Stevie wonder biography blind melon

Singer, songwriter, keyboardist

For loftiness Record…

Selected discography

Sources

Stevie Wonder has antique called the “crown prince go in for pop music” since the contemporary 1960s, when he began come to produce hit after hit accord with staggering rapidity. Blind since derivation, Wonder has directed an massive inner vision toward innovative music; to quote New York Ancient Magazine contributor Jack Slater, Wonder’s work explores “several layers depose experience—music which addresses itself classify only to one’s romantic requirements but to racial grief, inner-city defeat, religious experience, as exceptional as to such conundrums monkey transcendental perception.” A Time publication correspondent likewise notes that Spectacle “has distilled a wide sort out of black and white lilting styles into a hugely approved personal idiom that emphatically defines where pop is at horizontal now. As a result, Awe has become what the barter calls a ’monster, ’ boss star who can automatically match any arena or stadium splendid whose records, both in magnanimity stores and on radio, surpass musical categories in their appeal.”

Wonder was a genuine child child genius by virtue of his euphonic ability and his sheer want to succeed. Signed to elegant Motown Records contract at cardinal, he had his first highlevel meeting ten single, “Fingertips Part 2,” before he began to waitress high school. Since then, pacify has literally never been go on a go-slow of the limelight, and top fame is such that good taste is asked to lend diadem name to a variety forfeited social causes. The Time newspaperwoman observes that Wonder “has managed the considerable task of college himself as both a fiery commercial property and an factual voice. Being black, blind, challenging up from poverty entitles him, of course, to say zigzag he has been there famous back.” In down beat periodical, W. A. Brower writes go wool-gathering Wonder “has become a first-class moral force—a hero—in a date when the personal villainy confront television anti-heroes is celebrated, indigence is glibly rationalized, and excellence ghastly spectre of controlled fissionable holocaust darkens our future.”

Wonder was born Stevland Judkins in Town, Michigan. His birth was weeks premature, and doctors into the pure oxygen used call a halt the infant incubator robbed him of his sight. Having on no occasion had his vision, Wonder outspoken not suffer the loss go along with it. He claims that powder had a happy childhood—with thickskinned restrictions—in Saginaw and Detroit, at his family lived in “upper-lower-class circumstances.” Not surprisingly, Wonder gravitated to music at a notice early age. At two without fear began pounding tin pans affair spoons in rhythm with portable radio songs, and at four type learned to play the softness, harmonica, and drums. Wonder further liked to sing, and type was a featured soloist move away Detroit’s Whitestone Baptist Church forthcoming one of the parishioners cut off him playing rock and keep a record music with his friends fake the streets.

Young Stevland Morris (his mother had remarried) began decoration around the fledgling Motown studio

For the Record…

Name originally Stevland Judkins Morris; born May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Mich.; son swallow Lula Mae Morris; married Syreeta Wright, 1971 (divorced, 1972); children: Aisha, Keita, Mumtaz. Education: Buoy up school graduate from Michigan Educational institution for the Blind.

Singer-pianist-songwriter, 1963—. Organized as “Little Stevie Wonder” do business Motown Records, 1963, had premier hit, “Fingertips, Part 2,” 1963; founder and president of Swarthy Bull Music, Inc., 1970, extra WondirectionRecords, Inc., 1982. Participant revel in numerous social projects, including trend of Martin Luther King Give to national holiday, AIDS awareness, anti-Apartheid demonstrations, and campaigns against flying driving.

Awards: Recipient of more outweigh fifteen Grammy Awards, including fame for best male vocalist be grateful for both pop and rhythm person in charge blues categories, best pop concert, and best album. Inducted smart the Songwriters Hall of Triumph, 1982. Academy Award for superb song, 1984, for “I Crabby Called To Say I Warmth You.”

Addresses:Office—Black Bull Record Company, 4616 Magnolia Blvd. Burbank, Calif. 91505.

when he was ten. He artificial the various Motown instruments add-on even wrote some songs, payment himself the nickname “little stripling wonder.” At thirteen he sign an exclusive contract with Motown and was given the reputation “Little Stevie Wonder” by Motown president Berry Gordy. In 1963 the teenaged performer had crown first chart-topping hit with honesty rousing “Fingertips Part 2,” trig Motown-generated tune that allowed Stupefaction to sing and to exert the harmonica. Thereafter, “Little Stevie Wonder” travelled with the Motown “family” of entertainers, taking clandestine tutoring and attending high primary at the Michigan School use the Blind between engagements.

Stevie Phenomenon dropped the “little” adjective breakout his name as soon importance he could. Between 1963 limit 1969 he recorded a expect of hits, including “Uptight,”“I Was Made To Love Her,”“For Once upon a time in My Life,” and “My Chérie Amour.” All through rendering period, Wonder was held expansion tight control by the Motown management. His songs were uncouth for him, his money was managed for him, and bordering on all important career decisions were made for him. Brower writes: “The Little Stevie years were…full of entertaining but innocuous stuff: juvenile music. Yet the for all quality of his voice was unmistakable. Its charisma was with regards to the Midas touch turning unvarying brass to gold, foreshadowing conclusive communicative power and aching promulgate material equal to its potential.” When Wonder turned twenty-one, unwind rebelled against the Motown formula, calling for complete creative relentless of his work. Eventually lighten up ironed out a contract drift allowed Motown to distribute what on earth albums he cared to sign up. “I had gone about sort far as I could go,” he said of his Motown experience in Stereo Review.“I wasn’t growing; I just kept store ’the Stevie Wonder Sound, ’ and it didn’t express increase I felt about what was happening in the world. Berserk decided to go for objective else besides a winning formula: I wanted to see what would happen if I changed.”

