A Journey Through the Fascinating Rhythms, Songs, and Instrumental Sounds of Music Producer, Singer/Songwriter Mr. Stevie Wonder.
“Music, at its essence, is what gives us memories. And the longer a song has existed in our lives, the more memories we have of it.” ~Stevie Wonder
“Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand.” ~Stevie Wonder
“Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn’t mean he lacks vision.” ~Stevie Wonder
So What The Fuss by Stevie Wonder
A Time to Love (2005) album available on Amazon Music.
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Stevie was a child prodigy who signed with Motown’s Tamla label at the age of 11, and given the professional name, Little Stevie Wonder.
His Fingertips single was a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963. At the age of 13, he was the youngest artist to top the chart. Fingertips was written and composed by Clarence Paul and Henry Cosby. It’s an instrumental piece meant to showcase Stevie’s talents on the Bongos and Harmonica. Drums by Marvin Gaye. Bass by James Jamerson, Larry Moses, and Joe Swift. Horn arrangement by Johnny Allen. Music Producer: Berry Gordy, Jr.
The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie (1962) available on Amazon Music
ANGELS HORN Vinyl Record Player, Hi-Fi System Bluetooth Turntable Player with Stereo Bookshelf Speakers
Fingertips Part 2—Producer: Berry Gordy, Jr.
Stevie Wonder’s Number 1’s available on Amazon Music
Stevie’s use of synthesizers and other electronic musical instruments during the 1970s reshaped the conventions of R&B.
Stevie Wonder’s Live Performance of Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours
Signed, Sealed and Delivered available on Amazon Music (12 songs, 1970)
Roland 61-Key Digital Piano Bundle
Includes DP-2 Pedal, Power Supply, Adjustable Stand, Bench, Instructional Book, and Austin Bazaar Instructional DVD
Stevie Wonder and His Mother Lula Mae Hardaway guest star on an episode of Superstars & Their Moms
Signed, Sealed, and Delivered: The Soulful Journey of Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder’s achievements as a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer are extraordinary. He is still composing, still touring, and still attracting dedicated fans around the world.
This book is an in-depth look at Stevie Wonder’s life and his evolution from kid-soul pop star into a mature artist whose music helped lay the groundwork for the evolution of hip hop and rap.
Living for the City—Innervisions (1973)
Stevie Wonder is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has won 25 Grammy Awards. He has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
In 2014, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.
The Sound of Stevie Wonder: His Words and Music (Praeger Singer-Songwriter Collections)
Since his professional debut in 1962, Stevie Wonder has recorded 64 singles that have made the Billboard top 100, including ten that reached number one. Wonder was one of the first Motown artists to have complete control over the writing, arranging, and recording of his songs, and achieved that stature before he was 20 years old.
His work as a producer, arranger, and instrumentalist on other artists’ recordings has put him in the highest rank of musical collaborators. James Perone’s groundbreaking book reveals the many ways in which Stevie Wonder’s body of work emerged, developed, reflected its time, and influenced myriad other artists.
I Just Called To Say I Love You by Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder: At the Close of a Century (69 songs, 1999)
Waldorf Iridium Keyboard 49-Key Synthesizer
A Wonderous Journey Through the Musical World of Stevie Wonder (2021)
This compilation of insights into the prodigious musical gifts of Stevie Wonder to the world is a fascinating look into the music and by extension the mind of an incredible artist. With contributions from over a dozen Wonder fans from across the globe, this compilation of essays delves deep into the psyche of the man who through his music has, over the last 60 years, entertained, educated and enlightened our world.
From the age of eleven, Stevie Wonder, despite being blind shortly after birth and hailing from a poor, deprived community, has been making music that brightens and enlightens our world. We have a wealth of music that he has gifted us, songs that lift our mind, body and spirit. In the world of music, Stevie Wonder is incomparable. A singer, songwriter, producer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist and innovator, his albums not only make us dance, or hum along or tap our toes, but reflects deep insights into the world we live in, whilst providing solutions to our problems through his messages of peace, love and understanding.
For Once In My Life—Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert (2009)
Chronology of Stevie Wonder’s Music
That’s What Christmas Means To Me—Live Performance by Stevie Wonder at Disneyland
YAMAHA P71 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano with Sustain Pedal and Power Supply (Amazon-Exclusive)
| 1980 | Hotter than July |
| 1982 | Original Musiquarium |
| 1984 | The Woman in Red Movie Soundtrack |
| 1985 | In Square Circle |
| 1987 | Characters includes You Will Know |
You Will Know
| 1991 | Jungle Fever Movie Soundtrack |
| 1995 | Conversation Peace |
| 1999 | Stevie Wonder: At The Close of a Century |
| 2005 | A Time to Love |
| 2007 | Stevie’s Number 1’s |
A Time to Love featuring India Arie
A Time to Love (2005) available on Amazon Music.
