Stevie Wonder biography briefly. Biography of Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder was born on May 13, 1950 in the town of Saginaw, Michigan, completely blind. He was a child prodigy who started his career at the age of 12 at Motown Records. In a matter of years, he has grown into the musical genius we have known and loved for many years. We still listen to such hits as "I Just Called to Say I Love You" and "Superstition". Today Stevie Wonder turned 66 years old, so the pretexts to remember the best of his songs.

Stevie Wonder started his musical career when he was 12 years old, and a year later his name topped the charts. The song "Fingertips" became No. 1 in 1963, and after that more and more hits from Stevie Wonder began to be placed at the top of the charts. Wonder easily moved from the so-called "Motown sound" of the 60s to the more social and ambitious albums of the 70s and, finally, to the glossy MTV hits of the 80s.

TOP 10 SONGS OF STEVEY Wander

BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN

Many now mistakenly believe that this song was performed by the American rock band Phish. But those who listened to the radio in 1974 know for sure that "Boogie on Reggae Woman" is performed by Stevie Wonder. This is the absolute hit of the album "Fulfillingness' First Finale", which became the first since his car accident in 1973. Unlike reggae or boogie, this song is loaded with one of the most haunting bass synth sounds in the history of music.

I BELIEVE (WHEN I FALL IN LOVE IT WILL BE FOREVER)

Career Stevie Wonder reached a new level in 1972 with the release of the Talking Book album. He was only 22 years old, and he was already a recognized genius with 15 albums under his belt. Stevie Wonder enjoyed limitless creative freedom and touring with the Rolling Stones introduced him to new audiences. This album contains many famous works of the musician ("Superstition", "You Are the Sunshine of My Life"), but the main hit is still the optimistic "Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)"

SIR DUKE

This song is a tribute to Duke Ellington. And even those who have never heard of this jazz legend were amazed by the song. In 1977, it sounded from everywhere. And while this song was focused on Ellington's legacy, Stevie Wonder was able to expand it to pay homage also to Count Basie, Ellie Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Glen Miller. Some might argue that Miller isn't quite up to the level of the rest, but who's going to argue with Stevie Wonder when it comes to music?

OVERJOYED

Many of the biggest stars of the 70s tried to find their place in the radically different pop universe of the 80s, but Stevie Wonder there was no such problem. Throughout the decade, he continued to release new hits. And his song "Overjoyed" took 24th place in the Hot 100 chart. He originally recorded this song in 1979 for Stevie Wonder's Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants album, but it never made it to the album. And 6 years later he recorded it for In Square Circle. It was one of his last big hits.

Stevie Wonder looks back on his childhood as a "little boy with a hairy head" in his 1976 hit "I Wish". It was written on an electronic rhodes piano. In 1999, Will Smith used the song in his film Wild Wild West and even sang it with Stevie Wonder at the MTV Movie Awards. However, this failed film could not save even Stevie Wonder.

HIGHER GROND

Stevie Wonder almost exploded with musical ideas in 1973, and he recorded "Higher Ground" in a frenzy of creativity. As he himself said:

“I wrote it on May 11th. I remember the date. Then I did everything - words, music, and even recorded a track - in three hours. This is the first time I've finished a song so quickly. It was like I needed to finish this song. I felt that something was about to happen. I didn’t know what and when, but I felt it.”

A month later Stevie Wonder got into a terrible car accident and was in a coma for a long time. In 1989, The Red Hot Chili Peppers introduced the song to a whole new generation of audiences.

Stevie Wonder proclaimed his undying love for a woman in "As", another song on this list from Songs In The Key Of Life. Today it is considered Wonder's best love lyric, although at that time the audience was a little tired of Wonder, and the song only took No. 36 on the Hot 100. This single ended the golden period of creativity of Stevie Wonder. When he returned three years later with Stevie Wonder's Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants, some of the spark had already been lost.

I JUST CALL TO SAY I LOVE YOU

Not many remember Gene Wilder's 1984 sex comedy The Woman in Red, but everyone remembers Stevie Wonder's I Just Called to Say I Love You soundtrack. It became a No. 1 hit and even won an Oscar for best song, overtaking Ray Parker Jr. with Ghostbusters. Stevie Wonder even sang a snippet of the song with the hosts of The Cosby Show when he was invited there a few years later. He invited the whole family to the studio and they sang this song together. It was one of the best episodes in the program's history.

LIVING FOR THE CITY

By 1973, American cities were rotting at an alarming rate, and Stevie Wonder channeled the anger felt by many city dwellers into his classic album Innervisions. The song tells the story of a poor boy from Mississippi who moves to New York to start a new life, but gets involved in drug dealing and is sentenced to 10 years in prison. Most of the story sounds like a story in an interlude in the middle of a song, but it was often cut on the radio. Near the end, Wonder shifts to a growl that better conveys his anger at the plight of minorities in America. This is a powerful song with a message that is often lost these days.

SUPERSTITATION

With this song in 1972, a marathon of hit singles by Stevie Wonder began. Recording for the song began when Jeff Beck came into the studio to play his guitar part for Talking Book. Opinions differ slightly, but Beck created the intro on drums and Wonder suggested the song to the guitarist. Although Berry Gordy claims that Stevie Wonder I wrote this song myself. It became a worldwide hit, and Jeff Beck included it on his album the following year. They performed the song together at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its anniversary.

Throughout his career Stevie Wonder received 25 Grammy awards, including the main Lifetime Achievement Award and was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. His music is universal, so it has not lost its popularity for 50 years.

