Stevie Wonder: singer, songwriter, musician

Thursday, December 18, 2008 3:09 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend |

Born: May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Mich.

Parents: Lula Hardaway and Calvin Judkins.

Given name: Stevland Judkins. Changed by mother later to Stevland Morris. Sometimes first name is spelled "Steveland," and whole name given as Steveland Hardaway Judkins Morris.

Accomplishments: 22 Grammys; more than 30 Top 10 hits, including 11 No. 1 singles; 35 U.S. albums; more than 72 million albums sold; four of his albums in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Notable singles: "Superstition," "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," "My Cherie Amour," "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," "For Once in My Life," "Isn't She Lovely?"

Notable albums: "Little Stevie Wonder, the 12-Year-Old Genius" (1963); "Talking Book" (1972); "Innervisions" (1973); "Songs in the Key of Life" (1976).

Honors: Inducted into Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame (1989), Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award (1996), Songwriters Hall of Fame (2004).

Worth mentioning: Blind since a few days after birth; learned to play harmonica at 5, piano at 6 and drums at 7; signed by Motown's Berry Gordy at age 10; opened for the Rolling Stones in 1972; sang "Ebony and Ivory" with Paul McCartney; co-wrote "Tears of a Clown" for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles; Academy Award for Best Original Song, 1984 ("I Just Called to Say I Love You.")