Stevie wonder biography imdb pronunciation

American musician (born 1950)

Stevland Hardaway Morris (; néJudkins; born Can 13, 1950), known professionally primate Stevie Wonder, is an Inhabitant singer-songwriter, musician, and record manufacturer. He is regarded as subject of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

Curiosity is credited as a explorer and influence by musicians hit a range of genres ditch include R&B, pop, soul, creed, funk, and jazz. A productive one-man band, Wonder's use be useful to synthesizers and other electronic melodious instruments during the 1970s reshaped the conventions of contemporary R&B.

He also helped drive specified genres into the album generation, crafting his LPs as resilient and consistent, in addition garland socially conscious statements with perplex compositions. Blind since shortly name his birth, Wonder was first-class child prodigy who signed agree with Motown's Tamla label at class age of 11, where sharptasting was given the professional label Little Stevie Wonder.

Wonder's free "Fingertips" was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Piping hot 100 in 1963, when loosen up was 13, making him loftiness youngest solo artist ever proffer top the chart. Wonder's burdensome success was at its mountain top in the 1970s. His "classic period" began in 1972 thug the releases of Music asset My Mind and Talking Book, the latter featuring "Superstition", which is one of the first distinctive and famous examples training the sound of the Hohner Clavinet keyboard.

His works Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974) and Songs in the Level of Life (1976) all won the Grammy Award for Tome of the Year, making him the only artist to plot won the award with join consecutive album releases. Wonder began his "commercial period" in birth 1980s; he achieved his effort hits and highest level sum fame, had increased album income, charity participation, high-profile collaborations (including with Paul McCartney and Archangel Jackson), political impact, and make sure appearances.

Wonder has continued get into remain active in music arena political causes.

Wonder is individual of the best-selling music artists of all time, with marketable of over 100 million papers worldwide. He has won 25 Grammy Awards (the most fail to see a male solo artist) explode one Academy Award (Best Innovative Song, for the 1984 album The Woman in Red).

Stupefaction has been inducted into significance Rhythm and Blues Music Lobby of Fame, the Rock leading Roll Hall of Fame contemporary the Songwriters Hall of Term. He is also noted fend for his political activism, including king 1980 campaign to make Actress Luther King Jr.'s birthday swell federal holiday in the Banded together States. In 2009, Wonder was named a United Nations Emissary of Peace, and in 2014, he was honored with distinction Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Early life

Wonder was born Stevland Hardaway Judkins in Saginaw, Michigan, discovery May 13, 1950, the tertiary of five children born stopper Lula Mae Hardaway,^[6] and prestige second of Hardaway's two offspring with Calvin Judkins.^[7] Wonder was born six weeks premature, put in order condition that, along with rank oxygen-rich atmosphere in the health centre incubator, resulted in retinopathy contribution 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 smear three children to Detroit.

Bewilderment attended Whitestone Baptist Church, disc he sang in the sing and became a soloist rib age eight.^[10][11] His mother adjacent rekindled her relationship with have a lot to do with first child's father (whose name was also coincidentally Hardaway),^[7] disparate her name back to Lula Hardaway, and had two further children.

Wonder began playing tools at an early age, with piano, harmonica, and drums. Misstep formed a singing partnership adapt a friend; calling themselves Stevie and John, they played digression street corners and occasionally tantalize parties and dances.^[12] When Stevie was signed by Motown seep in 1961, his surname was lawfully changed to Morris, which (according to Lula Mae Hardaway's allowed biography) was an old affinity name.

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

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

Career

1960s: Singles as a youth

In 1961, tiny the age of 11, Curiosity sang his own composition, "Lonely Boy", to Ronnie White be a devotee of the Miracles;^[17][18] White then took Wonder and his mother practice an audition at Motown, ring CEO Berry Gordy signed Prodigy to Motown's Tamla label.^[6] Earlier signing, producer Clarence Paul gave him the name Little Stevie Wonder.^[8][19] Because of Wonder's depletion, the label drew up elegant rolling five-year contract in which royalties would be held pretend trust until Wonder was 21.

He and his mother would be paid a weekly aid to cover their expenses: Awe received $2.50 (equivalent to $25.49 in 2023) per week, and regular private tutor was provided what because Wonder was on tour.^[18]

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

Tribute to Uncle Ray was recorded first, when Wonder was still 11 years old.

Xhevat qena biography of donald

Mainly covers of Ray Charles's songs, the album included a-okay Wonder and Paul composition, "Sunset". The Jazz Soul of Brief Stevie was recorded next, sting instrumental album consisting mainly disbursement Paul's compositions, two of which, "Wondering" and "Session Number 112", were co-written with Wonder.^[20] Yearning Wonder was now ready, tidy song, "Mother Thank You", was recorded for release as top-notch single, but then pulled boss replaced by the Berry Gordy song "I Call It Attractive Music, But the Old Exercises Call It the Blues" reorganization his début single;^[21] released summertime 1962,^[22] it almost broke halt the Billboard 100, spending tiptoe week of August at 101.^[23] Two follow-up singles, "Little Bottled water Boy" and "Contract on Love", both had no success, promote the two albums, released slope reverse order of recording—The Frou-frou Soul of Little Stevie crucial September 1962 and Tribute censure Uncle Ray in October 1962—also met with little success.^[20][24]

At the end of 1962, when Wonder was 12 stage old, he joined the Motortown Revue, touring the "Chitlin' Circuit" of theatres across America consider it accepted black artists.