Stevie Wonder (born Stevie Wonder; real name Stivland Hardaway Morris; May 13, 1950, Saginaw, Michigan) is an American soul singer, a living legend of the world pop industry, composer, pianist, drummer, harper, music producer and public figure who has had a huge influence on the development of music of the XX century, suffering from blindness. 25-time Grammy Award winner. One of the founders of classical soul and R'n'B. Stevie is one of the most famous vocalists in the world, he is constantly included in "lists of the best vocalists of all time." Blinded shortly after birth, at the age of eleven he signed his first recording contract with Motown Records and continues to perform and record there to this day. Stevie Wonder is a multi-instrumentalist musician: he has a vocal range of four octaves and an incredibly complex vocal technique, masterfully owns the piano and all kinds of synthesizers, drums, clarinet, harmonica. Stevie has achieved outstanding success in the musical field, being blind. Along with Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder is the most famous and popular blind musician in the world. Some of Stevie Wonder's most famous songs are "My Cherie Amour", "For Once in My Life", "Pastime Paradise", "Superstition", "Living For The City", "Skeletons", "All In Love Is Fair", " Sir Duke", "I Wish", "Isn "t She Lovely".

In Russia, the song "I Just Called to Say I Love You" is the most famous. The most famous albums of the "classic period": Characters, Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. Wonder has recorded more than thirty US top ten hits, written over 2,000 songs, and won a record 25 Grammy awards for excellence in recording. He is also known for his work as a political activist, including his 1980 campaign to make the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. a national holiday in the United States. On this occasion, Wonder, who by that time was already a well-known advocate for the rights of African Americans, recorded the song "Happy Birthday", entirely dedicated to the campaign in support of the holiday. In 2009, Stevie Wonder was announced as a UN envoy. In 2008, Billboard magazine published a list of "The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time", in which Wonder was ranked fifth.

Stevie Wonder has been called one of the greatest musicians of our time:

1. Won 25 Grammy Awards
2. Became one of the musicians who actually determined the popular styles of "black" music - rhythm and blues and soul of the middle of the 20th century,
3. The name of Wonder is immortalized in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1989) and the Composers Hall of Fame (1983),
4. Winner of the Gershwin Prize.

During his career, he recorded over 30 albums. Their last studio album, A Time to Love, was released in 2005. The album debuted at number five on the US pop chart. It received critical acclaim, a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance ("From The Bottom Of My Heart"), and sold 169,000 copies as of the summer of 2007 (according to Nielsen SoundScan). Stevie Wonder's last official live album was released in 2008, a recording from a London concert at the O2 Arena. The album contains 27 tracks, mostly Wonder's own songs, plus one Miles Davis ("All Blues"), one Chick Corea ("Spain"), and a medley of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

STEVI Wander - BLIND MIRACLES

In relation, the concept of "genius" is used regularly and as a matter of course.

Just imagine, up to 90% of all information about the outside world a person receives visually. But this does not mean at all that those deprived of such a powerful channel cannot be as developed as others. Legendary is one of those people. He was able to become one of the founders of classic soul and R'n'B, he is constantly included in the "lists of the best vocalists of all time" and deservedly awarded with music awards.

Little Stevie

This must have happened when a baby who was born a month prematurely, 1950, was given an excessive dose of oxygen in the incubation chamber, and he went blind. The mother of the future genius, Lula Hardaway, unsuccessfully tried to correct the fatal mistake of the medical staff, turned to professors, healers and charlatans, until Stevie did not grow up and convince her that "he is happy being blind." He called it a gift from God, asked his mother to calm down and not look for his fault in what happened.

Steveland Judkins was barely 3 years old when the family, in search of a better life, moved to live in the industrial capital of America - Detroit. Soon he became Steveland Morris, and just as suddenly he had five half-siblings.

Life turned out differently. At the worst of times, they scoured the river docks with the whole family to steal some coal to kindle a home stove. If they managed to save something, the children bought new clothes. And when Stevie celebrated his ninth birthday, his parents gave him a harmonica. Add to this a neighbor who left a whole piano for the boy, and an association of local entrepreneurs acquired a drum kit for a blind boy.

He practically mastered these instruments, listening to Ray Charles and Sam Cook in his own way, singing in the streets and in the church choir. Jerrold White, brother of the famous Ronnie White of The Miracles, decided to pray on Sunday. He was struck by the voice of a dark-skinned blind boy of ten years old. Stevie received an audience in the house of this unremarkable uncle for him. The child prodigy was liked by his friend, who hired the young talent to work in his studio. Rumors of a blind genius also reached the legendary Barry Gordy.

Hearing a voice Stevie and his game, Barry was laconic: "This guy is a real miracle." So Stevland Morris turned into Little Stevie Wonder and at the age of 10 signed a standard contract for underage musicians. All his fees were placed in savings accounts at the bank until the age of majority.

One stroke of the pen - and you are in another world. Farewell, father's house and half-starved childhood! Four months of tour with famous musicians, 94 concerts and only three days off during all this time. There are adults often lowered their hands, and a small Stevie he always looked cheerful and even managed to compose songs on the tour bus, when his older colleagues snored peacefully. In general, the child prodigy quickly adapted to a large and friendly family and soon even took on the look familiar to everyone, wearing a formal suit with a tie.

Getting older Stevie started smoking marijuana, but, quickly losing control of his mind, switched to more sensual pleasures, which were promoted by rock and roll.

Stevie Wonder is his own producer

The meeting with Martin Luther King turned his entire perception of the white and black world upside down. He became interested in politics, but the employer prepared for him a different role than a musical fighter for the rights of the black population. It is no secret that Gordy was an ordinary prudent businessman and, first of all, saw in the works Wonder excellent product. At Stevie there were other plans, and he immediately openly declared this: "When I turn 21, I'm going to take control of my career."

History is silent about whether the bosses then seriously took the statement of a young musician who got rid of the nickname Little back in 1964. As I have promised Stevie, the morning after the grand coming-of-age party, the boss had a letter on his desk from a lawyer who said that his client was canceling all contracts. Gordy was shocked. Wonder, by the way, too. The lawyer was clearly in a hurry and was immediately fired, but his words remained in force. Stevie received a million dollars due to him under the old contract, while the company earned at least 30 from it.

The first hit album "I Was Made To Love Her" Stevie sets the bar for his career to new heights and takes it with a big margin a year later, when he decides to produce his own songs on the next album. Here he makes his debut as a clarinetist, and Gordy Motown finally understands that Wonder does his own better than someone else's.