“Stevie Wonder is by far my greatest musician of all time. This album is one of my favorites along with Songs in the Key of Life.” O. Ebreme
“What a powerful message by two powerhouse artists.” T. Lay
“Whatever this man produces, it is for the good of mankind. Are you listening?” S. Stevenson
The Stevie Wonder Anthology Piano, Vocal and Guitar Chords
Part-Time Lover—In Square Circle album (1985)
Kawai 88-Key Grand Feel Compact Digital Piano with Bench, Premium Satin Black
Boogie On Reggae Woman
Stevie Wonder: The Definitive Collection (2002)
Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing—Innervisions (1973)
Moog Grandmother Dark Semi-Modular Analog Synthesizer and Step Sequencer
“Let me put it this way: Wherever I go in the world, I always take a copy of Songs in the Key of Life. For me, it’s the best album ever made, and I’m always left in awe after I listen to it. When people in decades and centuries to come talk about the history of music, they will talk about Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder […] he [Wonder] evolved into an amazing songwriter and a genuine musical force of nature. He’s so multitalented that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it is that makes him one of the greatest ever. But first, there’s that voice. Along with Ray Charles, he’s the greatest R&B singer who ever lived.” ~Sir Elton John
That’s What Friends Are For
Stevie Wonder playing the Harmonica, Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight
East Top Upgrade Chromatic Harmonica
Stevie Wonder & Friends—Legends Series Vol. 99 for Karaoke
Stevie Wonder & Friends #2—for Karaoke
Moukey Karaoke Machine
LIFE Motown (2022)
Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, America danced to the sound of Motown, a Black-owned label that defied labels. The music was part soul, part rhythm and blues, and part gospel. The lyrics were catchy, clever, and upbeat. The tunes were not only joyful, but they were also universal, appealing to music lovers of all races, and they helped bring the country together during a time of great change.
Today, Motown’s music endures. You hear it on the airwaves and on playlists and soundtracks. But you also experience Motown through the generations of artists who were influenced by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, the Jackson 5, and dozens of other greats.
Throughout his career, he also wrote for many other artists including The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Dionne Warwick and Diana Ross, to name just a few.
Tell Me Something Good—Rufus & Chaka Khan
Stevie was so impressed by Chaka Khan’s vocals, he wanted to write a song specifically for her and so he wrote this groovy tune. It went to No. 3 on the Billboards chart. Stevie also plays harmonica on Chaka Khan’s I Feel For You.
Tears of a Clown—Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
When Stevie first played the instrumental of this track to Smokey Robinson at a Motown Christmas party, Smokey said it sounded like a circus. Then the two of them worked together to come up with the lyrics.
I Can’t Help It—Michael Jackson
Stevie co-wrote this song with Susaye Greene of The Supremes. He originally intended to release it himself but agreed to give it to Michael for his Thriller album.
Until You Come Back To Me—Aretha Franklin
Stevie Wonder had been working on this song since he was 13 but when he finally recorded it in the 1960s, it didn’t go anywhere so he gave it to Aretha. She put her own spin on it and released it in 1973. Stevie admits that Aretha’s version is better than his own saying, “Aretha blew the thing out! Obviously, we all know that is one of her all-time classics. You are convinced of what she says, of what she’s singing.” It reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Art of Songwriting
What most songwriting guides won’t tell you is that success as a songwriter—however you define it—is as much about how you live your life and the way you see the world as it is about your skill with words and music.
Motown: The Sound of Young America
The music of Motown defined an era. From the Jackson 5 and Diana Ross to Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy and his right-hand man, Barney Ales, built the most successful independent record label in the world. Not only did Motown represent the most iconic recording artists of its time and produce countless global hits―it created a cultural institution that redefined pop and gave us the vision of a new America: vibrant, innovative, and racially equal.
Stevie Wonder : The Biography (2003)
Stevie Wonder has been a dominant figure in contemporary music for over three decades, making the transition from child prodigy to ground-breaking adult superstar with apparent ease. Acknowledged as one of the finest songwriters of all time, Wonder was also instrumental in securing the late Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday as a national holiday in the USA.
The performer remains one of the most respected figures on the international music scene, a fact reflected in vivid detail in a book that does justice to the legend that is Stevie Wonder.
“You can’t base your life on other people’s expectations.” ~Stevie Wonder
Interview With Stevie Wonder, CNN Larry King, November 30, 2010
EXCERPTS:
Stevie Wonder needs no introduction, So, why am I introducing him? Except for this. He is a genius, one of the most influential artists and people of our time.
LARRY KING: Did the harmonica come naturally to you, too?
STEVIE WONDER: It was a… harmonica was something that, you know, obviously growing up in Detroit you’d hear the different harmonica players, come and playing the blues and walking down on the streets. When I was off for the Christmas holiday season, an uncle gave me a harmonica… chromatic harmonica. And obviously I didn’t know what to do with the button. I said, what is this for? And so like… but then I figured that, you know, for me playing the harmonica after a while was like the saxophone to me.
