Stevie Wonder

Who is Stevie Wonder?

Stevie Wonder is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He is considered to be one of the most creative musical performers of the 20th century. Blind from birth, he was a child prodigy, and became a skilled musician by the age of eight. After signing a contract with ‘Motown’ label, he was renamed ‘Little Stevie Wonder’ and made his recording debut at the age of 12. Subsequently, he emerged as an able artist with his hit single ‘Fingertips.’ His passionate delivery of the pounding single ‘Uptight (Everything’s Alright)’ confirmed the arrival of a compelling performer. In the following years, Wonder had numerous hits and several chartbusters, including ‘I Was Made to Love Her’ and ‘For Once in My Life.’ In the 1970s, his albums produced a steady stream of classic hits, such as ‘Superstition,’ ‘You Are the Sunshine of My Life,’ ‘Living for the City,’ ‘I Wish,’ and ‘Sir Duke.’ The 1980s saw Wonder scoring his biggest hits. During this phase, he attained an unprecedented level of fame which led to increased album sales, high-profile collaborations, and television appearances. Throughout his career, Wonder has recorded many critically acclaimed albums and hit singles. He has 25 ‘Grammy Awards’ to his name —the most ever by a solo artist. He is counted among the best-selling artists of all time.

Career

In 1970, Wonder collaborated with his wife Syreeta, and together they worked on his next album ‘Where I’m Coming From.’ The album became a moderate success upon its release the following year.

In March 1972, his album ‘Music of My Mind’ was released. The album marked the beginning of Wonder’s ‘classic period.’ The same year, he also released the album ‘Talking Book’ which featured hits, such as ‘Superstition’ and ‘You Are the Sunshine of My Life.’

In the following years, he came up with several blockbuster albums, such as ‘Innervisions’ (1973), ‘Fulfillingness' First Finale’ (1974), ‘Songs in the Key of Life’ (1976), and ‘Stevie Wonder's Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants’ (1979). With the success of these albums, Wonder became the most acclaimed black musician by the end of the 1970s.

During the 1980s, he reached the peak of his fame with the release of albums, such as ‘Hotter Than July’ (1980) and ‘Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium’ (1982).

In 1984, he recorded the soundtrack album for the movie ‘The Woman in Red’ which featured the Oscar-winning song ‘I Just Called to Say I Love You.’

In 1987, he released his album ‘Characters’ which was followed by the soundtrack album for the 1991 movie ‘Jungle Fever.’

In 1995, his album ‘Conversation Peace’ was released. It consisted of hits, such as ‘For Your Love’ and ‘Tomorrow Robins Will Sing.’

In the new millennium, he came up with the album ‘A Time to Love’ in 2005. In the subsequent years, he toured North America, and also performed on several occasions, including the ‘Obama Inaugural Celebration’ in 2009.

In 2016, he recorded a soundtrack featuring American singer Ariana Grande for the animated musical ‘Sing.’