« Back to Artists

Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder is a socially conscious singer who plays piano, harmonica and other instruments. He has a unique, passionate style that draws on jazz, R&B, reggae and gospel sources.

Steveland Hardaway Morris was born prematurely in 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan, and became blind as a baby. He was trained in classical piano, and as a child sang and played piano, congas and harmonica in church. At age 12, he signed with Motown's Tamla label as Little Stevie Wonder.

Little Stevie Wonder made his first hit "Fingertips" in 1963, a live performance with Marvin Gaye on drums that reached #1 on the pop charts. Dropping the "Little" from his stage name, Stevie Wonder made a number of hits in the 1960s including "Uptight (Everything's All Right)", "With a Child's Heart" and a cover of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind". These were followed by "I Was Made To Love Her", "My Cherie Amour" and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours", all major hits.

After disputes with MoTown over artistic control, Stevie Wonder obtained full creative control and rights to his songs. His classic 1972 album "Music of My Mind" was one of the first pop albums conceived as a complete, coherent composition rather than a series of unrelated songs.

A tour with the Rolling Stones in 1972 introduced him to a wider audience. Further hits followed, often with a social message, including "Superstition", "You Are The Sunshine of My Life", "Higher Ground", "Living For The City" and "You Haven't Done Nothing". Stevie Wonder won two consecutive Grammy Awards for his albums "Innervisions" (1974) and "Fullfillingness' First Finale" (1975).

After a three-year pause between 1976 and 1979, Stevie Wonder produced a string of hits during the late 1980s and 1990s, and also composed many songs that became hits for other artists. His biggest hit singles of this period were "I Just Called to Say I Love You" and "Part-Time Lover".

More recently Stevie Wonder has slowed down, but still continues to release highly original recordings and put on memorable shows.

Videos from YouTube ...