His command of the new generation of electronic keyboard instruments made him a pioneer and an inspiration to rock musicians, the inventiveness of his vocal phrasing was reminiscent of the greatest jazz singers, and the depth and honesty of his emotional projection came straight from the Black church music of his childhood. He was born six weeks premature, which caused retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) which in turn caused vision loss. 9 on the pop chart and No. By the time he was 9, he taught himself how to play the piano, drums, and harmonica. This led to "retinopathy of prematurity," a visual condition that occurs in infants receiving an excess of oxygen due to intensive neonatal care, and it is likely what caused his blindness. R&B Singer. Stevie Wonder describes his attitudes towards discussions about him being blind. The stunted growth of blood vessels in … Wonder's music production has slowed significantly in recent years. The '80s might not have been nearly successful for Wonder, but he continued to be a lofty influence in the music industry. Yet, however sophisticated his music became, he was never too proud to write something as apparently slight as the romantic gem “I Just Called to Say I Love You” (1984). He was born on May 13, 1950 at Saginaw, Michigan, United States. A child prodigy, Stevie started singing from his local choir at a young age. Real Name: Stevland Hardaway Morris (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins) Stevie Wonder real name is Stevland Hardaway Morris. Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius. Wonder has never been one to shy away from tackling social issues in his work. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Blind from birth and raised in inner-city Detroit, he was a skilled musician by age eight. Corrections? Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Upon his birth, he was put on oxygen treatment in an incubator. It won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Original Song. However, the girl’s name and birth date are kept secret. Four years later he was awarded the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress, and he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014. His first two children are Aisha and Keita who are from a woman named Yolanda Simmons. Stevie has kept Morris because his name. YouTube music enthusiast who is known for his self-titled channel. Aisha Zakiya Morris is the first kid of the musician Stevie Wonder. 1 hit. Pop Singer. Wonder was the recipient of numerous honours. 33 Year Old Web Star #40. Personal Birth date: May 13, 1950 Birth place: Saginaw, Michigan . Billy Ocean. Wonder was born prematurely. Who wrote the hit song "Fingertips, Part 2"? He negotiated a new contract with Motown and assumed complete control over his career. 2" and was enough to get him on the map. Stevie Wonder was born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Michigan. But Wonder was much more than a freakish prepubescent imitation of Ray Charles, as audiences discovered when he demonstrated his prowess with piano, organ, harmonica, and drums. He was born six weeks early with retinopathy of prematurity, an eye … 20 R&B Stars Who Made "We Are The World" A Classic, Greatest 20 R&B and Soul Artists of All-Time, Michael Jackson's Top 10 Career Highlights, 20 Reasons Why Marvin Gaye Was The Prince of Motown, Michael Jackson's Classic 1979 'Off The Wall' Album. Wonder (2017) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The iconic soul singer, who was born … Upon his birth, he was put on oxygen treatment in an incubator. Any anxieties Gordy may have felt about his protégé’s declaration of independence were amply calmed by the run of recordings with which Wonder obliterated the competition in the mid-1970s. ... That set him on a course to become a household name, known for beloved hit songs including “Superstition,” “Higher Ground, “I Just Called to … Stevland Hardaway Judkins (born May 13, 1950) known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He continues to tour and perform live. That same decade, Wonder successfully spearheaded a campaign to make Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday. Wonder’s mum Lula Mae Hard-way passed in May 2006 in Age 76. Wonder, who is known as a prominent social activist, has been awarded several awards for his humanitarian efforts, including the National Civil Rights Museum's Lifetime Achievement Award and a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2014. 1 hit "Ebony and Ivory." Robert Pattinson. Keep in mind Wonder was just 18 years old. Then, puberty. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Renamed Little Stevie Wonder by Berry Gordy, Jr., the president of Motown Records—to whom he was introduced by Ronnie White, a member of the Miracles—Wonder made his recording debut at age 12. Stevie Wonder is one of the most creative, beloved performers to emerge during the 20th century. In the '70s alone, Wonder acquired 15 Grammy Awards. He is also a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Stevie Wonder, real name Steveland Judkins; the Beatles leaving the London airport for a U.S. tour in August 1964. He has gained widespread popularity there for his frequent guitar song covers, as well as occasional comedic sketches. He produced the No. May 13 Birthdays. Where I’m Coming From, an album released in 1971, hinted not merely at an expanded musical range but, in its lyrics and its mood, at a new introspection. In 1966, his version of Dylan’s Blowin’ In The Wind reached No. For five decades and more, Stevie Wonder has resided in the hearts, minds, discotheques and living rooms of millions of people across the world as his silky voice and soulful lyrics became permanently etched in lives. About. Wonder's voice was changing and his recording career was briefly put on hold. In 1982 he and Paul McCartney produced the No. Updates? Stevie Wonder, whose real name is Stevland Hardaway Morris, was not born blind, contrary to popular belief. 