Stevie Wonder is a unique American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, working mainly in the soul and rhythm and blues genres. He was born into a poor family and became blind in infancy, but this did not prevent him from conquering the whole world with his songs. At the moment, Stevie Wonder is the owner of 25 Grammy awards.
Early years and first contract with Motown
Stevie Wonder (real name - Hardeway Morris) was born on May 13, 1950 in a town in Michigan. The baby was premature and after being placed in the so-called incubator for nursing, his eyesight was completely lost - this happened due to an excess of oxygen in the air mixture entering the tube.
Stevie Lula's mother loved him very much. But the family lived in poverty, and therefore the first musical instrument that she was able to buy for her son (he loved music from an early age) was an ordinary cheap harmonica. The boy carried her everywhere with him and often played for passers-by on the street. Then he got a piano (left by a neighbor who had moved out), and then a drum set (donated by a charitable organization).
Stevie not only had a good ear, but also a wonderful voice. And this allowed him to sing in the church choir. There he was once noticed by Jerry White - one of the parishioners. He was impressed by the boy's vocal abilities and decided to send him to the Motown production center. Berry Gordy, director of the center, appreciated the boy's talent and signed a contract with him. At the same time, he asked Stevie to take a pseudonym - Wonder (which can be translated from English as "miracle").
At first, the talented boy acted as an opening act for famous artists and went on tour with them. Because of this, he had to leave a regular school, but the producer understood that Stevie needed an education, and therefore at some point he was sent to study at a special institution for the blind to take accelerated courses there.
Soon Stevie turned from just a performer to a composer for the Motown label. Throughout the sixties, he created several great hits - "Uptight", "My Cherie Amour", "For Once in My Life", "With a Child's Heart", etc.
Peak of Wonder's career
The first Grammy was awarded to Stevie in 1970 for the soul album Signed, Sealed And Delivered. In the same 1970, Wonder married for the first time - to the black singer Cyrite Wright. This marriage lasted only two years, but even after the divorce, Stevie and Cyrite remained friends.
Back in the sixties, Stevie Wonder met the famous public figure Martin Luther King, and this greatly influenced the musician's worldview. He became more interested in politics and soon realized that he would not be able to implement some of his new ideas on the Motown label. Therefore, in 1971, he terminated the contract with the production center and began to work independently.
At the end of 1972, Stevie's first album was released without the support of Motown - it was called Talking Book. The album was a huge success. For the two songs that were featured on this album (You Are the Sunshine of My Life and Superstition) Steve won three Grammy awards. And the album Innervisions, which appeared a year later, brought him three more statuettes of this most prestigious award.
In 1976, Motown offered the musician a very lucrative new multi-million dollar contract. After a little reflection, Stevie agreed - thus the production center got back one of its main stars. In the same year, Stevie released a double studio album (eighteenth in a row) Songs in the Key of Life, and as a result it became the most commercially successful of his career.
In the next twenty years, the musician noticeably reduced his creative activity - he created only four albums during this time. They also had brilliant hits, but there was no such great demand for Stevie's music as in the past.
The life of a musician from the late nineties to the present day
In 1998, Wonder was inducted into the New York Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (although, in fact, he was never a rocker). And seven years later, in 2005, the blind musician recorded his last album to date. It was named A Time to Love. The album turned out to be very modern and high quality. It has garnered many accolades from critics and listeners alike.
In 2001, Stevie Wonder married Karen Millard, and the marriage lasted 11 years. Karen gave birth to two children to the musician. By the way, Wonder has nine children in total from different women, including those with whom he was never married.
In 2007, the actor resumed his active concert activity - first he toured the cities of the United States, and then went on a European tour, which caused quite a stir among the musician's fans living in the Old World.
In 2012, Stevie Wonder officially divorced Karen and soon he had a new love - a woman named Tomica Robin Bracey (she is almost twenty-five younger than the musician). In June 2017, their wedding took place in Los Angeles.
Despite his rather advanced age, Stevie is still a virtuoso multi-instrumentalist performer. And his voice still has a range of three octaves. From time to time Wonder proves this to his fans by performing at various music festivals. In addition, the musician is actively involved in charitable activities.
