Famous blind musicians. Stevie Wonder - Kissed by God Stevie Wonder biography personal life

Stevie Wonder is an American-born musician who was blind from birth. The founder of the classic style of soul and R’n’B. Singer with a voice range of 4 octaves, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer. He became a Grammy winner 25 times.

The future singer was born on March 13, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan. The family raised six children, the third of whom was Stevie. The boy, named Stivland Hardaway Judkins, was born prematurely and was placed in a prematurity incubator. His naturally weak vision completely deteriorated after doctors miscalculated the child’s oxygen supply.

Young Stevie Wonder with harmonica

Lula Mae Judkins, Stevie's mother, did not dwell on her son's illness, but in every way helped the boy adapt to the world around him. Stevie learned to move independently, learned to read and write using a regular primer, in which he groped for printed letters.

In 1954, Lula Mae remarried and moved with the children from her first marriage to Detroit, changing her last name to Morris. At the age of 9 the boy was given harmonica, and then a piano appeared in the house, on which Stevie quickly learned to select familiar musical compositions and Sam Cooke. In addition to practicing instruments, the boy sang in the church choir.

Music

One day, at a Sunday service, the teenager was noticed by Gerald White, brother of Ronnie White from the group The Miracles, and invited him to audition. Stevie soon met Motown Records founder Barry Gordy. The producer immediately gave the boy a pseudonym - Little Stevie Wonder - and signed a contract under which Stevie went on a 4-month tour. Stevie performed in 94 concerts with Motown musicians.

At the age of 11, under the guidance of Clarence Paul, the company’s producer, Stevie recorded his first hit “I Call It Pretty Music, But the Old People Call It the Blues”, a year later the young musician’s first album “The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie” appeared and singles "Little Water Boy" and "Contract on Love". When Stevie Wonder began his concert career, he dropped out of school, but in order to receive a diploma, the boy had to attend a special school for the blind in an accelerated course.

At the age of 13, Stevie appeared with the hit “Fingertips”, which he performed with Marvin Gaye; the song immediately took first place in the pop and R"n"B charts. In the same year, the singer’s live album “Little Stevie Wonder the 12 Year Genius” was released. Recorded Live".

In 1964, the film “Muscle Beach Party” starring Stevie Wonder premiered on the screens; a year later, the musician appeared in the continuation of the franchise – the film “Bikini Beach.” In addition to his work in cinema, Stevie released a number of singles: “Pretty Little Angel”, “Castles in the Sand”, “Hey Harmonica Man”, “Happy Street” and the album “Stevie at the Beach”, which included songs from films. The Miracles' Smokey Robinson's hit "Tears of a Clown," which Stevie Wonder wrote while working for Motown, topped the music charts.

In 1971, Stevie Wonder created the first concept R&B disc, “Where I’m Coming From,” which differed from previous collections in a special way. musical style author, devoid of sentimentality. The singer not only independently wrote and arranged all the compositions for the record, but also completely produced the album. After the release of the disc, Stevie ends his collaboration with Motown under his first contract.

Having reconsidered the relationship with the main star of the label, company president Berry Gordy signed a second contract with Wonder, according to which the singer received complete creative freedom. Economic independence allows the musician to devote himself to conceptual projects. In 1972, two albums by the author appeared at once - “Music Of My Mind” and “Talking Book”, close in sound to rock.

To record songs, Stevie Wonder used a large number of instruments, including a synthesizer, which he played himself. The singer used the technique of voice overdubbing, which allowed him to record all the vocal parts himself. In the lyrics, Stevie, in addition to romantic subjects, addressed mystical, political and social themes.

In 2003, the albums "Music Of My Mind" and "Talking Book" were ranked 284th and 90th, respectively, on the publication's "500 Greatest Music of All Time" list. Rolling Stone. For two musical compositions from the second collection, Stevie Wonder received three Grammy awards. At this time, the musician began collaborating with the Rolling Stones and went on a world tour with the rockers.

Stevie Wonder and Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones

The 1973 disc “Innervisions” won three Grammy awards, including in the “album of the year” category, and was recognized by critics as the best disc of the musician’s classical period. Pop stars Ray Charles, Red Hot Chili Peppers and others used musical compositions from the collection to create cover versions.

The album's release coincided with Stevie Wonder's car accident. The singer spent a week in a coma, after which he lost his sense of smell. Having recovered, Stevie continued to make music. A year later, the artist recorded the disc "Fulfillingness" First Finale, which differs from previous records in greater self-absorption. For the creation of the album, the author received 4 Grammy awards.

In 1976, the album “Songs In The Key Of Life” appeared, which took 1st position in the Billboard 200 music rating and became the highest-grossing among all albums created during creative biography Stevie Wonder. In the 80s, the musician recorded three albums: “Hotter than July”, “In Square Circle” and “Characters”.