LARRY KING: Are you always thinking of music? Are you always sort of writing in your head?
STEVIE WONDER: I can’t say that I’m always writing in my head, but I do spend a lot of time in my head writing or coming up with ideas. And what I do usually is write the music and melody and then, you know, maybe the basic idea. But when I feel that I don’t have a song or just say, God, please give me another song. And I just am quiet, and it happens. It’s just amazing.
LARRY KING: Do you have a favorite song?
STEVIE WONDER: Favorite song. You know, I always when people ask me, like, what is my most favorite song, I quote Duke Ellington, when they would ask him, what’s his favorite composition? And I say, I haven’t written it yet. Because, you know, there are different songs for different occasions.
There’s “My Cheri Amour” for a certain day, there’s “As” for a certain day. You know, “I Just Called to Say I Love You,” for a certain day, happy… I mean just different songs. A vision for a certain day. So, I think that the blessing is that I have been able to write songs that have created so many different emotions at different times that I can connect to.
LARRY KING: Do you remember where it begins, like “I Just Called to Say I Love You,” where did the inspiration came from?
STEVIE WONDER: I think the idea of the story came from really the spirit of, you know, how love is something that’s for all seasons, whether there’d be a holiday or not a holiday or just being able to express that place any time, love is always something that can be expressed. And then for years I just had the… I just called to say I love you, I just called to say how much I care.
LARRY KING: Do the lyrics come to you right away, too?
STEVIE WONDER: Well, the lyrics for that came from me having some words already and then putting them together in a way that worked good for the film and equally as important for the song.
LARRY KING: Did you know that it was going to be a hit?
STEVIE WONDER: I knew it was going to be a hit. I knew that.
LARRY KING: Anybody you want to work with that you haven’t?
STEVIE WONDER: I mean, I’m a big fan of music. I’m a music lover. So there probably isn’t no one that I wouldn’t want to work it. I think it would come down to the chemistry. And if the chemistry was right, and we had both the same feeling about working together, and if they could sing or play, and they didn’t mind being challenged, I’m good.
LARRY KING: 50 years went by like yesterday. I remember the first day I started. But this is about you. So, I’m going to, the great Artie Shore, he stopped playing at age 53. And I asked him why and he said he had nothing more to say. Do you ever feel that way?
STEVIE WONDER: For as long as there’s life, for as long as we have things happening in the world, for as long as people haven’t been able to work it out, for as long as people are not trying to work it out, for as long as there’s crime and destruction and hate, bigotry, for as long as there is a spirit that does not have love in it, I will always have something to say.
LARRY KING: Do you ever sing what Ray Charles used to sing, you ever sing “America”?
STEVIE WONDER: I haven’t sang the song. I like the song.
KING: You ought to sing “America, The Beautiful”.
WONDER: Okay. I think it’s a very, very pretty song. Certain songs you hear people sing, you say, you know what, I’m not going to think about touching that, because in the case of Ray, he did such an incredible job of it.
The national anthem that Whitney Houston did, incredible. And so, there are various pieces that obviously, in time, I will do. But I think that I have an appreciation for the talents of those people that have done them incredibly. There’s a song that I wrote called “Until You Come Back To Me,” and my version was very sort of pop-oriented a little bit. And Aretha did it. Aretha Franklin did it and it was like, forget about it.
LARRY KING: You ever think of hanging it up?
STEVIE WONDER: Hanging what up?
LARRY KING: Hanging up the career, just retiring?
STEVIE WONDER: Obviously, there will be some point when I’ll decide, okay, I’ve got a daughter that sings, a son that sings. I’ve got family that, you know, are talented; little children are very talented. And so, I think, you know, at some point, you know, life will give itself to them. And by then, whenever that might be, I’ll just not do it. Maybe just write songs or whatever. But I love performing.
Stevie Wonder’s Annual House Full Of Toys Benefit Concert at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California (2022)
(What Christmas Means To Me and Harmonica Solo)
The Finale to Stevie’s 24th Annual House Full of Toys Benefit Concert—December 17, 2022
Stevie Wonder released two new songs in 2020 with the launch of his new label, So What the Fuss Records. Where Is Our Love Song features Gary Clark Jr.
Can’t Put It in the Hands of Fate features Rapsody, Cordae, Chika, and Busta Rhymes.
In June 2021, Stevie Wonder appeared in the Documentary Summer of Soul, directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, showing the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969.
The Captivating Melodies and Music World of Stevie Wonder
“Music, at its essence, is what gives us memories. And the longer a song has existed in our lives, the more memories we have of it.” ~Stevie Wonder
I Wish by Stevie Wonder
What are some of your Favorite Stevie Wonder Songs? Comment Below.
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