Stevie Wonder is an American musician, songwriter, singer, and composer who has been blind since infancy. Since the age of thirteen, he has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Universally recognized as a prodigy and innovator, Stevie Wonder transformed popular music through his emotional depth, technical mastery, and fearless experimentation.

Stevie Wonder was born on 13 May 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan, United States. His birth name is Stevland Hardaway Judkins. His father was Calvin Judkins, and his mother was Lula Mae Hardaway. When he was four years old, his parents divorced, and his mother moved with her three children to Detroit.

Wonder was born six weeks premature. Excessive oxygen exposure in the hospital incubator caused retinopathy of prematurity, halting eye development and leading to retinal detachment and permanent blindness. Despite this, he began playing instruments at an early age, including piano, harmonica, drums, and later guitar. He sang in the choir at the Whitestone Baptist Church, becoming a soloist at the age of eight.

He attended Fitzgerald Elementary School in Detroit. After the release of his debut album The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie in 1962, he enrolled at the Michigan School for the Blind in Lansing. As a child, he performed on street corners with a friend as a duo called Stevie and John, playing at parties and dances.

In 1961, at the age of eleven, Wonder performed his original song Lonely Boy for Ronnie White of The Miracles. White brought Wonder and his mother to an audition at Motown Records, where he was signed to the Tamla label. Producer Clarence Paul gave him the stage name “Little Stevie Wonder,” and shortly after signing, his legal surname was changed to Morris.

In 1963, at just thirteen years old, Wonder’s live single Fingertips reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making him the youngest artist in history to top the chart. This milestone established him as a global phenomenon.

In 1971, Wonder renegotiated his contract with Motown Records, securing full creative control over his music. This agreement marked a turning point in the recording industry, redefining artist autonomy and setting a precedent for future generations of musicians.

Stevie Wonder has won twenty-five Grammy Awards, the most ever by a living artist. He is also the first Black artist in history to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year three consecutive times. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for his work on The Woman in Red (1984).

His landmark album Innervisions (1973), featuring Don't You Worry ’Bout a Thing, won Album of the Year at the 16th Grammy Awards. It was followed by Fulfillingness’ First Finale (1974) and Songs in the Key of Life (1976), both of which also won Album of the Year. This achievement places Wonder alongside Frank Sinatra and Paul Simon as the most honored artists in this category.

On 6 August 1973, just three days after the release of Innervisions, Wonder was involved in a severe car accident while returning from a concert with his nephew John Harris and his band. He suffered a fractured skull, concussion, and multiple injuries and remained in a coma for several days before recovering.

Wonder was among the earliest mainstream artists to make extensive use of synthesizers, particularly the TONTO system. This innovation reshaped the sound of modern pop, funk, and R&B and influenced countless artists in the decades that followed.

Inspired by Bob Marley, Wonder expanded his music beyond themes of love and dance to include social justice and political activism. His first protest performance was a version of Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind. As a tribute to Marley, he composed Master Blaster.

The album Hotter Than July included Happy Birthday, a song that became central to a nationwide campaign advocating for Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday to become a U.S. national holiday. In 1983, the campaign succeeded, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day was officially recognized as a federal holiday. Wonder actively participated in large-scale demonstrations in support of the cause.

Stevie Wonder is a true multi-instrumentalist, performing guitar, drums, piano, and harmonica at a professional level. On the track Superstition, he played the drums himself, further demonstrating his extraordinary musicianship. He is widely regarded by critics as a musical genius.

Wonder shared a long-standing friendship with Michael Jackson, dating back to their Motown years. They collaborated on We Are the World as part of USA for Africa and on Just Good Friends. Wonder continues to honor Jackson during live performances by covering The Way You Make Me Feel. His song Skeletons was later featured in promotional material for the video game Grand Theft Auto V.

Marriages
• First marriage: Syreeta Wright (1970–1972)
• Second marriage: Karen “Kai” Millard Morris (2001–2015)
• Third marriage: Tomeeka Robyn Bracy (2017– )

Children
Stevie Wonder has nine children with five women: Aisha Morris and Keita Morris (with Yolanda Simmons); Mandla Kadjaly and Kailand Morris (with Kai Millard Morris); Mumtaz Morris (with Melody McCulley); Nia Morris and Zaiah Morris (with Tomeeka Robyn Bracy); and Kwame Morris and Sophia Morris (mothers undisclosed).

With more than 100 million records sold worldwide, Stevie Wonder remains one of the most successful music artists in history. In 2009, he was appointed a United Nations Messenger of Peace, and in 2014 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

On 13 May 2024, his 74th birthday, the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, granted Stevie Wonder Ghanaian citizenship in recognition of his cultural and humanitarian contributions.

Albums
1962 – The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie
1963 – With a Song in My Heart
1964 – Stevie on the Beach
1966 – Down to Earth
1966 – Uptight
1967 – I Was Made to Love Her
1967 – Someday at Christmas
1968 – Eivets Rednow
1968 – For Once in My Life
1969 – My Cherie Amour
1970 – Signed, Sealed & Delivered
1971 – Where I’m Coming From
1972 – Music of the Mind
1972 – Talking Book
1973 – Innervisions
1974 – Fulfillingness’ First Finale
1976 – Songs in the Key of Life
1979 – Stevie Wonder’s Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants
1980 – Hotter Than July
1984 – The Woman in Red
1985 – In Square Circle
1987 – Characters
1992 – Music from the Movie Jungle Fever
1995 – Conversation Peace
2005 – A Time to Love

Source: Biyografiler.com