During these years, the singer began to work closely with world pop stars. The singer’s first videos are released: “Lately”, “Happy Birthday”, “That Girl”, “I Just Called to Say I Love You”, “Love Light in Flight”, “You Will Know”, “Free”, “Funday” .

In 1987, the British singer created the hit “Fragile” after the scandalous murder of engineer Ben Linder, who worked at a hydroelectric dam in South America, by the Contras in Nicaragua, which was supported by the American government.

The release of the song went unnoticed, but in 2001 the composition found a second life after the tragedy of September 11, 2001, when American musician Stevie Wonder joined Sting. The video of the concert, where the two stars performed, collected 5.6 million views on YouTube.

Stevie Wonder has been moving away from concert activity for almost 20 years, regularly re-releasing collections with the best compositions previous years. In 2007, the artist announced a large tour “A Wonder Summer’s Night” across US cities. The artist organized the tour in memory of his mother, who died a year earlier. All proceeds from ticket sales went to charity. In 2007, the singer attended the New Wave festival in Jurmala, and a year later gave a big concert in London, which was later released in DVD format.

Personal life

Stevie Wonder has always enjoyed the attention of women and reciprocated. The musician first married in 1970 to Motown brand employee Cyrita Wright, who co-wrote Wonder's first independent album. A year later the union broke up.

For a long time, Stevie lived in a civil marriage with Yolanda Simmons, who became the mother of the singer’s first two children. After another breakup, Stevie began dating singer Melody McCulley, the mother of Wonder's third child.

Soon the musician married Karen Millard. IN new family two children were born. Stevie Wonder's next muse, model Tomika Robin Bracey, gave the singer two daughters. According to rumors, the star has two more children from his lover, whose name is unknown to the press.

Stevie Wonder now

Stevie Wonder has now celebrated his 67th birthday and in June legalized his relationship with his beloved Tomika Robin Bracey, with whom he has been living for 5 years.

The private wedding ceremony took place on June 17, 2017 in Jamaica. As planned, all the singer’s children, as well as friends from show business, were supposed to gather at the event.

Discography

"The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie" - 1962
"Down to Earth" - 1966
"Someday at Christmas" - 1967
"My Cherie Amour" - 1960
"Music of My Mind" - 1972
"Talking Book" - 1972
"Innervisions" - 1973
“Fulfillingness’ First Finale” - 1974
"Songs in the Key of Life" - 1976
"Hotter than July" - 1980
"In Square Circle" - 1985
"Conversation Peace" - 1995
"A Time to Love" - 2005

“The Eighth Wonder of the World”—that’s what famous producer Clarence Paul called the ten-year-old black boy after his first audition. At the age of 12, the young musician was recognized as a genius. But a few years earlier, the parents of little Stivland Hardaway Judkins did not even let him out of the house, fearing that the blind boy would not be able to fend for himself. Steve could not agree with the sentence of spending his entire life locked up.

Stevie Wonder, a legendary musician, was born in May 1950 in Michigan, USA. The boy was born premature, very tiny, with huge dark eyes. Many years later, it turns out that in those first days of the baby’s life, a fatal medical error was made, which led to complete blindness. At that time, doctors were confident that they were doing everything to treat a typical disease of premature babies - retinopathy. Retinopathy is a non-inflammatory lesion of the retina of the eyeball, which leads to a disorder of the blood supply to the retina. The cause of the disorder is underdevelopment of blood vessels. Fifty years ago, doctors knew only one way to combat retinopathy - supplying oxygen to the baby's incubator. Stevie also received this treatment, but a large dose of oxygen only worsened the process of developing blindness. Today, the negative impact of this treatment method has already been proven. Newborn Stevie didn't stand a chance.

Stevie spent all of his early childhood at home. The baby's mother did not want him to even just play with other children, because they could offend her blind boy. At the age of 4, Stevie’s parents separated, the boy remained with his mother, who intensively began raising her son. She taught him to read using not only Braille, but also a regular children's primer. Stevie's fingers had such increased sensitivity that he could easily distinguish the outlines of letters even in ordinary printing ink. Stevie became toys musical instruments, which his mother brought him so that he would not get bored locked up. The harmonica and drum replaced the boy's soccer ball and tag. But the piano turned out to be the kid’s real passion. According to Wonder, as a child it was the combination of tactile sensations and sound production that aroused his interest. The child’s idol was the black musician Ray Charles, whose blindness did not prevent him from receiving 17 Grammys and getting into the halls of fame of rock and roll, jazz, country and blues. Stevie chose his path and started it in the local church choir.

Fame came to Stevie very early and very unexpectedly. The young talent was quickly noticed; Stevie was invited to audition for the producer of the then popular group “The Miracles”. The eleven-year-old blind musician impressed the producer so much that he immediately signed him to the first contract in the boy’s life. “Stevie is the eighth wonder of the world!” - said the enthusiastic producer. This pseudonym remained with the boy for the rest of his life: Stevie the Miracle, Stevie Wonder.

