thirteenth in the list of acknowledged singles in the UK publicized in 2002. It went party to win an Academy bestow for best song in 1985. Wonder accepted the award unimportant the name of Nelson Solon and was subsequently banned breakout all South African radio outdo the Government of South Africa.^[77]

Incidentally, on the occasion of king 35th birthday, Stevie Wonder was honored by the United Humanity Special Committee Against Apartheid make up for his stance against racism mark out South Africa that same crop (1985).^[78] The album also featured a guest appearance by Dionne Warwick, singing the duet "It's You" with Stevie and grand few songs of her defiant.

Following the success of honourableness album and its lead sui generis incomparabl, Wonder made an appearance contemplation The Cosby Show, in justness episode "A Touch of Wonder", where he demonstrated his indecorousness to sample.

The following year's In Square Circle featured blue blood the gentry No.

1 pop hit "Part-Time Lover". The album also has a Top 10 Hit tweak "Go Home". It also featured the ballad "Overjoyed", which was originally written for Journey All over "The Secret Life of Plants", but did not make description album. He performed "Overjoyed" handiness Saturday Night Live when elegance was the host. He was also featured in Chaka Khan's cover of Prince's "I Touch For You", alongside Melle Brawl, playing his signature harmonica.

School in roughly the same period soil was also featured on harp on Eurythmics' single "There Mildew Be an Angel (Playing staunch My Heart)" and Elton John's "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues".

Wonder was in a featured duo with Bruce Springsteen on influence all-star charity single for Human Famine Relief, "We Are description World", and he was surround of another charity single representation following year (1986), the AIDS-inspired "That's What Friends Are For".

He played harmonica on primacy album Dreamland Express by Ablutions Denver in the song "If Ever", a song Wonder co-wrote with Stephanie Andrews; wrote prestige track "I Do Love You" for the Beach Boys' 1985 self-titled album; and played harp on "Can't Help Lovin' Ditch Man" on The Broadway Album by Barbra Streisand.

In 1987, Wonder appeared on Michael Jackson's Bad album, on the dance "Just Good Friends". Jackson likewise sang a duet with him entitled "Get It" on Wonder's 1987 album Characters. This was a minor hit single, likewise were "Skeletons" and "You Testament choice Know". Wonder played harmonica exertion a remake of his diminish song, "Have a Talk put up with God" (from Songs in integrity Key of Life in 1976), on Jon Gibson's album Body & Soul (1989).^[79][80]

1990s: Jungle Fever and 1996 Olympics

Wonder continued promote to release new material, but go back a slower pace.

He filmed a soundtrack album for Picket Lee's film Jungle Fever tier 1991. From this album, singles and videos were released glossy magazine "Gotta Have You", "Fun Day" (remix only), "These Three Words" and "Jungle Fever". The Antithesis to the "Gotta Have You" single was "Feeding Off Picture Love of the Land", which was played during the top credits of the movie Jungle Fever but was not make-believe on the soundtrack.

A soft and vocal version of "Feeding Off The Love of nobility Land" was also released bad mood the Nobody's Child: Romanian Archangel Appeal compilation. Conversation Peace shaft the live album Natural Wonder were released in the 1990s.^[81]

In 1992, Wonder went to about at Panafest, a new cosmopolitan festival of music held biyearly in Ghana; it was about this trip that he securely many of the songs featured on Conversation Peace, and proscribed would describe in a 1995 interview the powerful impact sovereign visit to that country had: "I'd only been there provision 18 hours when I certain I'd eventually move there permanently."^[81][82] In 1994, as co-chair late Panafest that year,^[83] he headlined a concert at the Popular Theatre in Accra, capital megalopolis of Ghana.^[84]

Among his other activities, Wonder played harmonica on say publicly track "Deuce" (sung by Lenny Kravitz) for the 1994 esteem album Kiss My Ass: Indicative Kiss Regrooved;^[85] sang at greatness 1996 Summer Olympics closing ceremony;^[86] collaborated in 1997 with Babyface on "How Come, How Long", a song about domestic ferocity that was nominated for smashing Grammy Award;^[87] and played harp on Sting's 1999 "Brand Original Day".^[88] In early 1999, Fascination performed in the Super Food XXXIII halftime show.^[89]

In May 1999, Rutgers University presented Wonder confront an honorary doctorate degree coop up fine arts.^[90] In December 1999, Wonder announced that he was interested in pursuing an intraocular retinal prosthesis to partially squeeze his sight.^[91]

Into the 21st century: Later career and collaborations

In 2000, Wonder contributed two new songs to the soundtrack for Picket Lee's Bamboozled album ("Misrepresented People" and "Some Years Ago").^[92] Surprise continues to record and perform; though mainly occasional appearances celebrated guest performances, he did events two tours, and released horn album of new material, 2005's A Time to Love.

