Stevie Wonder, Original Name Steveland Judkins Or Steveland Morris When His Mother Married, Was Born May 13, 1950, Saginaw, Michigan, U.S
Stevie Wonder, original name Steveland Judkins or Steveland Morris when his mother married, was born May 13, 1950, Saginaw, Michigan, U.S. He is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, a child prodigy who developed into one of the most creative musical figures of the late 20th century. He was born six weeks early with retinopathy of prematurity, an eye disorder which was exacerbated when he received too much oxygen in an incubator, leading to blindness (cécité). Wonder showed an early gift for music, first with a church choir (chorale ) in Detroit, Michigan, where he and his family had moved to when he was four years old, and later with a range of instruments, including the harmonica, piano and drums, all of which he taught himself before age 10. Wonder was just 11 years old when he was discovered by Ronnie White of the Motown band The Miracles. An audition followed with Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr., who didn't hesitate to sign the young musician to a record deal. 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. As his voice changed, his recording career was temporarily put on hold, and he studied classical piano at the Michigan School for the Blind. He dropped the "Little" portion of his stage name in 1964, and re-emerged the following year with the infectious, typically Motown- sounding dance tune "Uptight (Everything's Alright)," a number one R&B/Top Five pop.
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