Stevie was barely 11 years old when his first record was released. She did not gain much popularity. But 2 years later, Stevie’s name thundered throughout the country - the song “Fingertips”, where Stevie acted as a vocalist and performer on bongos and harmonica, became a hit on the American charts. A blind black boy was recognized as a genius. You could forget about life locked up in your parents' house.

An amazing singing range of four octaves, a complex vocal technique, mastery of the piano, harmonica, drums, all types of keyboards and clarinet - it seemed that Stevie Wonder had absorbed a dozen musical geniuses at once. But the young musician was no longer going to stop there. He wanted people to simply forget about his physical disability; no one should even think about his blindness. In 1964, Stevie made his film debut: Wonder played himself in the film. Less than six months later he is back on the screens.

Stevie is no longer a little boy, he no longer has to be afraid that someone will hurt him. The matured “miracle” begins to work as a composer in a record company, he writes songs for his colleagues, and at the same time works on his own album of soul-jazz compositions. Soul singer, composer, arranger, drummer, pianist - by the age of 20, Stevie Wonder is already firmly on his own two feet, he “sees” his path and follows it.

Personal life is also going well. Steve marries songwriter Sairita Wright. A creative tandem becomes a family. The young wife helps Wonder produce his next album, which is destined to become a cult, conceptual album, opening a new page in the work of the miracle singer. For the first time, the singer became a full-fledged producer of his own album - he himself acted as a composer and arranger. Today, years later, this album is considered a classic of soul music. On his 21st birthday, Stevie Wonder received his first million dollars, according to his contract.

Stevie Wonder (born Stevie Wonder, born Stevland Hardaway Judkins, later renamed Stevland Hardaway Morris born May 13, 1950) American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, winner of 26 Grammy awards, the total circulation of his recordings is more than 150 million copies . Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Became one of the musicians who defined... Read all

Even the American press, greedy for compliments, especially when the monetary equivalent of the character under discussion is beyond doubt, does not throw around the word “genius.” In relation to Stevie Wonder, this concept is used regularly and as a matter of course. A musician, blind from birth, singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer, who radically expanded the universe of rhythm and blues... First you feel admiration, then all other feelings. His extraordinary flair for the texture of sound helped Stevie create vibrant, vibrant music filled with life and feeling. What is noteworthy is that sunny optimism and joy dominated in his recordings over the years and the most different topics, even when he was raising serious racial or political issues. Musical omnivorousness and good creative adventurism made Wonder a genre polyglot. His eclectic recordings harmoniously coexisted soul, funk, rock and roll, jazz, reggae, Broadway-style pop music and African motifs. The epitome of a one-man band, he learned to use synthesizers in entirely new ways, reshaping the entire landscape of pop music. An elastic voice, melodic ingenuity, talent as an arranger and a love for sentimental ballads - these were the building blocks of a surprisingly charming image. And over the years this charm does not fade.

He didn’t become Stevie Wonder right away. On May 13, 1950, a tiny black American named Steveland Hardaway Judkins was born in Saginaw, Michigan. He was born prematurely and spent the first months of his life in an oxygen incubator. It is the excess oxygen that explains the disease of the retina - retinopathy - which occurs in premature babies and sometimes causes vision loss. When Steveland was four years old, the family moved to Detroit, where the brightly gifted boy soon began singing in the church choir. His talents were not limited to singing alone. By the age of nine, he learned to play the piano, drums and harmonica blindly. The earth is full of rumors - and Ronnie White, a member of the Miracles group, finds himself at one of his home concerts among his friends. It is he who arranges for Stevie to audition for Berry Gordy, the boss of the Motown record company. Possessing professional flair, Gordy never doubted his success for a minute. Steve Morris, as he was called after his mother's second marriage, was given the stage name Little Stevie Wonder. The word "wonder" simply stated obvious fact- the miracle was evident. The “little miracle” teamed with producer and composer Clarence Paul, who helped Stevie release two albums in 1962: “A Tribute to Uncle Ray,” which included cover versions of his idol Ray Charles 12-year-old musician, and the second - “The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie”, an instrumental jazz album in which he showed off his technique of playing piano, harmonica and mixed drums. These records did not have any noticeable success.

But a year later the situation changed radically. In 1963, Motown released a long-play album bluntly titled “The 12 Year Old Genius.” The most interesting number on the album was a new extended version of the harmonica-led instrumental “Fingertips.” Released as a promotional single for "Fingertips, Pt. 2" with dizzying speed turned into a national hit, topping both the pop chart and the rhythm and blues rating. This attack on the listener brought significant results: the album “The 12 Year Old Genius” became the first release in the history of the Motown label to rise to the top of the American pop chart. The owner of the hit was only 13 years old.

