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He is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and
producer born prematurely in Saginaw, Michigan,
as Stevland Judkins, which was later changed to Stevland Morris. He has
been blind from infancy possibly due to receiving excessive oxygen levels
in his incubator, causing retinopathy.
He was singing and playing at church from a very young age and taken
to Motown at the age of 11 where he became Little Stevie Wonder. He had his first major hit at the
age of 13 which was "Fingertips" and featured an also young
Marvin Gaye on drums. He
dropped the "Little" from his name in the mid-60s and went on
to become one of the most successful Motown artists ever as performer and
songwriter. His backing group
is called Wonderlove and over the years has featured singers that have
included Deniece Williams, Minnie Ripperton and Syreeta Wright, who he was
briefly married to from 1970 until 1972. In 1973 he was in a serious road
traffic accident that left him in a coma and removed his sense of smell
permanently. He has appeared on
songs with many artists including Chaka Khan, Busta Rhymes, Bruce
Springsteen and Paul McCartney.
Alongside being inducted into the Rock and Roll and the Songwriters Halls
of Fame he was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors by President
Clinton. A winner of 21 Grammy
Awards which has been unbeaten by a solo artist, he has also won an Oscar
for Best Song with "I
Just Called To Say I Love You",
and has had more than 30 Top 10 hits. He has championed the efforts
to make Martin Luther King's birthday a holiday as well as being
involved in many humanitarian projects. He has seven children and his
four-year old son accompanied him at the pre-game show for the 2006 Super Bowl.
Joan Baez
Recordings
Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer (Stevie
Wonder/Syreeta Wright)
Sources:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Wonder
- http://www.steviewonder.net/
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