Steveland Morris was born in Saginaw, Michigan on May 13, 1950. He has delivered to us 35 U.S. albums , & 28 major studio releases. The singer/songwriter has scored more than 30 Top Ten Hits, 11 #1 Pop singles, winning 19 Grammys (and a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in ’96) and a host of other awards, including, most recently, Billboard’s 2004 Century Award. (
http://www.steviewonder.net/
).
Wonder signed with Motown Records as a pre- adolescent at age twelve, and continues to perform and record for the label to this day. A multi-instrumentalist, Wonder plays the piano, synthesizer, talk box, harmonica, congas, drums, bongos, bass guitar, organ, melodica, and clarinet. In his early career, he was best known for his harmonica work, but today he is better known for his keyboard skills.
Factoids:
Born prematurely, he became blind due to the high level of oxygen in his incubator. In 1954 his family moved to Detroit, where he became active in a church choir.
His daughter, Aisha Morris, was the inspiration for his hit single “Isn’t She Lovely.” Aisha Morris is a singer who has toured with her father and accompanied him on recordings, including his 2005 album, A Time 2 Love.
Wonder is an activist for civil rights and championed the effort to make Martin Luther King’s birthday a national holiday, was a driving force behind 1985′s USA For Africa campaign has (
http://www.steviewonder.net
/), & has endorsed 2008 United States Democratic Party presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Several artists have acknowledged Wonder’s contributions to music, including opera star Luciano Pavarotti, who once referred to him in a concert as a “great, great musical genius”. (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Wonder
)
A history in video. Enjoy the stroll.
Fingertips Part 2, 1963
Superstition, 1973
If You Really Love Me, 1981
I Just Called To Say I Love You, 1984
Part Time Lover, 1985
For Your Love, 1996
From The Bottom of My Heart, 2004
Filed under: Sounding Board Blog | Tagged: A Time 2 Love, activist, Aisha Morris, album, albums, artist, Barack Obama, bass guitar, Billboard's Century Award, bongos, church choir, civil rights, clarinet, congas, Drums, Fingertips Part 2, For Your Love, From The Bottom of My Heart, grammys, harmonica, hit single, I Just Called To Say I Love You, If You Really Love Me, Isn't She Lovely, Lucianno Pavarotti, melodica, Motown Records, multi-instrumentalist, Music, musical genius, organ, Part Time Lover, perform, piano, pop singles, recordings, singer, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Wonder video, studio releases, Superstition, synthesizer, talk box, top ten hits, Tour, USA for Africa | Leave a Comment »