Several more singles launched to follow up “Fingertips, Pt. 2,” of course, could not compete in popularity with this favorite. Nothing could be done against nature - Stevie Wonder began to develop a mutation in his voice, and his vocal career had to be put on hold for several years. During this time, he managed to take a classical piano course at the Michigan School for the Blind.

14-year-old Wonder, no longer using the Little prefix (“little”), returned to show business with an infectious dance hit - in the traditional Motown style - “Uptight (Everything's Alright)”, which finished in the Top 5 pop rating and became number one on the R&B chart. The miracle happened again: Stevie not only co-wrote the melody, but also emerged as a much more mature vocalist. The public did not ignore the next single, “Nothing’s Too Good for My Baby.” Already at the age of 16, Wonder begins to be seriously interested in social problems. He recorded a cover of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" and a cover of Ron Miller's "A Place in the Sun". But since the final say in the choice of material still remains with Motown management, this new direction does not receive due approval and remains in little demand.

Then Wonder takes the first steps towards taking full control of his own career. He again co-wrote most of the new material, in particular new hits: “Hey Love”, “I Was Made to Love Her” (#2 on the pop chart), “For Once in My Life” (again a pop hit # 2). These singles preceded the even more ambitious 1968 album For Once in My Life. Stevie not only writes more than half of the songs himself, but also produces several tracks. In addition to those already mentioned, three more singles confidently occupied first positions in the rhythm and blues rating: “Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Da y”, “You Met Your Match” and “I Don't Know Why” "

In 1969, Stevie Wonder's winning streak of singles was continued by Top 5 finalist "My Cherie Amour" (which was actually written three years ago) and Top 10 finalist "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday." The 20-year-old musician was already becoming such an experienced producer that he was almost entirely responsible for the sound of the 1970 release “Signed, Sealed & Delivered” (Top 25 pop rating). He is also the co-author of the song “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,” which he writes with singer Syreeta Wright, a fellow Motown label member. (She became his wife in September 1970.) His cover version of the Beatles song “We Can Work It Out” also enjoyed great success. He is also in demand as a composer: he writes the hit song “It’s a Shame” for his labelmates Spinners, and the song “Tears of a Clown” he created for the Miracles team turns out to be the only number one hit in the biography of this group.

1971 becomes a turning point in Stevie Wonder's career. He turns 21 on May 13, and on the same day his contract with Motown Records expires. From now on, those material consequences of his success, which for the most part flowed past his pocket, are at his complete disposal. A month before this symbolic day, Wonder published the album “Where I'm Coming From,” which he produced completely independently for the first time and on which there was not a single song written without his participation (lately he usually worked in tandem with his wife Sirita Wright ). Another important point is the unconditional dominance of keyboards and synthesizers in the arrangements of all songs. This record was not the most successful in a commercial sense, presenting only one single that rose to Top 10, “If You Really Love Me.” But that was not the main thing. The “Where I’m Coming From” LP is the first attempt to create a solid, high-quality R&B album, and not just collect several hits under one cover with the inevitable second-rate appendage.

The artist did not immediately seek a new contract with the label, as his bosses expected, but instead spent the additional funds he had on creating his own recording studio and studying music theory. By agreeing on cooperation with Motown, he could already dictate his terms. The musician negotiated a significant increase in royalties, full artistic control over his recordings, and the founding of his own label, Black Bull Music (which made him the owner of the rights to his music).

Now he could not adapt to the rules dictated by the label, but listen to his own muse, unlike anyone else. Full of strength and new plans, the musician began a new recording in his own studio and at the beginning of 1972 presented the album “Music of My Mind”. This work marked the birth of a new, mature and confident artist and rose to 21 positions in the pop rankings. Wonder independently produced all the material, which he wrote himself, and also recorded the parts of almost all instruments. "Music of My Mind" reflected Wonder's original view of music in general and rhythm and blues in particular, the boundaries of which he expanded with each of his releases, enriching it with innovative use of synthesizers and the introduction of new themes - social, racial and spiritual.

The success of the album coincided with the breakdown of the musician's family life. In 1972, his marriage to Sirita Wright was annulled, but they remained friends. Stevie helped her work on her debut album, for which he wrote several songs. In the same year, Stevie Wonder decided to go on a big tour for the first time, traveling across the United States with the Rolling Stones and introducing his work to the widest white audience.

Still, parting with his wife was not easy for him. Most of his new songs, combined on the “Talking Book” album (late 1972), were devoted to this topic. One of the strongest examples in the genre of rhythm and blues, this disc turned Wonder into a superstar. A mature musician and sophisticated composer, Wonder filled his sound with cosmic and futuristic landscapes, which he masterfully created with the help of synthesizers, without limiting himself to one genre. His name returned to the top of the charts with the rousing funk classic "Superstition" and the soft, jazz-harmony-wrapped ballad "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (soon to become a pop standard). These two songs made Stevie Wonder a three-time Grammy winner.