In 1971, everyone expects him to extend a seemingly mutually beneficial relationship, but the miracle Stevie, not finding support for his freedom-loving impulses, takes his hard-earned million and opens two of his own production companies.

Hardened workaholic Stevie Wonder

Now his thoughts are on the future of soul music, and he is looking for a technical embodiment of those not entirely clear ideas, that are spinning in his head. In their implementation to Wonder helping two from New York - Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margoodeff. Because the Stevie had dealt with many musical instruments, he really liked the idea of ​​combining them all in one. But he did not believe that this was possible, and asked to demonstrate to him the operation of the synthesizer. After the last chord Wonder called this tool a miracle of technology and bitterly admitted that he would never cope with such a huge number of keys and switches at the same time.

But curiosity got the better of it, and with the help of the New Yorkers Stevie again turned out to be one of the first where the hands of a black person were practically not touched. He did not spare a quarter of his million to buy studio time, worked like an ant, slept four hours a day, and a year later he had 35 fully completed compositions in his arsenal and another 200 started!

And again Gordy

I would like to note that the next four works marked perhaps the most fruitful and apotheotic moment in his career. "legitimized" the use of synthesizers in "black" music and, most importantly, humanized synthetic sounds, forcing them to express emotions no worse than a guitar or saxophone.

In 1972 Wonder opens the concerts of the Rolling Stones, who are at the zenith of their fame, and this helps him a lot on the way to a white audience and European recognition. In his next album, Innervisions, everything is also precise and focused on details. Incidentally, while recording Wonder got into a terrible car accident, after which they could not bring him out of a coma for four days, and multiple scars remained on his head after the operation. It was for this album that he received as many as three Grammy awards, and his popularity has only grown over the years.

All these years without Motown Wonder conducted secret negotiations with many record companies in America, and in 1976 his old friend Gordy no longer tempted fate and wait for a genius to be taken out from under his nose. Stevie signed an unprecedented for those times 7-year contract for $ 13 million. This message shocked America, but Gordy immediately stated that working with Stevie definitely worth the huge money.

Stevie Wonder is a woman's favorite

Now a few words about personal life Stevie. As we have already said, a terrible disease never interfered to Wonder on the love front. He married at a very early age by American standards. In 1970 Stevie married a colleague in the firm, a talented singer and poet Cyritu Wright. Everything was fine, except for two seemingly insignificant problems: a decent chastity belt and her perfectly reasonable super-jealousy. In general, once Sairita caught Stevie, slammed the door and filed for divorce. They maintained friendly relations, and he never married again, although he had children from his girlfriend Yolanda Simmon.

with wife Cyrita Wright

P.S. began to devote more time to charitable projects, the campaign against the spread of AIDS (more than no one among black people was doing at the time), writing and producing for others:, Eurithmics. It is not surprising that he spent eight whole years recording a new album.

After a 20-year break, he continued his active musical activity in 2007 with a tour of America. Throughout his long career, he invariably left behind musical works that characterized the era.

DATA

From 1962 to 2005, the musician recorded 30 albums. During his career, he received 26 Grammy awards. became one of the musicians who actually determined the popular styles of "black" music - rap, rhythm and blues, funk and soul of the late twentieth century.

Name Wonder immortalized in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1989) and the Composers Hall of Fame (1983). He is also an award winner.

Known not only as a musician, but also as a political activist and advocate for the rights of African Americans. For example, he was a member of the 1980 campaign, advocates for making the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. a national holiday in the United States. On this occasion Wonder recorded the song "Happy Birthday" in support of the holiday.

One of the most popular compositions "I Just Called to Say I Love You" became the soundtrack in the film "The Woman in Red" and won an Oscar and a Golden Globe as the best song for the film. dedicated this award to Nelson Mandela (a well-known human rights activist and political figure in South Africa). Mandela was in custody at the time, and the South African authorities, in response to the statement Wonder his songs were banned in the country.

Updated: April 14, 2019 by: Elena

Stevie Wonder (born Stevie Wonder nee Stevland Hardaway Judkins later renamed Stevland Hardaway Morris born May 13, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, winner of 26 Grammy awards, the total circulation of his records is more than 150 million copies . Included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He became one of the musicians who determined ... Read all

Stevie Wonder (born Stevie Wonder nee Stevland Hardaway Judkins later renamed Stevland Hardaway Morris born May 13, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, winner of 26 Grammy awards, the total circulation of his records is more than 150 million copies . Included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He became one of the musicians who determined the development of "black" music in the middle of the 20th century

Even the American press, greedy for compliments, especially when the monetary equivalent of the character under discussion is not in doubt, does not scatter the word "genius". With regard to Stevie Wonder, this term is used regularly and as a matter of course. Blind from birth musician, singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer, who dramatically expanded the universe of rhythm and blues... First you experience admiration, then all other feelings. His extraordinary flair for the texture of sound helped Stevie create vibrant, vibrant music, filled with life and feeling. Remarkably, sunny optimism and joy dominated his recordings over the years and on a variety of topics, even when he raised serious racial or political issues. Musical omnivorousness and good creative adventurism made Wonder a genre polyglot. Soul, funk, rock and roll, jazz, reggae, Broadway-style pop music and African influences harmoniously coexisted in his eclectic recordings. The man-orchestra incarnate, he learned to use synthesizers in a completely new way, reshaping the entire landscape of pop music. An elastic voice, melodic inventiveness, talent as an arranger and a love for sentimental ballads - these bricks formed a surprisingly charming image. And over the years, this charm does not fade.