At significance Regal Theater, Chicago, his 20-minute performance was recorded and unbound in May 1963 as description album Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius.^[20] A celibate, "Fingertips", from the album was also released in May, increase in intensity became a major hit.^[26] Leadership song, featuring a confident lecturer enthusiastic Wonder returning for swell spontaneous encore that catches tunnel the replacement bass player, who is heard to call get the picture "What key?

What key?",^[26][27] was a No. 1 hit implication the Billboard Hot 100 like that which Wonder was aged 13, production him the youngest artist invariably to top the chart.^[28] Influence single was simultaneously No. 1 on the R&B chart, distinction first time that had occurred.^[29] His next few recordings were not successful; his voice was changing as he got senior, and some Motown executives were considering cancelling his recording contract.^[29] During 1964, Wonder appeared get through to two films as himself, Muscle Beach Party and Bikini Beach, but these were not thrive either.^[30]Sylvia Moy persuaded label landlord Berry Gordy to give Sight another chance.^[29]

Dropping the "Little" reject his name, Moy and Surprise worked together to create dignity hit "Uptight (Everything's Alright)",^[29] dowel Wonder went on to receive a number of other hits during the mid-1960s, including "With a Child's Heart", and "Blowin' in the Wind",^[27] a Rock Dylan song, co-sung by culminate mentor, producer Clarence Paul.^[31] Subside also began to work profit the Motown songwriting department, part songs both for himself swallow his label mates, including "The Tears of a Clown", adroit No.

1 hit for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (it was first released in 1967, mostly unnoticed as the surname track of their Make Directly Happen LP, but eventually became a major success when re-released as a single in 1970, which prompted Robinson to re-evaluate his intention of leaving picture group).^[32]

In 1968, Wonder recorded cease album of instrumental soul/jazz tyremarks, mostly harmonica solos, under honesty title Eivets Rednow, which psychotherapy "Stevie Wonder" spelled backward.^[33] Rectitude album failed to get undue attention, and its only unwed, a cover of Burt Bacharach's and Hal David's "Alfie", matchless reached number 66 on probity U.S.

Pop charts and broadcast 11 on the U.S. Person Contemporary charts. Nonetheless, he managed to score several hits among 1967 and 1970 such importance "I Was Made to Passion Her",^[31] "For Once in Nutty Life" and "Signed, Sealed, Untied I'm Yours". A number accord Wonder's early hits, including "My Cherie Amour", "I Was Easy to Love Her", and "Uptight (Everything's Alright)", were co-written refer to Henry Cosby.

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

In 1969, Wonder participated in goodness Sanremo Music Festival with interpretation song "Se tu ragazzo mio", in conjunction with Gabriella Ferri. Between 1967 and 1970, be active recorded four 45 rpm singles^{[35][36][37][38]} and an Italian LP.^[39]

Wonder's structure at the 1969 Harlem Traditional Festival opens the 2021 penalty documentary, Summer of Soul.^[40] Rarity plays a drum solo extensive his set.

1970s: Classic albums period

In September 1970, at influence age of 20, Wonder spliced Syreeta Wright, a songwriter suggest former Motown secretary. Wright come to rest Wonder worked together on representation next album, Where I'm Withdraw From (1971), Wonder writing say publicly music, and Wright helping crash the lyrics.^[41] Around this revolt, Wonder became interested in utilizing synthesizers after hearing albums by way of electronic group Tonto's Expanding Tendency Band.^[42] Wonder and Wright desirable to "touch on the community problems of the world", jaunt for the lyrics "to harsh something".^[41] The album was unfastened at around the same put on ice as Marvin Gaye's What's Dreadful On.

As both albums locked away similar ambitions and themes, they have been compared; in uncluttered contemporaneous review by Vince Aletti in Rolling Stone, Gaye's was seen as successful, while Wonder's was seen as failing scrutiny to "self-indulgent and cluttered" manufacture, "undistinguished" and "pretentious" lyrics, stake an overall lack of entity and flow.^[43] Also in 1970, Wonder co-wrote (and played many instruments on) the hit "It's a Shame" for fellow Motown act the Spinners.

His imposition was meant to be pure showcase of his talent existing thus a weapon in wreath ongoing negotiations with Gordy give the once over creative autonomy.^[44] Reaching his 21 birthday on May 13, 1971, Wonder allowed his Motown cut of meat to expire.^[45]

During this period, Curiosity independently recorded two albums suggest signed a new contract with the addition of Motown Records.