Surprisingly, his next album, Innervisions (1973), had an even greater impact. It topped the black album chart and became #4 on the pop chart. This concept post is about the state modern society, remains one of the most successful examples of socially concerned rhythm and blues. A chronicle of life in the ghetto, “Living for the City,” and an example of deep psychological introspection, “Higher Ground,” topped the R&B chart. And at the Grammy ceremony in early 1974, “Innervisions” was named album of the year (and brought Wonder three more awards - for best pop and R&B vocals and for the best R&B track). Another miracle is associated with this ceremony, which once again justified his stage name. Shortly before this celebration, when the artist was driving to a concert in North Carolina, a heavy log fell on his car. Stevie suffered serious head injuries and became comatose. But, fortunately, he survived.

The artist’s next recording, “Fulfillingness’ First Finale” (1974), was more restrained and introspective than its predecessor, and was filled with motifs of death, which surprised many of his fans. But even this Wonder was not ignored; his album easily topped the American charts. Two tracks became clear hits: the major “Boogie On, Reggae Woman” (Top 5 finalist) and the caustic criticism of President Richard Nixon’s regime “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” (a number one hit on many charts). The Grammy organizers named “Fulfillingness’ First Finale” album of the year and awarded the artist victory in three more categories, including best pop and R&B vocals. Meanwhile, the musician plunged headlong into writing and producing his second album. ex-wife"Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta."

He spent two years working on his new studio attempt. The result was worth it. Published in 1976, the large-scale project “Songs in the Key of Life” is the culmination of Wonder’s creative ambitions. Its volume did not fit into any format: two long-players and another mini-disc (105 minutes of music in total). The musician's most expensive recording, it was praised by some as an unsurpassed masterpiece, and criticized by others for its pretentiousness and self-indulgence. Both sides were right in their own way. “Sir Duke” is a spirited tribute to music in general and Duke Ellington in particular, who passed away shortly before, and the composition “I Wish”, a poem about childhood and a future Grammy winner, easily occupied the first lines of the charts. The song dedicated to his daughter, “Isn’t She Lovely,” eventually became a pop standard, and samples from the track “Pastime Paradise” would grace Coolio’s hit “Gangsta’s Paradise” two decades later. As you might expect, the Songs in the Key of Life LP was named Album of the Year by the Grammys.

The album also had another important consequence - it became the peak from which the decline inevitably begins, and with it the most prolific and intense period in the musician’s work ended. Having invested so much effort, so much creative energy into this release, over the next three years Wonder did not release a single new recording.

Only in 1979 did the break in the discography end with the appearance of a new record, “Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants.” This collection of mostly instrumental tracks was the soundtrack to a documentary that was never made. Although the album contained only a few songs, including the hit “Send One Your Love,” even Stevie Wonder’s symphonic escapades delighted audiences and critics alike. The album immediately found itself in the top five of the pop chart.

A year later, the musician had a new studio work of a completely different kind. So that no one would have any doubt that he had gone into the elite jungle, he recorded a 100% pop album, “Hotter Than July” (1980). The reggae-infused “Master Blaster (Jammin’)” returned Wonder’s name to the US Top 5. The song "Happy Birthday" was used with great success in a widespread campaign to recognize Martin Luther King's birthday as a national holiday. Wonder was one of the most active participants in this action. (The campaign achieved success only with the coming to power of Ronald Reagan, and King's first birthday was publicly celebrated on January 15, 1986. One of central figures the gala concert was, of course, Stevie Wonder.) From an artistic point of view, “Hotter Than July” turned out to be noticeably weaker than his releases of the mid-70s, but it was still the work of a master. And the fans were so tired of waiting for the return of their idol and treated everything that came out of his studio with such love that - oddly enough - this particular disc became the first holder of a platinum certificate in his career.

In 1981, Wonder began creating a new record. Work on it dragged on for a long time, the release was postponed several times, it was rumored that the artist was exhausted and was not able to return to good creative shape. However, over these few years, the musician had many projects in addition to his album. In 1982, his duet with Paul McCartney “Ebony and Ivory” was released, dedicated to the harmonization of interracial relations. The single became a number one hit in many countries. Soon the musician prepared a compilation of the best tracks “Original Musiquarium I”, covering his releases from 1972-82. The release included four new songs, two of which became popular hits: "That Girl" and "Do I Do" (recorded with Dizzy Gillespie). In 1984, he wrote the soundtrack for Gene Wilder's comedy The Woman in Red. This work could not be called a full-fledged Stevie Wonder album, but the wonderful lyrical composition “I Just Called to Say I Love You” was heard in the film. The song was destined to become the most popular and widely replicated hit in the musician’s biography, his calling card and persistent leader of numerous American charts. Hotly loved by fans and sarcastically ridiculed by critics (as too simple and even stupid), this hit nevertheless won an Oscar Award for Best Song from a Motion Picture.