He did not become Stevie Wonder immediately. On May 13, 1950, a tiny black American named Steveland Hardaway Judkins was born in Saginaw, Michigan. He was born prematurely and spent the first months of his life in an oxygen incubator. It is an excess of oxygen that explains the disease of the retina - retinopathy - which occurs in premature babies and sometimes causes loss of vision. When Steveland was four years old, the family moved to Detroit, where the brightly gifted boy soon began to sing in the church choir. His talents were not limited to singing alone. By the age of nine, he had learned to blindly play the piano, drums, and harmonica. The earth is full of rumors - and Ronnie White, a member of the Miracles band, gets to one of his home concerts with friends. It is he who arranges an audition for Stevie Gordy (Berry Gordy), the boss of the record company Motown. Possessing a professional flair, Gordy did not doubt success for a minute. Steve Morris, as he was called after his mother's second marriage, came up with the stage name Little Stevie Wonder. The word "wonder" simply stated the obvious fact - a miracle was evident. Teaming up with the "little miracle" was producer and composer Clarence Paul, who helped Stevie release two albums already in 1962: "A Tribute to Uncle Ray", which included cover versions of Ray Charles, the idol 12-year-old musician, and the second is "The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie", an instrumental jazz album in which he showed off his piano, harmonica and mixed percussion techniques. These records did not have any noticeable success.

But a year later, the situation has changed radically. In 1963, Motown released a long play, bluntly called "The 12 Year Old Genius" ("12-year-old genius"). The most interesting number on the album was the new extended version of the instrumental composition with the harmonica solo "Fingertips". Released as a promotional single for "Fingertips, Pt. 2" became a national hit with breakneck speed, topping both the pop and rhythm and blues charts. Such an attack on the listener bore fruit: The 12 Year Old Genius album became the first release in the history of the Motown label, which climbed to the top of the American pop chart. The owner of the hit was only 13 years old.

A few more singles launched after "Fingertips, Pt. 2", of course, could not compete in popularity with this favorite. Nothing could be done against nature - Stevie Wonder began to mutate his voice, and for several years his vocal career had to be postponed. During this time, he managed to take a classical piano course at the Michigan School for the Blind.

14-year-old Wonder, now without the prefix Little ("small"), returned to show business with an infectious dance hit - in the traditional Motown style - "Uptight (Everything's Alright)", which finished in the Top 5 pop rating and became number one on the R&B chart. The miracle happened again: Stevie not only co-wrote the melody, but also appeared as a much more mature vocalist. The audience did not disregard the next single "Nothing's Too Good for My Baby". Already at the age of 16, Wonder begins to take a serious interest in social problems. He recorded a cover of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" and a cover of "A Place in the Sun" from Ron Miller's repertoire. But since the last word in the choice of material remains with the Motown management, this new direction does not receive due approval and remains of little demand.

Then Wonder takes the first steps towards taking full control of his own career. He again co-wrote most of the new material, in particular new hits: "Hey Love", "I Was Made to Love Her" (#2 on the pop chart), "For Once in My Life" (pop hit again # 2). These singles preceded the even more ambitious 1968 album For Once in My Life. Stevie not only writes more than half of the songs himself, but also produces several tracks. In addition to those already mentioned, three more singles confidently occupied the first positions in the rhythm and blues rating: "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Da y", "You Met Your Match" and "I Don't Know Why ".

In 1969, Stevie Wonder's singles were followed by the Top 5 finalist "My Cherie Amour" (actually written three years ago) and the Top 10 finalist "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday". The 20-year-old has become such an experienced producer that he is almost entirely responsible for the sound of the 1970 release Signed, Sealed & Delivered (Top 25 pop). He also co-wrote "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours", which he co-wrote with Motown labelmate Syreeta Wright. (In September 1970, she became his wife.) His cover version of the Beatles song "We Can Work It Out" is also a great success. He is also in demand as a composer: he writes the hit song “It’s a Shame” for his label colleagues Spinners, and the song he created for the Miracles team “Tears of a Clown” turns out to be the only number one hit in the biography of this group.

1971 becomes a turning point in the career of Stevie Wonder. On May 13, he turns 21, and on the same day his contract with Motown Records expires. From now on, those material consequences of his success, which for the most part flowed past his pocket, are at his full disposal. A month before this symbolic day, Wonder published the album "Where I'm Coming From", which for the first time was produced completely independently and on which there was not a single song written without his participation (he has usually worked lately in tandem with his wife Sirita Wright ). Another important point is the absolute dominance of keyboards and synthesizers in the arrangements of all songs. This record was not the most successful commercially, with only one Top 10 single, "If You Really Love Me". But that was not the point. The LP "Where I'm Coming From" is the first attempt to create a solid high-quality R&B album, and not just collect several hits under one cover with the inevitable second-rate weight.

The artist did not immediately seek a new contract with the label, as his bosses expected, but instead spent the additional funds that appeared on him to create his own recording studio and to teach music theory. Negotiating cooperation with Motown, he could already dictate his terms. The musician negotiated a massive increase in royalties, complete control over the artistic side of his records, and founding his own label, Black Bull Music (making him the owner of the rights to his music).

Now he could not adapt to the rules dictated by the label, but listen to his own, unlike any other muse. Full of strength and new plans, the musician started a new recording at his own studio and in early 1972 presented the album "Music of My Mind". This work marked the birth of a new, mature and self-confident artist and rose to 21 positions in the pop rating. Wonder independently produced all the material, which he himself wrote, and even recorded the parts of almost all the instruments. "Music of My Mind" reflected Wonder's original vision of music in general and rhythm and blues in particular, expanding the boundaries of which he expanded with each of his releases, enriching it with innovative use of synthesizers and the introduction of new themes - social, racial and spiritual.

The success of the album coincided with the discord of the musician's family life. In 1972, his marriage to Sirita Wright was annulled, but they remained friends. Stevie helped her work on her debut album, for which he wrote several songs. That same year, Stevie Wonder embarked on a major tour for the first time, touring the United States with the Rolling Stones and introducing his work to the widest white audience.

Still, parting with his wife was not easy for him. This topic was devoted to most of his new songs, combined on the album "Talking Book" (late 1972). One of the strongest examples in the rhythm and blues genre, this disc turned Wonder into a superstar. A mature musician and sophisticated composer, Wonder filled the sound with cosmic and futuristic landscapes, which he masterfully created with the help of synthesizers, without limiting himself to one genre. His name resurfaced at the top of the charts, thanks to the rousing funk classic "Superstition" and the soft, jazzy harmonies-wrapped ballad "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (soon to become a pop standard). These two songs made Stevie Wonder a three-time Grammy winner.