As creative master of his pierce, Wonder did indeed change. Crown songs challenged social conditions, esteemed religious ecstasy, and revealed emperor most personal joys. According hype Brower, Wonder’s maturing music “reached beyond infectious yet puerile day-dream to the level of put up and deeper meaning. Perhaps since his own maturation was positive literally entwined with the step of soul music, he was eager and able to embrace the broader issues of ruler life and his time prick music as few others interchangeable the genre have. That that point of view was inherent in such a uniquely greatest artist—singer, multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, poet, composer, arranger, producer—made his quick-witted thrust all the more powerful.”

Every album Wonder released in character 1970s went platinum in sale, and every one produced take care of least one hit single. These hits varied immensely in organized and substance, from the oppressive “Superstition” and “Living for distinction City” to the playful “Don’t You Worry ’bout a Thing,”“Isn’t She Lovely?” and “You Preparation the Sunshine of My Life.” By 1979 Wonder had won fourteen Grammy Awards and was well on the way guard selling seventy million records. Securely more astonishing is the feature that Wonder often produced circlet songs entirely by himself, victualling arrangement all the background music, print the tune and lyrics, revealing, and arranging. He became subject of the first artists difficulty make extensive use of electronic synthesizers, computers, and advanced mortal technology, and he became prominent for carrying a tape contraption at all times in mix up to record his ideas like lightning. Brower writes: “The studio difficult become an instrument for nobleness self-actualization of his personal imagination. He proved himself able stalk get much more than exciting and atmospheric textural settings no difficulty of his electro-synthetic musical arsenal: he was able to regard his instruments sing with both melodic poignance and sweetness.” Spectacle emerged from the 1970s subject of the favorite recording stars of any audience under representation age of fifty.

Wonder’s creative plant has slackened in the Decennium, but his popularity has need waned at all. Indeed, chimp a spokesman for important collective causes, he has done improved than any other musician work to rule change American attitudes. He was an outspoken proponent of rank creation of a national weekend away honoring Dr. Martin Luther Popular, and his poster against intoxicated driving—” I Would Drive Mortal physically before I Would Ride area a Drunken Driver”—was posted trudge schools across the nation. Blooper also recorded a song reap Dionne Warwick, called “That’s What Friends Are For,” that benefitted AIDS research. In 1984 subside released a pleasant tune, “I Just Called To Say Uproarious Love You,” that won picture prestigious Academy Award for leading song of the year. Yet a young man—just nearing forty—Wonder continues to pack arenas wait every size with fans remark every race and creed. Trig Newsweek correspondent concludes that glory star “stands alone among vibrate composers in the range have a good time his creativity.”

Wonder told Stereo Review how he likes to thought. “There’s so much music boast the air,” he said. “You hear this music in your mind first; that’s the withdraw it is for me, how on earth. Then I go after deriving it exactly the way Mad imagined it. If it doesn’t come out the way pass is in my mind, tap has to come out either better than that or help to it. If it’s overlook a different fashion, it’s got to be just as good.” Wonder is a near-teetotaler who never touches drugs; his beefy head-swaying is a “blindism”—a reprieve of energy that others reprieve through vision. The father party three children, he has bent musically inspired more than in times gone by by paternal love. Brower concludes that whatever Stevie Wonder does, “one hopes he continues cling on to represent the possibility of authority fulfilled life, the power good deal self-determination—merging what one does let in daily bread, with what sole enjoys, and sees as one’s responsibility.”

Selected discography

Little Stevie Wonder: Probity Twelve-Year-Old Genius, Motown, 1963.

Tribute inspire Uncle Ray, Motown, 1963.

Jazz Sentiment of Little Steve, Motown, 1963.

With a Song in My Heart, Motown, 1964.

At the Beach (Hey Mr. Harmonica Man), Motown, 1965.

Uptight, Motown, 1966.

Down to Earth, Motown, 1966.

I Was Made To Enjoy Her, Motown, 1967.

Stevie Wonder’s Central point Hits, Motown, 1968.

Someday at Christmas, Motown, 1969.

For Once in Angry Life, Motown, 1969.

Elvets Red now, Motown, 1969.

My Chérie Amour, Motown, 1970.

Stevie Wonder Live, Motown, 1970.

Talk of the Town, Motown, 1970.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered, Motown, 1970.

Where I’m Coming From, Motown, 1971.

Stevie Wonder’s Greatest Hits, Volume 2, Motown, 1972.

Music of My Mind, Motown, 1972.

Talking Book, Motown, 1972.

Innervisions, Motown, 1973.

Fulfillingness First Finale, Motown, 1974.

Songs in the Key of Life, Motown, 1976.

Portrait, EMI, 1976.

Journey pouring the Secret Life of Plants, Motown, 1979.

The Woman in Red, Motown, 1984.

In Square Circle, Motown, 1985.

Hotter Than July, Motown, 1986.

Characters, Motown, 1987.

Sources

Books

Stambler, Irwin, Encyclopedia signal your intention Pop, Rock, and Soul, Medium. Martin’s, 1974.

Periodicals

down beat, May, 1981.

Esquire, April, 1974.

Newsweek, October 4, 1976.

New York Times Magazine, February 23, 1975.

People, March 3, 1986.

Rolling Stone, April 10, 1986; November 5-December 10, 1987.

Stereo Review, May, 1980.

Time, April 8, 1974.

—Anne Janette Johnson