Stevie Wonder
May 13, 1950 — Saginaw, Michigan
Stevland Hardaway Morris, known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, whose 25 Grammy Awards remain a record for a solo artist.
Child Prodigy at Motown
Born on May 13, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan, Wonder was blinded shortly after birth due to excess oxygen in his incubator. Music became his world early: by age eleven he had signed with Motown's Tamla label, and "Little Stevie Wonder" released his first album at twelve. His 1963 live recording "Fingertips" became Motown's first number-one single by a solo artist. Like Ella Fitzgerald, who began performing as a teenager and never looked back, Wonder's talent outpaced every expectation placed on it.
The Classic Period
Wonder's greatest achievement was a run of five consecutive albums between 1972 and 1976 now known as "the classic period": Music of My Mind, Talking Book, Innervisions, Fulfillingness' First Finale, and Songs in the Key of Life. Each was a virtual one-man production, with Wonder playing nearly every instrument. Songs in the Key of Life (1976) is regularly cited alongside the Bill Withers catalog as the high watermark of soul's album era, and it remains one of the highest-rated albums in any genre.
Did You Know?
Stevie Wonder was instrumental in establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal U.S. holiday. After King's assassination, Wonder wrote and recorded "Happy Birthday" in 1980 as a tribute and spent years lobbying Congress. The holiday was signed into law in 1983 and first observed in 1986.
Activism and Enduring Influence
Beyond the music, Wonder has been a tireless activist for racial equality, blindness awareness, and world peace. His United Nations appointment as a Messenger of Peace in 2009 recognized a lifetime of humanitarian work. His Songs in the Key of Life remains his best-loved work, but his influence touches virtually every strand of popular music made after 1972. Artists from Prince to Beyoncé to Bruno Mars credit him as foundational.