Surprisingly, his next album, Innervisions (1973), had an even greater impact. It topped the "black" album chart and hit #4 on the pop chart. This concept record, dedicated to the state of modern society, remains one of the most successful examples of socially concerned rhythm and blues. The chronicle of life in the ghetto "Living for the City" and an example of deep psychological introspection "Higher Ground" topped the R&B chart. And at the Grammy ceremony in early 1974, "Innervisions" was named album of the year (and brought Wonder three more awards - for best pop and R&B vocals and for best R&B track). Another miracle is connected with this ceremony, which once again justified his stage name. Shortly before this celebration, when the artist was driving to a concert in North Carolina, a heavy log fell on his car. Stevie suffered serious head injuries and fell into a coma. But, fortunately, he survived.

The artist's next recording, "Fulfillingness' First Finale" (1974), more restrained and introspective than its predecessor, was full of death motifs that surprised many of his fans. But even such a Wonder was not ignored, his album easily topped the American hit parade. Two tracks became clear hits: the major "Boogie On, Reggae Woman" (Tor 5 finalist) and the scathing criticism of President Richard Nixon's regime "You Haven't Done Nothin'" (a number one hit on many charts). The Grammy organizers named "Fulfillingness' First Finale" album of the year and awarded the artist a victory in three more nominations, including for the best pop and R&B vocals. Meanwhile, the musician threw himself into writing and producing his ex-wife's second album, Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta.

Over his new studio attempt, he conjured for two years. The result was worth it. Released in 1976, Songs in the Key of Life is the culmination of Wonder's creative ambitions. Its volume did not fit in any format: two long-plays and one more mini-disc (105 minutes of music in total). The musician's most expensive recording, it was touted by some as an unrivaled masterpiece, and criticized by others for pretentiousness and self-indulgence. Both sides were right in their own way. "Sir Duke" is a temperamental tribute to music in general and to Duke Ellington in particular, who passed away shortly before, and the composition "I Wish", a poem about childhood and a future Grammy winner, easily occupied the first lines of the charts. The song dedicated to her daughter, "Isn't She Lovely", eventually became a pop standard, and samples of the track "Pastime Paradise" two decades later will grace Coolio's hit "Gangsta's Paradise". As you might expect, the Songs in the Key of Life LP was named Album of the Year by the Grammys.

The album had one more important consequence - it became the pinnacle from which the decline inevitably begins, with it the most prolific and intense period in the musician's work ended. Having put so much effort, so much creative energy into this release, for the next three years, Wonder did not release a single new record.

It wasn't until 1979 that the break in discography ended with the appearance of a new record, Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants. This selection of mostly instrumental compositions was the soundtrack to a documentary that was never made. Although there were only a few songs on the album, including the hit "Send One Your Love," even Stevie Wonder's symphonic escapades delighted audiences and critics alike. The album was instantly in the top five of the pop chart.

A year later, the musician had a new studio work of a completely different kind. So that no one would have any doubts that he had gone into the jungle of the elite, he recorded the 100% pop album Hotter Than July (1980). The reggae-infused song "Master Blaster (Jammin')" brought the Wonder name back to the US Top 5. The composition "Happy Birthday" was used with great success in a widespread campaign to have Martin Luther King's birthday recognized as a national holiday. Wonder was one of the most active participants in this action. (The campaign only achieved success with Ronald Reagan's rise to power, and King's first birthday was publicly celebrated on January 15, 1986. Stevie Wonder was, of course, one of the central figures of the gala concert.) From an artistic point of view, "Hotter Than July" proved to be noticeable weaker than his releases of the mid-70s, but it was still the work of a master. And the fans were so looking forward to the return of their idol and treated everything that came out of his studio with such love that - oddly enough - this particular disc became the first owner of a platinum certificate in his career.

In 1981, Wonder began to create a new record. Work on it dragged on for a long time, the release was postponed several times, it was rumored that the artist was exhausted and unable to return to a good creative form. However, over the past few years, the musician has had many projects in addition to his album. In 1982, his duet with Paul McCartney "Ebony and Ivory" was released, dedicated to the harmonization of interracial relations. The single became a number one hit in many countries. Soon the musician prepared a compilation of the best tracks "Original Musiquarium I", covering his releases of 1972-82. The release included four new songs, of which two became popular hits: "That Girl" and "Do I Do" (recorded with Dizzy Gillespie). In 1984, he wrote the soundtrack for Gene Wilder's comedy The Woman in Red. This work could not be called a full-fledged Stevie Wonder album, but the wonderful lyric composition "I Just Called to Say I Love You" sounded in the film. The song was destined to become the most popular and replicated hit in the musician's biography, his calling card and the stubborn leader of numerous American charts. Adored by fans and scathingly derided by critics (as too simple and even goofy), this hit nevertheless won an Oscar for Best Song from a Motion Picture.

It wasn't until 1985 that Wonder finally completed work on a new album that spanned five years. The disc "In Square Circle" appeared on sale, preceded by the single "Part Time Lover" - the last leader of the pop chart in his solo career. A few more strong songs (even if their synthesized arrangements sounded quite standard) contributed to the LP "In Square Circle" reaching a million copies. And the artist's collection of awards was replenished with another Grammy for the best R&B vocal.

The 1987 studio work "Characters", his last release in the 80s, was popular mainly with black audiences. He topped the rhythm and blues chart and spun off the hit "Skeletons". The return of the musician with a new job had to wait four years. The next release was the soundtrack to the film "Jungle Fever" directed by Spike Lee, which was released in 1991. And again, it took four whole years before a selection of new material "Conversation Peace" (1995) appeared on sale. The public reacted sluggishly to the album, but the Grammy organizers thought differently and awarded the single "For Your Love" a victory in two nominations in the rhythm and blues genre: "Best Song" and "Best Male Vocal".

It was then that rapper Coolio unexpectedly revived Wonder's old hit "Pastime Paradise" by sampling it in the high-energy rap track "Gangsta's Paradise". The single Coolio became one of the brightest bestsellers of the year. The musician perked up and in hot pursuit recorded another hit duet with Babyface "How Come, How Long" (1996).