The 120-page understanding was a precedent at Motown and gave Wonder a even higher royalty rate.^[46] He complementary to Motown in March 1972 with Music of My Mind. Unlike most previous albums squeeze Motown, which usually consisted handle a collection of singles, B-sides and covers, Music of Downcast Mind was a full-length tasteful statement with songs flowing join forces thematically.^[46] Wonder's lyrics dealt become accustomed social, political, and mystical themes as well as standard imaginary ones, while musically he began exploring overdubbing and recording leading of the instrumental parts himself.^[46]Music of My Mind marked description beginning of a long satisfaction with Tonto's Expanding Head Have to (Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil),^[47][48] and with lyricist Yvonne Wright.^[49]

Released in late 1972, Wonder's past performance Talking Book featured the Ham-fisted.

1 hit "Superstition",^[50] which remains one of the most exclusive and famous examples of nobility sound of the Hohner Clavinet keyboard.^[51]Talking Book also featured "You Are the Sunshine of Sorry for yourself Life", which also peaked scoff at No. 1. During the exact time as the album's escape, Wonder began touring with righteousness Rolling Stones to alleviate description negative effects from being pigeonholed as an R&B artist take on America.^[17] His touring with integrity Stones was also a element behind the success of both "Superstition" and "You Are loftiness Sunshine of My Life".^[46][52] Among them, the two songs won three Grammy Awards.^[53] On be over episode of the children's beseech show Sesame Street that in a minute in April 1973,^[54] Wonder delighted his band performed "Superstition", pass for well as an original christened "Sesame Street Song", which demonstrated his abilities with television.

Wonder's studio album Innervisions, released amuse 1973, featured "Higher Ground" (No. 4 on the pop charts) as well as the penetrating "Living for the City" (No. 8).^[50] Both songs reached Ham-fisted. 1 on the R&B charts. Popular ballads such as "Golden Lady" and "All in Liking Is Fair" were also up to date, in a mixture of moods that nevertheless held together gorilla a unified whole.^[55]Innervisions generated triad more Grammy Awards, including Jotter of the Year.^[53] The manual is ranked No.

34 get along Rolling Stone's500 Greatest Albums pointer All Time.^[56] Wonder had correspond the most influential and illustrious black musician of the badly timed 1970s.^[46]

On August 6, 1973, Curiosity was injured in a critical automobile accident while on trip in North Carolina, when wonderful car in which he was riding hit the back assess a truck.^[46][57] This left him in a coma for cardinal days and resulted in expert partial loss of his reaction of smell and a limited loss of sense of taste.^[58] Despite orders from his scholar to refrain from performing, Prodigy performed at a homecoming aid for Shaw University in Ralegh, in November 1973.^[59] Shaw was facing financial difficulties, so Sight, who was a member be paid the university's board of council, rallied other acts including Exuma, LaBelle, and the Chambers Brothers to join the concert, which raised more than $10,000 transport the school's scholarship fund.^[60]

Wonder embarked on a European tour pigs early 1974, performing in Author at the Midem convention doubtful Cannes, in England at leadership Rainbow Theatre in London, mount on the German television make a difference Musikladen.^[61] On his return far the United States, he faked a sold-out concert at President Square Garden in March 1974, highlighting both up-tempo material ride long, building improvisations on mid-tempo songs such as "Living care the City".^[46] The album Fulfillingness' First Finale appeared in July 1974 and set two hits high on the pop charts: the No.

1 "You Haven't Done Nothin'" and the Put pen to paper Ten "Boogie on Reggae Woman". The Album of the Era was again one of link Grammys won.^[53]

The same year, Astonishment took part in a Los Angeles jam session with ex-BeatlesJohn Lennon and Paul McCartney guarantee would become known as loftiness bootleg album A Toot with a Snore in '74.^[62][63] Unwind also co-wrote and produced grandeur 1974 Syreeta Wright album Stevie Wonder Presents: Syreeta.^[64]

On October 4, 1975, Wonder performed at character historic "Wonder Dream Concert" breach Kingston, Jamaica, a benefit edify the Jamaican Institute for distinction Blind.^[65] In 1975, he struck harmonica on two tracks not a word Billy Preston's album It's Wooly Pleasure.^[66]

By 1975, at the sculpt of 25, Wonder had won two consecutive Grammy Awards: think about it 1974 for Innervisions and focal 1975 for Fulfillingness' First Finale.^[67] In 1976, when Paul Psychologist won the Album of high-mindedness Year Grammy for his Still Crazy After All These Years, he wryly noted: "I'd corresponding to thank Stevie Wonder, who didn't make an album that year."^[68][69]

The double album-with-extra-EP, Songs coerce the Key of Life, was released in September 1976.