It wasn't until 1985 that Wonder finally completed work on the new album, which spanned five years. The disc “In Square Circle” went on sale, preceded by the single “Part Time Lover” - the last pop chart leader in his solo career. Several more strong songs (even if their synthesized arrangements sounded quite standard) contributed to the long-play “In Square Circle” reaching a million copies. And the artist’s collection of awards was replenished with another Grammy for best R&B vocals.

The 1987 studio effort Characters, his last release in the 1980s, was popular primarily with black audiences. It topped the rhythm and blues chart and spawned the hit “Skeletons.” The musician returns from new job I had to wait four years. The next release was the soundtrack to the film “Jungle Fever” directed by Spike Lee, which was released in 1991. Once again, four whole years passed before a selection of new material, Conversation Peace (1995), was released. The public reacted to the album lukewarmly, but the Grammy organizers thought differently and awarded the single “For Your Love” victory in two categories in the rhythm and blues genre: “best song” and “best male vocal.”

That’s when rapper Coolio unexpectedly revived Wonder’s old hit “Pastime Paradise,” sampling it in the energetic rap track “Gangsta’s Paradise.” The Coolio single became one of the brightest bestsellers of the year. The musician perked up and, hot on the heels, recorded another hit duet with Babyface, “How Come, How Long” (1996).

The musician’s latest album, “A Time to Love,” was released in 2005. The album debuted straight away at number five on the American Billboard 200. It received a lot of positive reviews from critics and achieved gold status based on sales in the United States.

In the summer of 2007, after a 20-year break, Stevie Wonder decided to return to active musical activity, starting the American “A Wonder Summer’s Night” tour. It started on August 23 with a concert in San Diego and was held in 13 cities, ending in Boston on September 20.

Stevie Wonder is one of the most famous vocalists in the world, he was at the origins of modern rhythm and blues and soul. Stevie Wonder is regularly called a genius, because with a vocal range of four octaves and a very complex vocal technique, he also masterfully plays the piano, any synthesizers, drum kit, clarinet and harmonica. Wonder received 25 Grammys and was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Stevie Wonder was born in 1950 in the small town of Saginaw (Michigan) into a poor large family; his parents divorced when the boy was 4 years old, and his mother took him and other children to Detroit. Stevie lost his sight in infancy due to retinopathy, a disease often observed in premature babies. The blind boy spent almost all his time at home - his mother was afraid that other children would offend him. She taught Stevie to read and brought him various musical instruments, and also took him to sing in the church choir. Wonder loved to listen to Ray Charles, who also lost his sight in early childhood.

At the age of 11, Stevie Wonder was brought to an audition by the head of the Motown record company, who was struck by the boy’s extraordinary musicality. The result of this meeting was the singer's first contract, which was followed in 1962 by the recording of two albums, which, however, did not have much success.

At the age of 13, Stevie had his first real hit called “Fingertips (Pt. 2)”, in which the boy not only sang, but also played the harmonica and bongos. The song hit the first line of the US rhythm and blues and pop charts, and the name Stevie Wonder began to be fixed in the minds of listeners. Soon his composing talent also manifests itself - he begins to write songs for other musicians from the Motown label, including the hit “Tears of a Clown” for the group The Miracles.

A conversation with Martin Luther King was the event that completely changed the fate of Stevie Wonder - he began to be interested in politics and was no longer content with the role of a well-selling musician in the hands of label management. The morning after Wonder's coming-of-age party, a letter appeared on the Motown head's desk announcing the termination of all contracts. The 21-year-old singer left the company with $1 million under the old deal, while Motown made at least $30 million from him.

Motown quickly realized that they had lost their main star, and in 1972 a new contract was signed with Stevie Wonder - already on his terms, now the performer himself led the creative process and received the rights to all songs. In the same year, the singer released the album “Music Of My Mind”, which became a conceptual album for soul music and opened “ classical period"in Wonder's work.

In 1973, the album "Innervisions" was released. artistic level which was simply phenomenal, and the popularity of the record grew every year - in 2003 it was ranked 23rd on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Wonder not only wrote and sang all the songs on “Innervisions,” but also played most of the instruments.

In the late 1970s, Stevie Wonder's popularity began to decline; he continued to work hard, but his albums became noticeably weaker. In 1987, the performer stopped performing and began experimenting with creating soundtracks. In 1995, rapper Coolio made a famous cover of Wonder's song "Pastime Paradise", which gave the singer strength for a new creative breakthrough. After a series of singles, he released the album “A Time to Love” in 2005, and in 2007, after a 20-year hiatus, he conducted a successful tour. In 2010, 140,000 people came to listen to him at the Glastonbury Festival in England.