Lecture in June 2006, Wonder made clean guest appearance on Busta Rhymes' album The Big Bang, impersonation the track "Been through loftiness Storm". He sings the cease and plays the piano adjust the Dr. Dre- and Sha Money XL–produced track. He arised again on the last outline of Snoop Dogg's 2006 recording Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, "Conversations".

The song is a remaking of "Have a Talk extra God" from Songs in righteousness Key of Life. In 2006, Wonder staged a duet pick up again Andrea Bocelli on the latter's album Amore, offering harmonica cope with additional vocals on "Canzoni Stonate". Wonder also performed at General, D.C.'s 2006 A Capitol Fourth celebration.

His other key lip-service include performing at the cork ceremony of the 2002 Coldness Paralympics in Salt Lake City,^[93] the 2005 Live 8 concord in Philadelphia,^[94] the pre-game trade show for Super Bowl XL tear 2006,^[95] the Obama Inaugural Ceremony in 2009,^[96] and the ability ceremony of the 2011 Much-repeated Olympics World Summer Games stress Athens, Greece.^[97]

Wonder's first new soundtrack in 10 years, A Stretch to Love, was released clod October 2005 to lower income than previous albums, and indifferent reviews—most reviewers appearing frustrated insensible the end of the wriggle delay to get an recording that mainly copied the enhance of Wonder's "classic period" broke doing anything new.^[98] The labour single, "So What the Fuss", was released in April.

Splendid second single, "From the Give money back of My Heart", was deft hit on adult-contemporary R&B cable. The album also featured on the rocks duet with India Arie bind the title track "A Again and again to Love".

Wonder did skilful 13-date tour of North Land in 2007, starting in San Diego on August 23; that was his first U.S.

expedition in more than 10 years.^[99] On September 8, 2008, why not? started the European leg become aware of his Wonder Summer's Night Journey, the first time he confidential toured Europe in more get away from a decade. His opening sham was at the National Interior Arena in Birmingham, in position English Midlands.

During the expedition, he played eight UK gigs; four at the O2 Field in London (filmed in HD and subsequently released as fine live-in-concert release on DVD present-day Blu-Ray, Live At Last),^[100] four in Birmingham and two move away the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester.^[101]

Wonder's other stop in the tour's European leg also found him performing in the Netherlands (Rotterdam), Sweden (Stockholm), Germany (Cologne, City and Munich), Norway (Hamar), Writer (Paris), Italy (Milan) and Danmark (Aalborg).

Wonder also toured Continent (Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney squeeze Brisbane) and New Zealand (Christchurch, Auckland and New Plymouth) tight spot October and November.^[101] His 2010 tour included a two-hour harden at the Bonnaroo Music Holiday in Manchester, Tennessee, a tilt back at the Hard Rock Life`s work festival in Hyde Park, Writer, and appearances at England's Glastonbury Festival, Rotterdam's North Sea Gewgaw Festival, a concert in Port, Norway, and a concert awarding Dublin, Ireland, at The O₂ on June 24.^[101]

Wonder's harmonica in concert can be heard on justness 2009 Grammy-nominated "Never Give Command Up", featuring CJ Hilton status Raphael Saadiq.^[102]

Wonder sang at picture Michael Jackson memorial service discern 2009,^[103] at Etta James' sepulture, in 2012,^[104] a month afterward at Whitney Houston's memorial service,^[105] and at the funeral closing stages Aretha Franklin in 2018.^[106][107]

Wonder developed on singer Celine Dion's workroom album Loved Me Back generate Life, performing a cover depict his 1985 song "Overjoyed".^[108] Probity album was released in Oct 2013.

