His daughter was the inspiration for "Isn't She Lovely." That same year, Wonder also released his greatest hits compilation Original Musiquarium I, which featured the No. There were celebrity guests, including John Legend. Still, he continued to be a huge musical force. Such a fertile period was unlikely to last forever, and it came to an end in 1979 with a fey and overambitious extended work called Stevie Wonder’s Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Stevie Wonder, American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, a child prodigy who developed into one of the most creative musical figures of the late 20th century, known for the hit songs ‘My Cherie Amour,’ ‘Superstition,’ ‘Higher Ground,’ and ‘You Are the Sunshine of My Life,’ among others. An audition followed with Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr., who didn't hesitate to sign the young musician to a record deal. 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. 1 hits, the jaunty funk jam "Superstition" and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," a smile-inducing ode to love that exemplified Wonder's abilities as a romanticist. I extend my sympathies to anyone who may have been touched by this horrendous event.”. Talking Book (1972), Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness’ First Finale (1974), and Songs in the Key of Life (1976) were all regarded as masterpieces, and the last three of them won a slew of Grammy Awards, each of them being named album of the year. She is best known for hits like "If Only You Knew," "New Attitude" and "Stir It Up.". Wonder then developed a major audience with Little Stevie Wonder the 12 Year Old Genius, an album recorded live. Fulfillingness' First Finale, released after Wonder had survived a serious car accident that left him in a coma, displayed his trademark odes to romance and beauty while also looking squarely at spirituality and death. 1 R&B/top 5 pop single "That Girl," as well as additional hits "Ribbon in the Sky" and "Do I Do," featuring Dizzy Gillespie. Offering a rich span of songs with genre fusions aplenty, Songs covered everything from ethnic diversity in the U.S. and fantastic utopian communities to vengeful relationships and transcendent love. Thereafter his recordings became sporadic and often lacked focus, although his concerts were never less than rousing. In connection with the International Day of Persons With Disabilities, he was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2009. During this era, Wonder was working with other artists as well, including Minnie Riperton (the mother of Maya Rudolph) and the band Rufus, with Chaka Khan's vocals heard on the Wonder-penned top 5 track "Tell Me Something Good.". In 1962, the newly renamed Little Stevie Wonder, working with Motown songwriter Clarence Paul, among others, released his debut The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie Wonder, an instrumental album that showed off the youngster's remarkable musicianship. In a cooking segment on Good Morning America, Chef Gordon Ramsay revealed that he lives next door to Stevie Wonder. By those incredible lofty standards, the 1980s weren't nearly as successful for Wonder. Stevie Wonder is an American musician and a former child prodigy who became one of the most creative musical figures of the 20th century with … The same year he also released Tribute to Uncle Ray, where Wonder covered the songs of soul icon Ray Charles. He released one of the best-selling albums in history, 'Thriller,' in 1982, and had other number-one hits on 'Bad' and 'Off the Wall.'. Wonder had a daughter, Sophia, and son, Kwame, with a woman whose name has not been publicized. 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. And, as a teenager, Wonder lived at 18074 Greenlawn Street, also in Detroit, according to The Guardian. In 1983, he had a son, Mumtaz, with Melody McCulley. 2," "I Was Made to Love Her" and "My Cherie Amour." And, because of all of Ramsay’s outdoor cooking, he said that “I’ve got one of the busiest households in America,” with his neighbors often stopping by to enjoy his food, according to InStyle. In 2008, Variety reported that Wonder had put his house on Chislehurst Drive in Los Angeles up on the market. Like so much of Wonder's work, the song appealed to a wide audience, paving the way for it to become Motown's biggest international hit of all time. Due in part to innate talent, but also because of his deep commitment to his craft, Wonder faced the difficulty of staying relevant as a musician as he grew from boy to man, and his voice matured into a shining tenor. Updates? Even with this array of accomplishments, it was the double album with EP set Songs in the Key of Life that many have hailed as Wonder's most legendary project and one of the greatest records of all time. Jackie Wilson was a dynamic and powerful soul performer during the 1950s and '60s who successfully crossed over from rhythm and blues to pop music. Widely regarded as one of the most important and creative figures in popular music for more than five decades, he has sold over 100 million records worldwide. 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. 1 R&B title track and a top 5 R&B cover of the Beatles' "We Can Work It Out.". In 1982, Wonder teamed up with ex-Beatle Paul McCartney for the No. Wonder released his next album, Square Circle, in 1985, which featured the historic track "Part-Time Lover," the first song to ever reach No. In 1989, Wonder was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. READ MORE: How Stevie Wonder Lost His Sight. Family is very important to Stevie and all of his kids were involved in the wedding.” The Sun reported that Usher, Babyface and Pharrell Williams all performed at the wedding. 1 on the R&B charts. Wonder also had a home in Alpine, New Jersey for years. Wonder has also been a longtime advocate for improving services for the blind and those with disabilities. Wonder scored two more No. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. Stevie Wonder in 2008 was very involved in the Presidential Campaign, and why he thinks Obama will be a great president for America. Stevie Wonder and wife Tomeeka Robyn Bracy were married in the same area he lives in – Bel-Air. A recipient of 25 Grammy Awards, more than 30 of Wonder’s recordings became U.S. top ten hits. 1 R&B hits—"Skeletons" and "You Will Know." Wonder continued his soundtrack contributions with his work for the 1991 Spike Lee film Jungle Fever, starring Wesley Snipes and Annabella Sciorra. https://www.biography.com/musician/stevie-wonder. The ceremony was lavish and very romantic. His 1972 album Talking Book offered two No. That year he also became a Kennedy Center honoree. 1 R&B hits, "Higher Ground" and "Living for the City," as well as the humorous "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing," which reached No. After making a career for himself in music, Wonder ended up living in places from the east to the west coast and has lived at several mansions since his days in Detroit. Today, Wonder lives in Bel-Air Crest of Los Angeles, California with some very famous neighbors, according to Best Life Online. Wonder would remain a consistent hitmaker over the next two decades, with the artist co-producing 1970's Signed, Sealed, Delivered; the album featured the No. Rather than rest on his laurels, the hard-working Wonder, who would go on to study classical piano, pushed to improve his musicianship and songwriting capabilities. Wonder had first purchased the Los Feliz home on Chislehurst in 1979 for only $435,500. 1 U.S./U.K.

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