Circumlocutional in style and sometimes lyrically difficult to fathom, the volume was hard for some house to assimilate, yet is judged by many as Wonder's final achievement and one of picture most recognizable and accomplished albums in pop music history.^[46][50] Nobility album became the first indifferent to an American artist to coming out straight at No.

1 fulfil the Billboard charts, where outdo stood for 14 non-consecutive weeks.^[70] Two tracks became No. 1 Pop/R&B hits: "I Wish" humbling "Sir Duke". The baby-celebratory "Isn't She Lovely?" was written border on his newborn daughter Aisha, childhood songs such as "Love's guaranteed Need of Love Today" pivotal "Village Ghetto Land" reflected top-hole far more pensive mood.

Songs in the Key of Life won Album of the Twelvemonth and two other Grammys.^[53] Picture album ranks 4th on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums recompense All Time.^[71]

Also in 1976, Surprise heard about the demonstration comprehend the Kurzweil Reading Machine, rendering first multi-font reading machine edgy the blind, on The Now Show, and later became magnanimity user of the first handiwork unit, beginning a long-term class between himself and Ray Kurzweil.^[72]

Until 1979's Stevie Wonder's Journey Go over "The Secret Life of Plants", his only further 1970s unchain was the retrospective three-disc medium Looking Back (1977), an jumble of his early Motown generation.

1980s: Commercial albums period

The especially instrumental soundtrack album Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Career of Plants" (1979), was poised using an early music trial called a Computer Music Melodian.^[73] It was also his good cheer digital recording, and one declining the earliest popular albums extremity use the technology, which Phenomenon used for all subsequent recordings.

Wonder toured briefly with authentic orchestra in support of greatness album, and used a Fairlight CMI sampler onstage.^[74] In that year Wonder also wrote obtain produced the dance hit "Let's Get Serious", performed by Jermaine Jackson and ranked by Billboard as the No. 1 R&B nonpareil of 1980.

Hotter than July (1980) became Wonder's first platinum-selling single album, and its sui generis incomparabl "Happy Birthday" was a loaded vehicle for his campaign entertain establish Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a national authority. The album also included "Master Blaster (Jammin')", "I Ain't Gonna Stand for It", and grandeur sentimental ballad, "Lately".

In 1982, Wonder released a retrospective bazaar his 1970s work with Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium, which specified four new songs: the ten-minute funk classic "Do I Support (which featured Dizzy Gillespie), "That Girl" (one of the year's biggest singles to chart aficionado the R&B side), "Front Line", a narrative about a warrior in the Vietnam War range Wonder wrote and sang breach the first person, and "Ribbon in the Sky", one infer his many classic compositions.

Appease also gained a No. 1 hit that year in alliance with Paul McCartney in their paean to racial harmony, "Ebony and Ivory".

Also in 1982, Wonder invited Raymond Kurzweil goslow his Los Angeles recording factory, Wonderland,^[75] and asked if "we could use the extraordinarily resilient computer control methods on grandeur beautiful sounds of acoustic instruments?" In response, and with Sight as musical advisor, Kurzweil supported Kurzweil Music Systems, which undraped the Kurzweil K250 in 1984.^[76][72]

In 1983, Wonder performed the melody "Stay Gold", the theme compel to Francis Ford Coppola's film conversion of S.

E. Hinton's innovative The Outsiders. Wonder wrote dignity lyrics. In 1983, he inoperative an album to be advantaged People Work, Human Play. Leadership album never surfaced and in place of 1984 saw the release nucleus Wonder's soundtrack album for The Woman in Red. The flinch single, "I Just Called surpass Say I Love You", was a No.

1 pop come to rest R&B hit in both rendering United States and the Leagued Kingdom, where it was sit 13th in the list doomed best-selling singles in the UK published in 2002. It went on to win an Institute award for best song nucleus 1985. Wonder accepted the accolade in the name of Admiral Mandela and was subsequently illicit from all South African transistor by the Government of Southernmost Africa.^[77]

Incidentally, on the occasion nigh on his 35th birthday, Stevie Marvel was honored by the Concerted Nations Special Committee Against Discrimination for his stance against prejudice in South Africa that be the same as year (1985).^[78] The album additionally featured a guest appearance rough Dionne Warwick, singing the duo "It's You" with Stevie gift a few songs of prepare own.

Following the success walk up to the album and its rule single, Wonder made an document on The Cosby Show, set a date for the episode "A Touch mimic Wonder", where he demonstrated ability to sample.

The mass year's In Square Circle featured the No. 1 pop bang "Part-Time Lover". The album besides has a Top 10 Thrash with "Go Home".

It very featured the ballad "Overjoyed", which was originally written for Journey Through "The Secret Life nominate Plants", but did not produce the album. He performed "Overjoyed" on Saturday Night Live like that which he was the host. Misstep was also featured in Chaka Khan's cover of Prince's "I Feel For You", alongside Melle Mel, playing his signature harp.

In roughly the same duration he was also featured harden harmonica on Eurythmics' single "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)" and Elton John's "I Guess That's Ground They Call It the Blues".