The last album of the musician "A Time to Love" was released in 2005. The record debuted immediately at number five on the US Billboard 200. It received a lot of positive reviews from critics and reached gold status in the United States on the basis of sales.

In the summer of 2007, after a 20-year hiatus, Stevie Wonder decided to return to active musical activity, starting the American tour "A Wonder Summer's Night". It kicked off on August 23 with a concert in San Diego and played in 13 cities, ending in Boston on September 20.

In the world, he is constantly included in "lists of the best vocalists of all time." Blinded shortly after birth, at the age of eleven he signed his first recording contract with Motown Records and continues to perform and record there to this day. Stevie Wonder is a multi-instrumentalist musician: he has a vocal range of four octaves and an incredibly complex vocal technique, masterfully owns the piano and all kinds of synthesizers, drums, clarinet, harmonica. Stevie Wonder has achieved outstanding success in the musical field, being blind. Along with Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder is the most famous and popular blind musician in the world.

Some of Stevie Wonder's most famous songs: "My Cherie Amour", "For Once in My Life", "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I "m Yours", "Superstition", "Living For The City", "Higher Ground", " All In Love Is Fair", "Sir Duke", "I Wish", "Lately"... In Russia, the song "I Just Called to Say I Love You" is the most famous. The most famous albums of the "classic period": Talking Book, Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. Wonder has recorded over thirty US top ten hits, written over 2,000 songs, and won a record 25 Grammy Awards for excellence in recording. He is also known for his work as a political activist, including his 1980 campaign to make the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. a national holiday in the U.S. On this occasion, Wonder, who was already a well-known defender of African American rights by that time, recorded the song "Happy Birthday", entirely dedicated to the campaign in support of the rights of African Americans. building. In 2009, Stevie Wonder was announced as a UN Envoy. In 2008, Billboard magazine published a list of "The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time", in which Wonder was ranked fifth.

Stevie Wonder has been called one of the greatest musicians of our time:

Their last studio album, A Time to Love, was released in 2005. The album debuted at number five on the US pop chart. She received a lot of positive reviews from critics, a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal ("From The Bottom Of My Heart") and sold 169,000 copies in the summer of 2007 (according to Nielsen SoundScan). Stevie Wonder's last official live album was released in 2008 from a London concert at the O2 Arena. The album contains 27 tracks, mostly Wonder's own songs, plus one Miles Davis ("All Blues"), one Chick Corea ("Spain") and a medley of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

Biography

Childhood

Stevie Wonder was born on May 13, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan, was the third of six children in the family. When Stevie was four, his mother left her husband and moved with her children to Detroit.

To a certain extent, the blindness of the musician was caused by a medical error. Stevie was born prematurely, the vessels of his eyes have not yet developed correctly, this is a typical disease of prematurity - Retinopathy of prematurity. A large dose of oxygen was supplied to his incubator, which aggravated the development of blindness, this factor is probably not a self-cause. The musician himself in an interview with CNN says that doctors only later found a pattern of such an effect of oxygen on premature babies with his disease. Had they known this before, he might have seen at least something.

It is foolish to be offended by fate, it is foolish to whine, and even more foolish to feel sorry for yourself. Just forget about what your eyes do not see, and live like everyone else - only much better, much more interesting.

Lula Mae Judkins, mother of Stevie Wonder

The mother tried to keep him at home, fearing that the blind child would not be able to stand up for himself on the streets of the city. She taught him to read little by little. Moreover, according to some sources, she did it according to the usual primer (thanks to the unique natural sensitivity of Stevie's fingers, which began to distinguish the smallest grains of printing ink by touch); on others, all the same with the help of Braille. So that her son would not be bored, she began to bring him musical instruments: harmonica, drums. At the same time, Stevie sang in the church choir. He names the piano as his first instrument. One of his childhood idols was Ray Charles, also blind. According to Stevie, for him, as for all the blind, tactile sensations were very important, and the fact that they are combined with sounds aroused great interest. He had five brothers and a sister (one of the brothers later died).

The musician considered his mother to be the head of the family, as he says in an interview with Larry King:

My father was definitely not the head of the family, my mother raised us. And she worked in a fish company until that happy moment when they noticed my talent. I was 9, at 10 we signed with Motown and by 11 we had our first record out.

Stevie's "discovery" and early recordings on Motown

One of the first famous musicians who heard little Stevie was Ronnie White, from The Miracles. Stevie was arranged to audition with Motown CEO and President Berry Gordy, who was struck by the little artist's extraordinary musicality, and signed the eleven-year-old boy to his first contract. According to legend, Gordy said, after listening: " You, the guy - are a real Miracle, I advise you to take this particular pseudonym". Before signing the contract, Motown producer Clarence Paul stated that "Stevie is the eighth wonder of the world"! This is how the singer's pseudonym appeared - "Wonder Stevie" or "Stevie Wonder", or rather, then still "little Stevie Wonder". At the end of 1961, he made his first recordings on Motown - the single "I Call It Pretty Music, But the Old People Call It the Blues", and in 1962 released his first two albums: "The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie" and "Tribute to Uncle Ray", which are mostly instrumentals with long harmonica and percussion solos. Despite the amazing talent of the boy, these first records were not particularly successful.

Musical career

First hits and: 1963-1971

At the age of 13, Stevie recorded his first real hit - Fingertips (Pt. 2), a single taken from the 1963 album Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius. The song, featuring Stevie as vocalist and bongo and harmonica player, and a young Marvin Gaye on drums, became a No. 1 hit on the US pop and R "n" B charts and marked Wonder in the public consciousness.

In 1964, Stevie Wonder makes his debut in Muscle Beach Party as himself, credited as "little Stevie Wonder". Five months later, he returns to the screen in the sequel Bikini Beach. He performed in both films, singing the songs "Happy Street" and "Happy Feelin" (Dance and Shout)" respectively.