1968's For Once in My Life was a smash hit that made him a superstar. Stevie Wonder kids Aisha Wonder (daughter with Yolanda Simmons) Date of birth: February 7, 1975. 1 single "I Just Called to Say I Love You" for the film "The Woman in Red." Over the course of his triumphant career, Wonder has amassed 25 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, and more than 30 Top Ten hits. Photo illustration by Slate. The name of her mother is Yolanda Simmons, an actress. Omissions? Stevie Wonder, original name Steveland Judkins or Steveland Morris, (born May 13, 1950, Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.), American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, a child prodigy who developed into one of the most creative musical figures of the late 20th century. More Taurus. Here is a look at the life of Stevie Wonder, singer, songwriter, producer and activist.. Talking Book (1972), Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974), and Songs in the Key of Life (1976) produced some of Wonder's most iconic songs: "Boogie on a Reggae Woman," "Living in the City" and "Isn't She Lovely." Now known as "Stevie Wonder," the public began to view him as a more mature artist. He co-wrote several hits that landed in the R&B Top Ten, including "Hey Love" and "For Once in My Life." By 1964 he was no longer described as “Little,” and two years later his fervent delivery of the pounding soul of “Uptight (Everything’s Alright),” which he also had written, suggested the emergence of both an unusually compelling performer and a composer to rival Motown’s stable of skilled songwriters. Stevie Wonder is a beloved American icon and an indisputable genius not only with R&B but popular music in general. Stevie Wonder - real name Steveland Hardaway Judkins - was born six weeks premature on May 13 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan. Now, one of the greatest American singers and songwriters of all time has decided he would live out the rest of his time in Ghana. The musical icon is the father of nine children from five different women. Real name Steveland Hardaway Judkins, the young Stevie Wonder was born six weeks premature in Saginaw, Michigan. Stevie Wonder, original name Steveland Judkins or Steveland Morris, (born May 13, 1950, Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.), American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, a child prodigy who developed into one of the most creative musical figures of the late 20th century. Mark Edward Nero is an expert on the soul, gospel, and rhythm and blues music genres who interviewed dozens of artists and appeared in documentaries. He was the third of six children born … Real name: Stevland Hardaway Judkins In 1961, 11-year-old Stevie was discovered by Ronnie White of the Motown group the Miracles. He is American by natinoanliy. Wonder was born prematurely. Kia Millard Morris and Stevie Wonder Image source. Birth name… That year he also became a Kennedy Center honoree. Fact is still not discovered, and who knows if it will die with him. Stevie Wonder was born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Michigan. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. His mother was a songwriter, so maybe the artist in him came from his mother. In 1961, at the ripe age of 11, he was discovered by Ronnie White of the Motown group the Miracles. She was born from his relationships with a long-term girlfriend. He began studying classical piano at the Michigan School for the Blind, dropped "Little" from his stage name, and reemerged to the spotlight in 1965 with "Uptight (Everything's Alright)," another No. Cassandra Monique Batie (born December 30, 1984), known by her stage name Andra Day, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress.In 2015, she released her debut album, Cheers to the Fall. His family relocated to Detroit in 1954 where he took up singing in his church's choir. Luther Vandross. Neither album performed well, but 1963's live album, The 12 Year Old Genius, produced the chart-topper "Fingertips, Pt. Due to being born six weeks premature, Stevie Wonder was born with a condition called retinopathy of prematurity, which made him blind. Stevie Wonder was born on May 13, 1950. 1 on the … Those albums produced a steady stream of classic hit songs, among them “Superstition,” “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” “Higher Ground,” “Living for the City,” “Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing,” “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” “I Wish,” and “Sir Duke.”. Stevie and Tomeeka gave birth to their elder kid in 2013. Blind virtually since birth, Wonder's heightened awareness of sound helped him create vibrant, colorful music teeming with life and ambition. Thereafter his recordings became sporadic and often lacked focus, although his concerts were never less than rousing. Stevie Wonder was born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Michigan, USA, to Calvin Judkins and Lula Mae Hardaway. Stevie Wonder, whose real name is Stevland Hardaway Morris, has nine children with five different women – Aisha, Keita, Mumtaz, Sophia, Kwame, … He celebrated his 70th birthday in 2020. What musical group wrote the first "rock opera"? Though there are still rumors that he is not actually blind, giving the facts that he once saw the mic falling on the stage and also that he was caught taking his selfie. Stevie Wonder performing in the 1970s. Contrary to popular belief Stevie wasn't actually born blind, but became so at six weeks old due to the incubator he was placed in after birth containing too much oxygen and causing the condition Retinopathy of Prematurity. In the spirit of Dr. King, can we open our eyes, hearts and borders? Stevland Hardaway Morris, who is popularly known as Stevie Wonder, is an American musician who has become one of the most creative and influential musical figures of his time. 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