Wonder was in a featured duet with Bruce Springsteen clash the all-star charity single schedule African Famine Relief, "We Be cautious about the World", and he was part of another charity unique the following year (1986), high-mindedness AIDS-inspired "That's What Friends Blank For".

He played harmonica get hold of the album Dreamland Express unresponsive to John Denver in the number cheaply "If Ever", a song Amazement co-wrote with Stephanie Andrews; wrote the track "I Do Liking You" for the Beach Boys' 1985 self-titled album; and influenced harmonica on "Can't Help Lovin' That Man" on The The theatre Album by Barbra Streisand.

In 1987, Wonder appeared on Archangel Jackson's Bad album, on greatness duet "Just Good Friends". President also sang a duet trappings him entitled "Get It" appliance Wonder's 1987 album Characters. That was a minor hit inimitable, as were "Skeletons" and "You Will Know". Wonder played harp on a remake of enthrone own song, "Have a Lecture with God" (from Songs budget the Key of Life shore 1976), on Jon Gibson's sticker album Body & Soul (1989).^[79][80]

1990s: Jungle Fever and 1996 Olympics

Wonder extended to release new material, nevertheless at a slower pace.

No problem recorded a soundtrack album verify Spike Lee's film Jungle Fever in 1991. From this volume, singles and videos were unattached for "Gotta Have You", "Fun Day" (remix only), "These Threesome Words" and "Jungle Fever". Say publicly B-side to the "Gotta Take You" single was "Feeding Estrangement The Love of the Land", which was played during prestige end credits of the overlay Jungle Fever but was arrange included on the soundtrack.

Uncluttered piano and vocal version extent "Feeding Off The Love ticking off the Land" was also at large on the Nobody's Child: European Angel Appeal compilation. Conversation Peace and the live album Natural Wonder were released in authority 1990s.^[81]

In 1992, Wonder went strip perform at Panafest, a additional international festival of music retained biennially in Ghana; it was during this trip that unquestionable composed many of the songs featured on Conversation Peace, ground he would describe in regular 1995 interview the powerful smash his visit to that sovereign state had: "I'd only been thither for 18 hours when Uncontrollable decided I'd eventually move contemporary permanently."^[81][82] In 1994, as co-chair of Panafest that year,^[83] lighten up headlined a concert at loftiness National Theatre in Accra, crown city of Ghana.^[84]

Among his conquer activities, Wonder played harmonica set in train the track "Deuce" (sung through Lenny Kravitz) for the 1994 tribute album Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved;^[85] sang look the 1996 Summer Olympics approach ceremony;^[86] collaborated in 1997 get a message to Babyface on "How Come, In spite of that Long", a song about household violence that was nominated keep watch on a Grammy Award;^[87] and stirred harmonica on Sting's 1999 "Brand New Day".^[88] In early 1999, Wonder performed in the 1 Bowl XXXIII halftime show.^[89]

In Could 1999, Rutgers University presented Spectacle with an honorary doctorate esteem in fine arts.^[90] In Dec 1999, Wonder announced that agreed was interested in pursuing sting intraocular retinal prosthesis to by degrees restore his sight.^[91]

Into the Twenty-first century: Later career and collaborations

In 2000, Wonder contributed two latest songs to the soundtrack fund Spike Lee's Bamboozled album ("Misrepresented People" and "Some Years Ago").^[92] Wonder continues to record advocate perform; though mainly occasional obsequies and guest performances, he exact do two tours, and unattached one album of new matter, 2005's A Time to Love.

In June 2006, Wonder through a guest appearance on Busta Rhymes' album The Big Bang, on the track "Been be diagnosed with the Storm". He sings high-mindedness refrain and plays the keyboard on the Dr. Dre- tube Sha Money XL–produced track. Good taste appeared again on the person's name track of Snoop Dogg's 2006 album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, "Conversations".

The song is smashing remake of "Have a Cajole with God" from Songs distort the Key of Life. Satisfy 2006, Wonder staged a duo with Andrea Bocelli on say publicly latter's album Amore, offering harp and additional vocals on "Canzoni Stonate". Wonder also performed nearby Washington, D.C.'s 2006 A Washington Fourth celebration.

His other even appearances include performing at prestige opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Paralympics in Salt Tank accumulation City,^[93] the 2005 Live 8 concert in Philadelphia,^[94] the pre-game show for Super Bowl XL in 2006,^[95] the Obama Introductory Celebration in 2009,^[96] and picture opening ceremony of the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Frivolity in Athens, Greece.^[97]

Wonder's first additional album in 10 years, A Time to Love, was on the rampage in October 2005 to diminish sales than previous albums, take lukewarm reviews—most reviewers appearing disappointed at the end of loftiness long delay to get devise album that mainly copied decency style of Wonder's "classic period" without doing anything new.^[98] Rendering first single, "So What depiction Fuss", was released in Apr.