After 2005, Stevie Wonder did not release any new albums, although he continues to actively participate in music festivals and engage in charitable and peacekeeping activities.

Having absorbed the unique sound of the Motown label from a young age, Stevie Wonder continued the tradition of this recording studio. At first, his repertoire consisted of compositions in the genres of pop music and soul. Later, Wonder offered listeners an ambitious hybrid of Tin Pan Alley chords, R&B energy with bright splashes of jazz, reggae and African rhythms.

Stevie Wonder is an innovator in the field of studio recording and a pioneer in the use of synthesizers. He is one of the few musicians who performs parts of almost all instruments on his records, and does it with virtuosity and ease.

Stevie Wonder - biography, facts, photos

Wonder's songs differ socially significant topics about life in the ghetto and the violation of civil rights.

Wonder at Motown Studios

An active supporter of nonviolent political change, a follower of Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi, Wonder personifies the naive utopianism of the 60s. At the same time, the performer remained absolutely modern in his musical experiments.

Little Stevie Wonder

Stevie and Barry

The outstanding talent of Stevie Morris (the musician's real name) was one of the first to be appreciated by Ronnie White from the band The Miracles.

He accidentally heard a 10-year-old blind boy playing the harmonica and introduced the young talent to the CEO and President of Motown, the legendary Barry Gordy Jr.

He, in turn, was also captivated by the talent of the prodigy. Calling the boy Little Stevie Wonder, Gordie Jr. offered him a contract.

8 months later Wonder's single Fingertips topped the R&B chart. Both on studio recordings and at concerts, young Stevie not only sang, but also played the harmonica, drums, piano and organ.

For the first 3 years in show business, the boy was presented to the public as an excellent R&B performer “in the style of Ray Charles,” not least because both musicians were blind.

Wonder personifies the naive utopianism of the 60s

Still from the film with Stevie Wonder

Still from the movie Muscle Beach Party

In 1964, Stevie Wonder appeared on the silver screen in the films Muscle Beach Party and its sequel Bikini Beach.

By the end of the 70s, Wonder's style became more diverse. The repertoire includes a cover version of Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind, the optimistic A Place in the Sun and an instrumental version of Burt Baccarat’s Alfie. In 1969, the ballads My Cherie Amour and Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday reached the top of the charts.

Own way

Having matured, Stevie Wonder decided to take control of his career development. By the time Sealed & Delivered was released, he was actually his own producer and arranger, performing most of the instruments, and new material wrote in collaboration with his wife Sairita Wright.

Wedding of Stevie Wonder and Cyritha Wright

During this period, 3 more singles were recorded: Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours, Heaven Help Us All and If You Really Love Me.

In 1971, at the age of 21, Wonder signed a new contract with Motown, under which he became the first artist to receive full creative control, as well as the money he earned while underage. True, out of the 30 million dollars he earned, he got only 1 - these were the terms of the first contract.

At the time, his songs supported the label's corporate tradition of releasing upbeat tracks that radio stations eagerly picked up for rotation. But nevertheless, they still differed from the main mass, standing out with socially significant themes. The lyrics were about the difficulties of life in the ghetto or the violation of civil rights.

Starting with Music of My Mind, the musical palette of Wonder's albums expands significantly. The music is influenced by gospel, rock and roll, jazz, African and Latin American rhythms.

The arsenal of instruments is enriched with synthesizers, which become distinctive feature his sound.

Stevie Wonder and Mick Jagger (1972)

Thanks to a joint tour with The Rolling Stones in 1972, his audience of fans expanded significantly. A few months later, two of Wonder’s compositions confidently topped the charts. We're talking about Superstition, originally written for Jeff Beck, and You Are the Sunshine of My Life from the Talking Book album.

In 1972, his marriage to Sairita Wright, which lasted only a year, broke up. The following year, he was involved in a serious car accident, after which he fell into a coma for 4 days.

Stevie Wonder's hits

In the 80s, Wonder cut back studio activities and toured most of the time

Over the next 4 years, Wonder released three albums, which also included 3 top singles (You Haven’t Done Nothin; I Wish; Sir Duke), each of which sold millions of copies. During this time, Wonder received 15 Grammy awards.

Numerous cover versions of Wonder's songs have been and continue to be recorded. Many musicians have acknowledged his influence on their work - from Jeff Beck to Bob Marley.

Stevie Wonder and B.B. King (1972)

Working with The Jackson Brothers, The Supremes, Minnie Ripperton, Rufus and Cyritha Wright, Wonder established himself as a songwriter and producer.

Plate Songs in the Key of Life, released under a new $13 million deal with Motown, was a true display of artistic maturity and power. The album remained at the top of the charts for 14 weeks.

Searching for a new sound

Next disc Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants, the recording of which lasted 3 years, was the soundtrack to the documentary film of the same name. The predominantly instrumental album did not generate much interest at the time. Today it may well be considered a forerunner of the New Age music genre.