He was also featured on two tracks on Remember Ronson's 2015 album Uptown Special, and the track "Stop Exasperating to Be God" on Travis Scott's 2018 album Astroworld.^[109]

In Oct 2020, Wonder announced that noteworthy had a new vanity baptize released via Republic Records, Unexceptional What the Fuss Records, marker the first time his sound was not released through Motown Records.

The announcement was binate with the release of match up singles: "Can't Put It hutch the Hands of Fate", unornamented "socially-conscious" funk track, and "Where Is Our Love Song", whose proceeds will go towards significance organization Feeding America.^{[110][111][112]}

In June 2021, Wonder appeared in the pic Summer of Soul, directed indifferent to Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, showing character Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969.

In never-before-seen footage, a callow 19-year-old Stevie Wonder is idiosyncratic performing in front of billions of people in Harlem. Sovereign performance shown in the film included "It's Your Thing" via The Isley Brothers and orderly drum solo. Wonder talks approximate the turning point made love his career during this date and how this helped him get out of being out of the ordinary as just a child star.^[113]

In October 2022, Wonder celebrated diadem 50th anniversary of his mission Talking Book.^[114]

On August 30, 2024, Wonder released his first additional song in four years, "Can We Fix Our Nation's Disciplined Heart".^[115]

Future projects

By June 2008, Spectacle was working on two projects simultaneously: a new album labelled The Gospel Inspired by Lula, which will deal with influence various spiritual and cultural crises facing the world, and Through the Eyes of Wonder, idea album he has described by the same token a performance piece that discretion reflect his experience as splendid blind man.

Wonder was too keeping the door open funding a collaboration with Tony Flier and Quincy Jones concerning out rumored jazz album.^[116] Bennett bid Wonder recorded a rendition medium "For Once in My Life" which earned them a Grammy for best pop collaboration pick up again vocals in 2006;^[53] Bennett properly in 2023.

In 2013, Prodigy revealed that he had antique recording new material for mirror image albums, When the World Began and Ten Billion Hearts, relish collaboration with producer David Stimulate, to be released in 2014.^[117] The albums have not anomalous release.

In October 2020, after a long time promoting his two recent singles, Wonder mentioned both Through ethics Eyes of Wonder and The Gospel Inspired by Lula by reason of projects in development (the badger as an album that might feature both singles, and influence latter as a future scrap book he may record with jurisdiction former label Motown).^[118]

Legacy

Wonder is get someone on the blower of the most notable well-received music figures of the alternate half of the 20th c He is one of primacy most successful songwriters and musicians.^[119] Virtually a one-man band lasting his peak years, his overcast of synthesizers and further electronic musical instruments during the Decade helped expand the sound own up R&B.^[120] He is also credited as one of the artists who helped drive R&B crash into the album era, by crafting his LPs as cohesive, in agreement statements with complex sounds.^[120] Potentate "classic period", which culminated come by 1976, was marked by circlet funky keyboard style, personal avoid of production, and use appreciate integrated series of songs take a trip make concept albums.

In 1979, Wonder used Computer Music Inc.'s early music sampler, the Melodian, on his soundtrack album Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Go red Life of Plants". This was his first digital recording famous one of the earliest favourite albums to use the study, which Wonder used for burst subsequent recordings.

Wonder recorded various critically acclaimed albums and strike singles, and also wrote most recent produced songs for many waning his label mates and absent artists as well. In climax childhood, he was best publish for his harmonica work, nevertheless today he is better in-depth for his keyboard skills attend to vocal ability.

He plays depiction piano, synthesizer, harmonica, congas, drums, bongos, organ, melodica and Clavinet. Wonder has been credited primate a pioneer and influence optimism musicians of various genres, containing pop, rhythm and blues, letters, funk and rock.^[121]

Wonder's "classic period" is generally agreed to eke out an existence between 1972 and 1976.^{[122][123][124]} Several observers see aspects of 1971's Where I'm Coming From chimpanzee certain indications of the come across of Wonder's "classic period", much as its new funky module style that Wonder used everywhere in the classic period.^[124] Some settle Wonder's first "classic" album do good to be 1972's Music of Wooly Mind, on which he completed personal control of production, topmost on which he programmed capital series of songs integrated memo one another to make topping concept album.^[124] Others skip clean early 1972 and determine righteousness beginning of the classic lifetime to be in late 1972 with Talking Book,^[125] the soundtrack on which Wonder "hit diadem stride".^[124]

Wonder's albums during realm "classic period" were considered as well influential in the music world: the 1983 Rolling Stone Put on video Guide said they "pioneered for effect approaches that helped to designate the shape of pop concerto for the next decade";^[50] shut in 2005, American recording artist Kanye West said of his stiffen work: "I'm not trying get on the right side of compete with what's out approximately now.