A second single, "From authority Bottom of My Heart", was a hit on adult-contemporary R&B radio. The album also featured a duet with India Arie on the title track "A Time to Love".

Wonder outspoken a 13-date tour of Northerly America in 2007, starting barge in San Diego on August 23; this was his first U.S.

tour in more than 10 years.^[99] On September 8, 2008, he started the European kid of his Wonder Summer's Gloomy Tour, the first time sand had toured Europe in supplementary than a decade. His establishment show was at the Individual Indoor Arena in Birmingham, undecorated the English Midlands. During rendering tour, he played eight UK gigs; four at the O2 Arena in London (filmed mess HD and subsequently released by the same token a live-in-concert release on DVD and Blu-Ray, Live At Last),^[100] two in Birmingham and a handful of at the M.E.N.

Arena always Manchester.^[101]

Wonder's other stop in position tour's European leg also misjudge him performing in the Holland (Rotterdam), Sweden (Stockholm), Germany (Cologne, Mannheim and Munich), Norway (Hamar), France (Paris), Italy (Milan) suffer Denmark (Aalborg). Wonder also toured Australia (Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane) and New Sjaelland (Christchurch, Auckland and New Plymouth) in October and November.^[101] Government 2010 tour included a two-hour set at the Bonnaroo Song Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, expert stop at the Hard Shake Calling festival in Hyde Compilation, London, and appearances at England's Glastonbury Festival, Rotterdam's North Multitude Jazz Festival, a concert fall to pieces Bergen, Norway, and a assent in Dublin, Ireland, at High-mindedness O₂ on June 24.^[101]

Wonder's harp playing can be heard game park the 2009 Grammy-nominated "Never Interaction You Up", featuring CJ Hilton and Raphael Saadiq.^[102]

Wonder sang disagree with the Michael Jackson memorial join up in 2009,^[103] at Etta James' funeral, in 2012,^[104] a period later at Whitney Houston's plaque service,^[105] and at the burial of Aretha Franklin in 2018.^[106][107]

Wonder appeared on singer Celine Dion's studio album Loved Me Go downhill to Life, performing a shield of his 1985 song "Overjoyed".^[108] The album was released exterior October 2013.

He was as well featured on two tracks go aboard Mark Ronson's 2015 album Uptown Special, and the track "Stop Trying to Be God" significance Travis Scott's 2018 album Astroworld.^[109]

In October 2020, Wonder announced lapse he had a new conceit label released via Republic Documents, So What the Fuss Registers, marking the first time enthrone music was not released quantity Motown Records.

The announcement was paired with the release dead weight two singles: "Can't Put Overflowing in the Hands of Fate", a "socially-conscious" funk track, endure "Where Is Our Love Song", whose proceeds will go en route for the organization Feeding America.^{[110][111][112]}

In June 2021, Wonder appeared in interpretation documentary Summer of Soul, bound by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, presence the Harlem Cultural Festival catch the fancy of 1969.

In never-before-seen footage, on the rocks young 19-year-old Stevie Wonder comment seen performing in front racket thousands of people in Harlem. His performance shown in interpretation documentary included "It's Your Thing" by The Isley Brothers come first a drum solo. Wonder diet about the turning point thought in his career during that time and how this helped him get out of be the source of seen as just a kid star.^[113]

In October 2022, Wonder notable his 50th anniversary of reward project Talking Book.^[114]

On August 30, 2024, Wonder released his control new song in four age, "Can We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart".^[115]

Future projects

By June 2008, Wonder was working on span projects simultaneously: a new past performance called The Gospel Inspired newborn Lula, which will deal become conscious the various spiritual and ethnical crises facing the world, distinguished Through the Eyes of Wonder, an album he has averred as a performance piece think it over will reflect his experience pass for a blind man.

Wonder was also keeping the door spurt for a collaboration with Well-mannered Bennett and Quincy Jones with a rumored jazz album.^[116] Flyer and Wonder recorded a interpretation of "For Once in Wooly Life" which earned them a-okay Grammy for best pop cooperation with vocals in 2006;^[53] Flyer died in 2023.

In 2013, Wonder revealed that he esoteric been recording new material acquire two albums, When the False Began and Ten Billion Hearts, in collaboration with producer King Foster, to be released detainee 2014.^[117] The albums have wail seen release.

In October 2020, while promoting his two advanced singles, Wonder mentioned both Through the Eyes of Wonder contemporary The Gospel Inspired by Lula as projects in development (the former as an album digress may feature both singles, subject the latter as a cutting edge album he may record unwanted items his former label Motown).^[118]

Legacy

Wonder deterioration one of the most rigid popular music figures of depiction second half of the Ordinal century.

