Stevie Wonder

Stevland Hardaway Morris, known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer born on May 13, 1950. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, he is recognized for reshaping contemporary R&B in the 1970s through his pioneering use of synthesizers and electronic instruments. Across his career, his work has spanned genres such as R&B, pop, soul, gospel, funk, and jazz, contributing to the development of cohesive, socially conscious albums.

Born six weeks premature as Stevland Hardaway Judkins in Saginaw, Michigan, Wonder developed retinopathy of prematurity in an incubator, which left him blind shortly after birth. At age four, he moved with his mother to Detroit, where he sang in a church choir and became a soloist at age eight. A child prodigy, he taught himself to play instruments including the piano, harmonica, and drums. In 1961, at age 11, he signed with Motown's Tamla label under the stage name Little Stevie Wonder, and his surname was legally changed to Morris.

Wonder released his first studio albums in 1962, including The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie and Tribute to Uncle Ray. In 1963, his live single "Fingertips" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 when he was 13 years old, making him the youngest solo artist ever to top the chart. After dropping "Little" from his name, he achieved further commercial success throughout the 1960s with singles such as "Uptight (Everything's Alright)", "I Was Made to Love Her", "For Once in My Life", and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours", while also composing tracks for other Motown performers.

During the early 1970s, Wonder secured greater creative autonomy and incorporated electronic soundscapes into his compositions. His "classic period" from 1972 to 1976 yielded critical acclaim starting with Music of My Mind and Talking Book (1972), the latter featuring number-one singles like "Superstition" and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life". He followed these with Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974), and Songs in the Key of Life (1976). Through these works, he became the first Black musician to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and the only artist to win the award for three consecutive studio releases.

In the 1980s, Wonder expanded his international presence through collaborations with artists such as Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, charitable efforts, and political work, including a campaign to establish Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a U.S. federal holiday. Albums such as Hotter Than July (1980), The Woman in Red soundtrack (1984), and In Square Circle (1985) reached the top five on the Billboard 200, yielding chart-topping singles including "I Just Called to Say I Love You" and "Part-Time Lover". He returned to the Billboard top five with A Time to Love (2005) and remained active in music and public advocacy.

Wonder has sold over 100 million records worldwide. He has won 25 Grammy Awards and an Academy Award, and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame. Wonder was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2009, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014, and was conferred Ghanaian citizenship in 2024.