Stevie Wonder was born Steveland Hardaway Judkins-Morris in Saginaw, Michigan in 1950. His birth was premature, and as a result his retinas were not fully developed and detached, leaving infant Stevie blind. His mother moved her family to Detroit when Stevie was 4.

Stevie started to play piano at age 7, and had mastered the instrument by age 9. He soon took up harmonica and drums, eventually mastering those also. Thew Miracles' Ronnie White discovered Stevie singing on a street corner, and brought him to the Motown offices. A staff producer heard him sing and play and said "that boy's a wonder!", and the name stuck. In 1961, Motown released the first "Little" Stevie Wonder single, "I Call It Pretty Music, But The Old People Call It The Blues." The song didn't chart well.

Two years later, Motown released "Fingertips, Part 2," a live recording of the Motortown Revue, which incidently had Marvin Gaye playing drums. "Fingertips," featuring his amazing harmonica playing, became Stevie's first #1 hit.

"Little" Stevie Wonder appeared as himself in the 1964 teen movie, Muscle Beach Party.

He soon dropped "Little" from his name, and continued a long string of hits through the 1960's, including "Blowin' In The Wind," "A Place In The Sun," "I Was Made To Love Her," "Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Da Day," "You Met Your Match," "For Once In My Life," "My Cherie Amour," and "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday."

In 1970, Stevie kept making hits with the Motown machine, including "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," "Heaven Help Us All," "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer" and "If You Really Love Me." About this time, Stevie's Motown contract was running out, and he was looking to have more artistict control over his music. In an effort to show what he is capable of, Stevie wrote, arranged, produced and play much of the parts to the Spinner's hit "It's A Shame." While fighting for creative control in his contract, Stevie continued to record.

He made Music Of My Mind with the help of synthesizer wizards Robert Margoulef and Malcom Cecil in 1971. The team worked together again on 1972's Talking Book, featuring two #1 singles. "Superstition," originally written for guitarist Jeff Beck, and "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life," have both become "standards," and perennial radio favorites. In 1972, Stevie Wonder toured with the Rolling Stones, opening the shows.

Innervisions, from 1973,utilized the same production team again. "Higher Ground" reached #4, and "Living For The City" hit #8. Stevie won a Grammy for Album of the Year, and Rolling Stone Magazine puts Innervisions at #23 of the top 500 albums of all time.

In 1974, Stevie Wonder again won Album of the Year for Fulfillingness' First Finale, the third album with Marguoleff and Cecil co-producing. "Higher Ground" reached #1, and "Boogie On Reggae Woman" made to the top 10.

At the 1975 Grammy Awards ceremony, Paul Simon, while receiving the Grammy for Album of the Year thanked Stevie Wonder for not releasing an album that year.

In 1976, Stevie released Songs In The Key Of Life, a double record set with a bonus 4 song EP. The album debuted at #1, and remained there for 14 weeks. "I Wish" and "Sir Duke" both charted at #1. Once again, Stevie Wonder won Album of the Year. Rolling Stone Magazine placed Songs In The Key Of Life at #56 of the top 500.

In 1979, Stevie Wonder's The Secret Life Of Plants was not album of the year. The mostly instrument double record set was a soundtrack to a film of the same name.

1980's Hotter Than July featured "Happy Birthday," written to stir up interest in creating a holiday to remember to Dr. Martin Luther King. 1982's Musiquarium, mostly a greatest hits package, also featured three new songs. "That Girl," "Ribbon In The Sky" and "Do I Do" all charted in the top 10.

In 1984, Stevie won an Academy Award for "I Just Called To Say I Love You," from the movieThe Woman In Red. In '85, Stevie sang and co-wrote "We Are The World," a benefit single featuring dozens of the era's top recording stars, and also one of the biggest selling singles of all time.

Through the 80's Stevie released In Square Circle and Characters, a live album in the mid 90's and his most recent release was 2006's A Time To Love.

Stevie Wonder continues to create, perform and produce music at a level few can match. He has had 30 top 10 hits, has received 22 Grammies, an Academy Award and has been inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Photo: Public Domain