Hotter Than July became a kind of return to the dance spirit of early albums, updated with modern trends such as reggae and rap. It contained Master Blaster (Jammin’) and Happy Birthday – the artist’s original call for giving Martin Luther King’s birthday the status of a national holiday.

Stevie Wonder with theater students in Harlem

In 1982, fans of Wonder's work, who had long been waiting for an album with new material, heard That Girl, Do I Do, a duet with Paul McCartney Ebony and Ivory and a retrospective of the best songs of Musiquarium.

In the 80s, Wonder sharply reduced his studio activities, but continued to tour.

Stevie Wonder became the first Motown artist to perform in the Eastern Bloc.

Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan

In 1982, together with Bob Dylan and Jackson Browne, Wonder took part in the Peace Sunday concert and rally at the Rose Bowl stadium, calling for an end to the nuclear arms race.

Two years later, he received the symbolic keys to Detroit, where he spent his childhood, and subsequently even considered running for mayor of the city.

Elton John and Stevie Wonder 1973

Other events of the decade are worth noting:

Recording of the harmonica part in Elton John's track I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues.

Participated in the recording of the composition We Are the World.

Oh scar for best song I Just Called to Say I Love You, included in the soundtrack to the film "The Woman in Red".

By dedicating the award to Nelson Mandela, Wonder so angered South African authorities that all of his music was banned from broadcast on local radio stations.

Part-Time Lover became the first single to simultaneously top the charts of different genres - pop music, R&B, disco.

Album In Square Circle, which included this track, reached number 5 on the chart and brought Wonder a Grammy in the category “Best Male.” vocal performance in the style of R&B."

Critics and the public reacted favorably to Wonder's work. The success of these works could not compare with the universal recognition that his records achieved in the 70s.

Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson

Thanks to duets with Michael Jackson (Get It) and Julio Iglesias (My Love), recorded in 1988, Wonder's name continued to be heard.

A year later, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The list of awards was supplemented by the Grammy “For musical achievements of a lifetime.”

In 1995, 4 years after receiving the Nelson Mandela Courage Award, he released the album Conversation Peace, which he had been working on since the late 80s.

Critical response to the 74-minute work was mixed but generally positive. Everyone rejoiced at the very fact of Wonder’s return to studio work after an 8-year break.

Stevie Wonder and Miles Davis

In 1999, Wonder performed in the Super Bowl concert program and was also among those who received the annual Kennedy Center Honors for his lifetime achievements and contributions to American culture.

To the delight of fans, he appeared on the hour-long talk show Donny & Marie, where he performed several hits, mostly accompanying himself on keyboards.

Closing out the decade and century as a whole, in November 1999, Wonder released the four-disc box set At the Close of the Century. It was collected in chronological order best songs for 40 years.

A Time to Love

In 2005, the famous musician recorded his first album of original material in more than a decade, A Time to Love.

The title track featured Paul McCartney and India.Ari.
So What the Fuss features guitar and vocals from the girls from En Vogue.
Wonder was joined on How Will I Know by his daughter Aisha Morris.
The single From the Bottom of My Heart brought the musician another Grammy award – “For Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.” At the award ceremony, he performed the famous Higher Ground in a duet with Alicia Keys.

Wonder and McCartney

That same year, Wonder took part in the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia and performed a medley of his hits before the Super Bowl in his native Detroit.

The following year was marked by participation in the television show American Idol, where Wonder acted as a mentor. As part of the project, each of the 12 participants performed one of his hits in front of a multimillion-dollar television audience. In 2007, the artist undertook his first concert tour in 10 years, A Wonder Summer's Night, performing first in the United States and then in Europe.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama called Wonder his "musical hero," a compliment he soon returned when he performed at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

“Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” became Obama’s unofficial campaign anthem.

In January 2009, Wonder performed at Obama's inauguration ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial, as well as at one of the ten inaugural balls. A month later, at a special ceremony at the White House, Obama awarded Wonder the Gershwin Lifetime Achievement Award.

Barack Obama awards Stevie Wonder the Gershwin Award

Stevie Wonder Award at the White House

In 2009, the artist gave a series of outstanding performances, the first of which was a joint performance of Superstition with the Jonas Brothers at the 51st Grammy Awards. In July, Wonder took part in Michael Jackson's farewell at the Los Angeles Staples Center, performing Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer and They Won't Go When I Go.

Wonder and Sir Elton John

Stevie Wonder's humanitarian work focuses on:

in the fight against the spread of AIDS and apartheid,
on participating in campaigns against drunk driving and drug abuse,
to raise funds for blind children and children with special needs,
to help the homeless.

Translation by Ella Veselkova. Article by journalist Daniel Kreps from the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll (2001), published by Simon & Schuster.