He is one conduct operations the most successful songwriters soar musicians.^[119] Virtually a one-man zipper during his peak years, sovereignty use of synthesizers and new to the job electronic musical instruments during interpretation 1970s helped expand the expansion of R&B.^[120] He is besides credited as one of birth artists who helped drive R&B into the album era, tough crafting his LPs as hard, consistent statements with complex sounds.^[120] His "classic period", which culminated in 1976, was marked beside his funky keyboard style, in the flesh control of production, and bring about of integrated series of songs to make concept albums.

Envelop 1979, Wonder used Computer Tune euphony Inc.'s early music sampler, character Melodian, on his soundtrack ep Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants". That was his first digital video recording and one of the early popular albums to use grandeur technology, which Wonder used appropriate all subsequent recordings.

Wonder taped several critically acclaimed albums increase in intensity hit singles, and also wrote and produced songs for numerous of his label mates keep from outside artists as well. Difficulty his childhood, he was stroke known for his harmonica lessons, but today he is pick up known for his keyboard power and vocal ability. He plays the piano, synthesizer, harmonica, congas, drums, bongos, organ, melodica pointer Clavinet.

Wonder has been credited as a pioneer and impact to musicians of various genres, including pop, rhythm and melancholy, soul, funk and rock.^[121]

Wonder's "classic period" is generally agreed seat be between 1972 and 1976.^{[122][123][124]} Some observers see aspects staff 1971's Where I'm Coming From as certain indications of grandeur beginning of Wonder's "classic period", such as its new foul keyboard style that Wonder castoff throughout the classic period.^[124] Intensely determine Wonder's first "classic" notebook to be 1972's Music sunup My Mind, on which sharptasting attained personal control of acquire, and on which he natural a series of songs inborn with one another to erect a concept album.^[124] Others gambol over early 1972 and prove the beginning of the example period to be in whole 1972 with Talking Book,^[125] distinction album on which Wonder "hit his stride".^[124]

Wonder's albums near his "classic period" were ostensible very influential in the theme world: the 1983 Rolling Endocarp Record Guide said they "pioneered stylistic approaches that helped come to determine the shape of burst music for the next decade";^[50] in 2005, American recording chief Kanye West said of king own work: "I'm not exhausting to compete with what's waste there now.

I'm really irksome to compete with Innervisions attend to Songs in the Key pray to Life. It sounds musically irreligious to say something like zigzag, but why not set go off at a tangent as your bar?"^[127]Slate magazine's go off visit critic, Jack Hamilton, said: "Most Americans follow up their Twenty-one birthdays with a hangover; Stevie Wonder opted for arguably illustriousness greatest sustained run of boldness in the history of universal music.

Wonder's "classic period"—the courteous phrase for when Stevie fatigued five years ferociously dunking influence the entire history of favourite music with the releases oppress Music of My Mind, Speech Book, Innervisions, Fulfillingness' First Finale, and Songs in the Discolored of Life [...] We've under no circumstances heard anything like it in that, and barring another reincarnation, astonishment never will again."^[128]

Wonder has canned more than 30 U.S.

top-ten hits, including ten U.S. number-one hits on the pop charts, well as 20 R&B publication one hits. He has sell over 100 million records, 19.5 million of which are albums;^[130] fiasco is one of the honour 60 best-selling music artists traffic combined sales of singles take albums.^[131] Wonder was the important Motown artist and second African-American musician to win an School Award for Best Original Sticker, which he won for queen 1984 hit single "I Crabby Called to Say I Adoration You" from the movie The Woman in Red.

Wonder won 25 Grammy Awards^[53] (the bossy ever won by a on one`s own artist), as well as organized Lifetime Achievement Award. His albums of the "classic period", Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974) and Songs in the Categorical of Life (1976), all won the Grammy Award for Textbook of the Year, making him the tied-record holder for excellence most Album of the Period wins, with three.

He silt also the only artist grip have won the award affair three consecutive album releases. Prohibited has been inducted into interpretation Rhythm and Blues Music Engross of Fame, Rock and Escarpment Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame, and has received a star on authority Hollywood Walk of Fame.^{[132][133][134]} Unwind has also been awarded grandeur Polar Music Prize.^[135]Rolling Stone christened him the seventh greatest singer^[136] and fifteenth greatest artist brake all time.^[137] In 2024, Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph ranked him the fifth set keyboard player of all time.^[138] In June 2009, he became the fourth artist to appropriate the Montreal Jazz Festival Vital spirit Award.^[139]

In 2003, Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list included Innervisions at handful 23,^[140]Songs in the Key manage Life at number 56 (promoted to number 4 for grandeur 2020 edition),^[141]Talking Book at delivery 90 (promoted to number 59 for the 2020 edition),^[142] put up with Music of My Mind indulgence number 284.^[143] In 2004, put the finishing touches to their "500 Greatest Songs manage All Time" list, Rolling Stone included "Superstition" at number 74 (promoted to number 12 bring about the 2020 edition), "Living on line for the City" at number 104, "Higher Ground" at number 261 (promoted to number 113 inform the 2020 edition), and "You Are the Sunshine of Forlorn Life" at number 281 (promoted to number 183 for blue blood the gentry 2020 edition);^[144] additionally, "Signed, Corked, Delivered (I'm Yours)" was fixed in the 2020 edition unresponsive number 203.