Dropping the prefix "little" from his nickname in the mid-60s, Stevie Wonder releases a number of hits such as "Uptight (Everything's Alright)", "With a Child's Heart", as well as a cover version of the Bob Dylan song "Blowin" in the Wind", which is interesting because it was one of the first songs that reflected Stevie's social consciousness. He also begins working as a composer in Motown, composing songs for himself and his labelmates, for example, his song "Tears of a Clown" became a No. 1 performed by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles.

In 1968, Wonder recorded an album of instrumental soul-jazz compositions, mostly on lead harmonica, under the pseudonym (the album was also called) Eivets Rednow, meaning "Stevie Wonder", written backwards. The album went almost unnoticed, with the single "Alfie" only reaching #66 on the US pop charts and #11 on the US adult charts. However, Stevie managed to release several hits between 1968 and 1970, namely "My Cherie Amour", "I Was Made to Love Her", "For Once in My Life" and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours. In September 1970, at age 20, Wonder married Syreeta Wright, a former Motown secretary and songwriter. With the permission of Berry Gordy, she helped Stevie produce his next album. Where I'm Coming From (translated from English. Where am I from). This very important disc in Wonder's career needs to be said separately.

As for the title of the album, shortly before its release, in one of the disputes with Motown executives, Stevie said a phrase remarkable for its ambiguity: “When I turn 21, I'm going to take control of my career. It seems to me that you do not know me very well and have a poor idea of ​​where I came from. After the release of the album in Motown gradually begin to understand this. It is curious that with the release of the album "Where I'm Coming From" in 1971, all subsequent studio albums by Stevie Wonder (with the exception of soundtracks) bore names that did not coincide with the title of any of the songs included in these records. And this especially emphasized their conceptuality. This tradition was interrupted only in 1995, with the release of the album "Conversation Peace", which included the composition of the same name. On April 12, 1971, the album "Where I'm Coming From" goes on sale. The album is a smooth transition from the traditional "sweet" sound of Motown to the sound of Stevie Wonder, who will very soon be admired by the whole world. At first, after its release, the album is perceived ambiguously. His arrangements are generally traditional for Motown, as yet there are no synthesizers. However, there are several important features that distinguish this album from its predecessors:

Firstly, for the first time Stevie Wonder is a full-fledged and sole producer of his own album, in other words, he is responsible for its sound, arrangement and repertoire. Although formally he was listed as a producer on some previous albums, in fact he was not yet. So for example, on the 1970 album Signed, Sealed & Delivered, he is helped by a whole team of Motown arrangers: Henry Cosby, Paul Riser, Wade Marcus, Tom Baird, Dave Blumberg, and, strictly speaking, this is not yet “the sound of Stevie Wonder”, but a cheerful “ the sound of Motown", designed for a fairly wide, mass pop-soul audience, including white. On Where I'm Coming From, the sound is already different: soft, gentle arrangements, with very interesting finds. Some songs, such as "Something Out Of The Blue", use instruments not quite typical of soul music, such as oboe, flute, solo violin, as well as other stringed instruments. Wonder's first production experience was generally successful. The best songs of the Where I'm Coming From album already portend Wonder's incredible production flair, although not everyone understands this yet.

Secondly, Stevie Wonder for the first time is a full-fledged and sole author of the music of his own album, he wrote all the songs himself. Previous records (especially the earliest ones) featured quite a bit of other-composer music, often quite mediocre (although there were some high-level songs like Sunny Bobby Hebb, The Shadow Of Your Smile or John Lennon and Paul McCartney's We Can Work It Out). In the early years of his career, even the songs actually written by Wonder himself, on the covers of the records, the names of other famous authors (most often Moy and Cosby) were added to attract buyers. In the best compositions of the album, you can already hear Wonder's signature subtle melody and amazing harmonic inventiveness. Although, in general, the material of the album is still uneven. Stevie confidently declares himself as a full-fledged author of music for his records, and the management of Motown understands for the first time that he really reveals himself in recording and performing his own, and not someone else's, songs.

In general, contemporaries reacted to the album warmly, but calmly, and it did not become a hit. Today, despite the aforementioned "transitionality", the album is deservedly considered a classic of soul music. Currently, at least three of the nine songs on this record ("Do Yourself A Favor", "If You Really Love Me" and "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer", the latter being especially popular) have been covered by other musicians. , including world famous ones such as Phil Collins, Ocean Color Scene and others.

May 13, 1971 - on his 21st birthday, Stevie Wonder terminates his expired first contract with Motown and receives his first million dollars earned from it.

Concept albums and peak success: 1972-1976

After the end of his contract with Stevie Wonder, Motown head Berry Gordy realized that he had lost at least his label's biggest star, to say the least. And immediately began negotiations about the return of Wonder to Motown. The result of the negotiations was a new 120-page contract, thanks to which Stevie Wonder received full creative control over the entire production process of future records and the rights to his own songs.

The real turning point in his work came in the early seventies, when at the age of 21 he received all the money he earned and was able to move from releasing singles to recording concept albums. The first records of the "new Stevie Wonder" were "Music Of My Mind" ("Music of my thoughts") and "Talking Book" ("Talking book") (both - 1972), not similar to almost anything that he did before, although the main lines of development were outlined in the previous disc "Where I" m Coming From "(" Where am I from - 1971). S. Wonder was able to fully preserve the beauty of his melodies, while abandoning the usual sentimentality of "Motuan "and getting close to the work of such musicians as Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, Jimi Hendrix. Thus, he took a decisive step towards rock, with its greater honesty, integrity and uncompromisingness.

The lyrics, which Wonder wrote himself, deal with social, political, and mystical topics in addition to traditional romantic themes. In music, Stevie began to use new recording technologies: dubbing and layering voices, instrumental parts and backing vocals. This allowed him to record the album virtually alone - he sings all the vocal parts himself, creating a whole palette of polyphonic backing vocals, plays all the instruments (with the exception of the Art Baron trombone solo in Love Having You Around and the Buzzy Feiton guitar solo in Superwoman). For the first time, the synthesizer becomes a full-fledged participant in the recording; before this album, synthesizers were almost never used in black music. The Music Of My Mind album marked the beginning of Stevie Wonder's long collaboration with Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff of the English electronic music duo. In 2003, the album entered the list, where he takes 284th place. Currently, for all the songs of this disc (with the exception of "Sweet Little Girl") there are cover versions of other musicians (for example, the cover version of "Evil" was performed by musicians from the CIS), including world famous ones, such as Quincy Jones, George Duke, Lionel Hampton, The Main Ingredient and others.