I'm really trying contain compete with Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. It sounds musically blasphemous protect say something like that, on the contrary why not set that style your bar?"^[127]Slate magazine's pop commentator, Jack Hamilton, said: "Most Americans follow up their 21st birthdays with a hangover; Stevie Amazement opted for arguably the fastest sustained run of creativity fashionable the history of popular euphony.

Wonder's "classic period"—the polite adverbial phrase for when Stevie spent quintuplet years ferociously dunking on loftiness entire history of popular tune euphony with the releases of Music of My Mind, Talking Paperback, Innervisions, Fulfillingness' First Finale, take Songs in the Key constantly Life [...] We've never heard anything like it since, existing barring another reincarnation, we at no time will again."^[128]

Wonder has recorded go into detail than 30 U.S.

top-ten hits, including ten U.S. number-one hits on the pop charts, ablebodied as 20 R&B number particular hits. He has sold pin down 100 million records, 19.5 million past its best which are albums;^[130] he level-headed one of the top 60 best-selling music artists with cumulative sales of singles and albums.^[131] Wonder was the first Motown artist and second African-American harper to win an Academy Trophy haul for Best Original Song, which he won for his 1984 hit single "I Just Known as to Say I Love You" from the movie The Wife in Red.

Wonder won 25 Grammy Awards^[53] (the most astute won by a solo artist), as well as a Hour Achievement Award. His albums motionless the "classic period", Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974) status Songs in the Key garbage Life (1976), all won magnanimity Grammy Award for Album imitation the Year, making him depiction tied-record holder for the ascendant Album of the Year bombshells, with three.

He is too the only artist to scheme won the award with combine consecutive album releases. He has been inducted into the Pulsation and Blues Music Hall carryon Fame, Rock and Rock Entry-way of Fame and Songwriters Hallway of Fame, and has conventional a star on the Feel Walk of Fame.^{[132][133][134]} He has also been awarded the Freezing Music Prize.^[135]Rolling Stone named him the seventh greatest singer^[136] tolerate fifteenth greatest artist of convince time.^[137] In 2024, Neil Manufacturer of The Daily Telegraph graded him the fifth greatest deadly player of all time.^[138] Extract June 2009, he became dignity fourth artist to receive influence Montreal Jazz Festival Spirit Award.^[139]

In 2003, Rolling Stone's "500 Unmatched Albums of All Time" bill included Innervisions at number 23,^[140]Songs in the Key of Life at number 56 (promoted tell somebody to number 4 for the 2020 edition),^[141]Talking Book at number 90 (promoted to number 59 lead to the 2020 edition),^[142] and Music of My Mind at distribution 284.^[143] In 2004, on their "500 Greatest Songs of Subset Time" list, Rolling Stone contained "Superstition" at number 74 (promoted to number 12 for decency 2020 edition), "Living for interpretation City" at number 104, "Higher Ground" at number 261 (promoted to number 113 for nobleness 2020 edition), and "You Tally the Sunshine of My Life" at number 281 (promoted gain number 183 for the 2020 edition);^[144] additionally, "Signed, Sealed, Self-governing (I'm Yours)" was included insert the 2020 edition at enumerate 203.

Wonder is also esteemed for his work as comb activist for political causes, containing his 1980 campaign to rattle Martin Luther King Jr.'s red-letter day a federal holiday in high-mindedness United States.^[145] On October 21, 1974, with the Boston busing desegregation underway, Wonder spoke additional led students in song mop up a lounge at the Practice of Massachusetts Boston the existing after he performed at grandeur Boston Garden.^[146]

Personal life

Marriages and children

Wonder has been married three date.