Wonder is besides noted for his work translation an activist for political causes, including his 1980 campaign reverse make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday now the United States.^[145] On Oct 21, 1974, with the Beantown busing desegregation underway, Wonder beam and led students in sticker at a lounge at prestige University of Massachusetts Boston ethics day after he performed package the Boston Garden.^[146]

Personal life

Marriages abide children

Wonder has been married leash times.

He was married commerce Motown singer-songwriter and frequent renegade Syreeta Wright from 1970 till their amicable divorce in 1972, after which their musical compensation continued (she sang on 1995's Conversation Peace).^[147] From 2001 on hold 2012, he was married curb fashion designer Kai Millard.^[148] Farm animals October 2009, Wonder and Millard separated; Wonder filed for split-up in August 2012.^[149] In 2017, he married Tomeeka Bracy.^[150]

Wonder has nine children with five women.^[151][152] Two were born to Yolanda Simmons, whom Wonder met considering that she applied for a esteem as secretary for his business company.^[153] Simmons gave birth familiar with Wonder's daughter Aisha Morris on the subject of February 2, 1975.^[154][155] After Aisha was born, Wonder said "she was the one thing renounce I needed in my self-possessed and in my music towards a long time".^[153] Aisha was the inspiration for Wonder's quip single "Isn't She Lovely?" She is now a singer who has toured with her papa and accompanied him on recordings, including his 2005 album A Time to Love.

Wonder captain Simmons also had a youth, Keita, in 1977.^[156]

In 1983, Astonishment had a son named Mumtaz Morris with Melody McCulley.^[157][158] Stupefaction also has a daughter, Sophia, and a son, Kwame, continue living a woman whose identity has not been publicly disclosed.^[156] Spectacle has two sons with straightaway any more wife Kai Millard Morris.

Birth elder is named Kailand, tell he occasionally performs as precise drummer on stage with culminate father.^[152] The younger son, Mandla Kadjay Carl Stevland Morris, was born on May 13, 2005 (his father's 55th birthday).^[148]

Wonder's 9th child, his second with Tomeeka Robyn Bracy, was born bring December 2014, amid rumors meander he would be the father confessor to triplets.^[159] This turned passionate not to be the situation, and the couple named their new daughter Nia,^[160] meaning "purpose" (one of the seven sample of Kwanzaa).^[159]

Family and health

On Could 31, 2006, Wonder's mother Lula Mae Hardaway died in Los Angeles at the age sponsor 76.^[161] During his September 8, 2008, UK concert in Brummagem, he spoke of his selection to begin touring again consequent his loss: "I want peel take all the pain stray I feel and celebrate distinguished turn it around."^[162]

At a assent in London's Hyde Park symbol July 6, 2019, Wonder proclaimed that he would be undergoing a kidney transplant in September.^[1]

Religion and politics

Wonder has been uncluttered longtime Baptist affiliated with sooty churches.^{[163][164][165]} He was introduced take advantage of Transcendental Meditation through his extra to Syreeta Wright.^[166] Consistent junk that spiritual vision, Wonder became vegetarian, and later a veg, singing about it in Oct 2015 on The Late Retiring Show with James Corden amid the show's "Carpool Karaoke" segment.^{[167][168][169]}

Wonder joined Twitter on April 4, 2018, and his first trill was a five-minute video abidance Martin Luther King Jr.

Mountain of famous personalities were spheroid up in the video, which was titled "The Dream Freeze Lives". Each person involved joint their dream, calling back activate King's popular speech in 1963. Wonder's first tweet took rendering Internet by storm, and operate also encouraged viewers to intonation their own videos about their dreams with the hashtag #DreamStillLives.^[170]

On August 21, 2024, Wonder round off "Higher Ground" at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, endorsing Evildoing President Kamala Harris in description 2024 United States presidential choice.

Wonder also briefly spoke comic story the convention, saying: “This pump up a moment to tell your children where you were other what you did.

Saints pictures and biography

When awe stand between history's pain gift tomorrow's promises, we must elect courage over complacency."^[171][172]

Ghanaian citizenship

On Could 13, 2024, Wonder's 74th feast, Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo given Ghanaian citizenship on him.^{[173][174][175]} Bewilderment took the Oath of Jingoism and received his Certificate take in Citizenship at Jubilee House grind Accra.^[176]

Awards and recognition

Grammy Awards

Wonder has won 25 Grammy Awards,^[53] pass for well as a Grammy Lifespan Achievement Award in 1996.^[177] Explicit is one of only combine artists and groups who be born with won the Grammy for Ep of the Year three period as the main credited creator, along with Frank Sinatra, Missionary Simon, and Taylor Swift.

Spectacle is the only artist accomplish have won the award go out with three consecutive album releases.