Talking Book (1972)

For two songs with Talking Book, Wonder received three Grammy Awards. In an April 1973 episode of the popular children's television show Sesame Street, Wonder and his band performed "Superstition" as well as the original Sesame Street song that Wonder sang with a then-new vocal trinket called " talkbox. The album "Talking Book" won three Grammy Awards (these were the first awards in his career) and in 2003 entered the list of the 500 greatest albums of all time according to Rolling Stone magazine, where he took 90th place. Currently, there are numerous cover versions of all the songs from this record by other musicians, including world famous ones such as Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, George Michael, Liza Minnelli, Joe Pass, Ella Fitzgerald, Stefan Grappelli, Tom Jones, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Phil Collins, Larisa Dolina and many others.

Innervisions (1973)

Fulfillingness" First Finale (1974)

Songs In The Key Of Life (1976)

Music by Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder's songs are notorious for being quite difficult to sing. Thanks to his superbly developed sense of harmony, Wonder loves to use many complex chords in his compositions, often with non-chord sounds, seventh chords, nonchords, chords with a reduced fifth, etc. Wonder often uses sequences that are more often ascending (for example, the chorus of "Golden Lady"), but descending ("Never In Your Sun") is also found. Many of his melodies make abrupt, unpredictable changes. The difficulty in performing them is that they make extensive use of melismas, meaning that the syllable is sung over several notes. Also, many of his songs are written in keys that are not typical for popular music, which are more common in jazz than in pop and rock music. For example, such famous compositions as "Superstition", "Higher Ground" and "I Wish" are written in E-flat minor, and "You And I" in G-flat major. Often there are modulations to other keys, often quite far from the original. For example, in the famous song "Living For The City" there is a modulation from the main key of G flat major to G major. Also, quite often Wonder's compositions start and end in the same key, but have a very complex tonal plan inside. A vivid example of this is the song "Overjoyed". A rather rare example of the use of a whole-tone scale in Wonder's music is the introduction to the song "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" (the first eight bars).

Cover versions and compositions for other artists

Participation in projects of other musicians

Participation in socially significant events

Concert activity

Stevie Wonder decided to return to active concert activity after a 20-year hiatus and began his American tour on August 23, 2007 with a concert in San Diego. The "A Wonder Summer's Night" tour, which took place in 13 cities in the United States, ended in Boston on September 20 and was a success. Stevie Wonder was the main star and guest of honor at the New Wave festival in Jurmala (Latvia) in 2007.

Awards and recognition

Grammy Awards

Stevie Wonder is in second place among the variety musicians in terms of the number of Grammy awards he received: he received the Grammy Award 25 times, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Only his friend and colleague Quincy Jones received more than him, who won this award 27 times. Wonder is one of the few artists (along with Frank Sinatra and Paul Simon) who has been awarded one of the most prestigious Album of the Year Grammy awards the most number of times. And also the only musician in the world to receive "Album of the Year" three times in a row for his albums Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness "First Finale (1974) and Songs In The Key Of Life (1976).

• In the period from 1965 to 1980, in the Record of the Year and Album of the Year nominations, an artist who is also a producer of his own recording or album received one Grammy Award as an artist and an additional award as a producer.

Other awards and recognition

Discography

Stevie Wonder's discography includes 23 studio albums, three soundtracks, four live albums, 10 compilations, one box set and 98 singles. Four albums are included in the magazine's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list. Rolling stone, namely: inner visions(1973, 23rd place), Songs in the Key of Life(1976, 56th place), Talking book(1972, 90th place) and Music of My Mind(1972, 284th place).

Additional facts

Your magical world, pure as a diamond; to see everything, there are not enough eyes.

And any of us enters your city, bowing his head before the beauty

In fabulous colors, in the blue sky, in marvelous clouds, your magical home.

And without looking down from your height, you made the cruel world a little kinder

You are probably right: to just sing, it would be better not to look around at all

And, closing your eyes, it is sacred to believe in the myth - that the human world is fabulously beautiful.

• The Soviet-Russian rock band Time Machine dedicated a song to Stevie Wonder. On the album "It was so long ago ...", recorded in 1978 and released in 1992, there is a composition "Dedication to Steve Wonder" on the verses of Andrei Makarevich.
• The Soviet VIA "Merry Fellows" in 1979 released the album "Musical Globe", which included the composition "School Time" with Russian text by V. Kharitonov. This is the original song by Stevie Wonder "Ebony Eyes" from the album Songs in the Key of Life 1976 .
• In 1974 on the album Stevie Wonder Presents Wonder's song "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" is released (translated from English. 'Cause we're not lovers anymore ) performed by his now ex-wife Syrita Wright. The song is interesting in that it is one of Wonder's most powerful songs, never performed by him himself. In 1975, an instrumental version of this composition was released on the solo album by British guitarist Jeff Beck Blow by Blow in a completely different, fatal arrangement. "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" becomes almost his main hit and brings the musician international fame.
• In 1998, British pop singer George Michael collaborated with Mary J. Blige to record his version of the song "As" and filmed a video for it. Originally a song by Stevie Wonder from the album Songs in the Key of Life 1976.
• In 1999, American actor and hip-hop artist Will Smith recorded the song "Wild Wild West" and shot a video clip for it (which also starred Stevie Wonder himself). The original song is Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" from the album Songs in the Key of Life 1976.
• In the song "Isn't She Lovely" from the album Songs in the Key of Life 1976, Wonder's daughter Aisha Morris, who was only a year old at the time of the recording of the album, is heard crying. Subsequently, Aisha Morris became a singer, currently performing with her father as a solo and