He was married to Motown singer-songwriter and frequent collaborator Syreeta Wright from 1970 until their amicable divorce in 1972, aft which their musical collaboration continuing (she sang on 1995's Conversation Peace).^[147] From 2001 until 2012, he was married to style designer Kai Millard.^[148] In Oct 2009, Wonder and Millard separated; Wonder filed for divorce direction August 2012.^[149] In 2017, proscribed married Tomeeka Bracy.^[150]

Wonder has digit children with five women.^[151][152] Twosome were born to Yolanda Simmons, whom Wonder met when she applied for a job whereas secretary for his publishing company.^[153] Simmons gave birth to Wonder's daughter Aisha Morris on Feb 2, 1975.^[154][155] After Aisha was born, Wonder said "she was the one thing that Distracted needed in my life famous in my music for unblended long time".^[153] Aisha was loftiness inspiration for Wonder's hit inimitable "Isn't She Lovely?" She laboratory analysis now a singer who has toured with her father swallow accompanied him on recordings, containing his 2005 album A Relating to to Love.

Wonder and Simmons also had a son, Keita, in 1977.^[156]

In 1983, Wonder esoteric a son named Mumtaz Journeyman with Melody McCulley.^[157][158] Wonder as well has a daughter, Sophia, skull a son, Kwame, with excellent woman whose identity has sob been publicly disclosed.^[156] Wonder has two sons with second helpmeet Kai Millard Morris.

The venerable is named Kailand, and stylishness occasionally performs as a huckster on stage with his father.^[152] The younger son, Mandla Kadjay Carl Stevland Morris, was tribal on May 13, 2005 (his father's 55th birthday).^[148]

Wonder's ninth minor, his second with Tomeeka Robyn Bracy, was born in Dec 2014, amid rumors that do something would be the father be required to triplets.^[159] This turned out classify to be the case, with the couple named their additional daughter Nia,^[160] meaning "purpose" (one of the seven principles show signs of Kwanzaa).^[159]

Family and health

On May 31, 2006, Wonder's mother Lula Mae Hardaway died in Los Angeles at the age of 76.^[161] During his September 8, 2008, UK concert in Birmingham, crystalclear spoke of his decision expectation begin touring again following surmount loss: "I want to rigging all the pain that Hysterical feel and celebrate and trip it around."^[162]

At a concert tear London's Hyde Park on July 6, 2019, Wonder announced meander he would be undergoing organized kidney transplant in September.^[1]

Religion take politics

Wonder has been a longtime Baptist affiliated with black churches.^{[163][164][165]} He was introduced to Abstruse Meditation through his marriage get to Syreeta Wright.^[166] Consistent with ensure spiritual vision, Wonder became vegetarian, and later a vegan, telling about it in October 2015 on The Late Late Event with James Corden during decency show's "Carpool Karaoke" segment.^{[167][168][169]}

Wonder united Twitter on April 4, 2018, and his first tweet was a five-minute video honoring Histrion Luther King Jr.

Dozens longed-for famous personalities were rounded ready to react in the video, which was titled "The Dream Still Lives". Each person involved shared their dream, calling back to King's popular speech in 1963. Wonder's first tweet took the Net by storm, and he along with encouraged viewers to share their own videos about their dreams with the hashtag #DreamStillLives.^[170]

On Revered 21, 2024, Wonder performed "Higher Ground" at the 2024 Republican National Convention, endorsing Vice Helmsman Kamala Harris in the 2024 United States presidential election.

Fascination also briefly spoke at illustriousness convention, saying: “This is straighten up moment to tell your issue where you were and what you did. When we undergo between history's pain and tomorrow's promises, we must choose boldness over complacency."^[171][172]

Ghanaian citizenship

On May 13, 2024, Wonder's 74th birthday, Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo conferred Ghanian citizenship on him.^{[173][174][175]} Wonder took the Oath of Allegiance flourishing received his Certificate of Heritage at Jubilee House in Accra.^[176]

Awards and recognition

Grammy Awards

Wonder has won 25 Grammy Awards,^[53] as victoriously as a Grammy Lifetime Acquisition Award in 1996.^[177] He testing one of only four artists and groups who have won the Grammy for Album indicate the Year three times significance the main credited artist, stay on with Frank Sinatra, Paul Singer, and Taylor Swift.

Wonder psychoanalysis the only artist to fake won the award with connect consecutive album releases.