Stevie Wonder facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stevie Wonder
Wonder in 1994
Born	Stevland Hardaway Judkins (1950-05-13) May 13, 1950 (age 75) Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.
Other names	Stevland Hardaway Morris Little Stevie Wonder
Citizenship	United States Ghana
Occupation	Singer songwriter musician record producer
Years active	1961–present
Spouse(s)	Syreeta Wright ​ ​ (m. 1970; div. 1972)​ Kai Millard ​ ​ (m. 2001; div. 2012)​ Tomeeka Bracy ​ (m. 2017)​
Children	9
Parent(s)	Lula Mae Hardaway (mother)
Musical career
Genres	Soul R&B pop funk gospel progressive soul
Instruments	Vocals keyboards harmonica drums harpejji
Labels	Tamla Motown So What the Fuss Records
Signature

Stevland Hardaway Morris (born May 13, 1950), known as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer and songwriter. He is famous for being a pioneer and inspiration for many musicians. His music includes styles like rhythm and blues, pop, soul, gospel, funk, and jazz.

Stevie Wonder has been blind since he was a baby. He was a child prodigy, meaning he was super talented at a young age. He signed with Motown's Tamla label when he was just 11 years old. That's when he got his stage name, Little Stevie Wonder.

His song "Fingertips" became a number one hit in 1963. Stevie was only 13 years old, making him the youngest artist ever to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart!

Stevie Wonder is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has sold over 100 million records around the world. He has won 25 Grammy Awards and one Academy Award for Best Original Song. This was for the 1984 movie The Woman in Red. He is also in the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Stevie Wonder is also known for his work as an activist. He campaigned in 1980 to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday in the U.S. This means it would be a special day off for everyone.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Stevie Wonder was born Stevland Hardaway Judkins in Saginaw, Michigan, on May 13, 1950. He was born six weeks early. This caused a problem with his eyes, and he became blind.

When Stevie was four, his mother moved with her children to Detroit, Michigan. There, Stevie sang in a church choir. He started playing instruments very early, including piano, harmonica, and drums. He even formed a singing group with a friend called Stevie and John. They would play on street corners and at parties.

Stevie went to Fitzgerald Elementary School in Detroit. After his first album, The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie, came out in 1962, he went to the Michigan School for the Blind in Lansing, Michigan.

Stevie Wonder's Amazing Career

In 1961, at just 11 years old, Stevie Wonder signed with Motown's Tamla label. He became one of the most important figures in popular music in the second half of the 20th century. He is known as one of the most successful songwriters and musicians ever.

He has recorded many popular albums and hit songs. He also wrote and produced songs for other artists. Stevie Wonder is seen as a pioneer and a big influence on musicians in many styles, like pop, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, and rock.

The Classic Period

Many people agree that Stevie Wonder's "classic period" was between 1972 and 1976. His albums from this time, like Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974), and Songs in the Key of Life (1976), all won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. This made him the artist with the most wins for this award, with three. He is also the only artist to win this award with three albums in a row!

Wonder performing in 1973, during his "classic period"

Later Career and Activism

Stevie Wonder's "commercial period" began in the 1980s. During this time, he had his biggest hits and became even more famous. He sold more albums, took part in many charity events, and worked with other famous artists like Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. He also continued to be active in political causes.

The first prototype of the Oberheim 4-voice synthesizer, used by Wonder. It had braille labels for him.

Stevie Wonder has recorded over 30 songs that reached the top ten in the U.S. This includes ten number-one hits on the pop charts and 20 number-one R&B hits. He has sold over 100 million records, making him one of the top 60 best-selling music artists.

In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine listed his albums Innervisions, Songs in the Key of Life, Talking Book, and Music of My Mind among their "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". In 2004, his songs "Superstition", "Living for the City", "Higher Ground", and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" were on their "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.

On August 30, 2024, Stevie Wonder released his first new song in four years, called "Can We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart".

Stevie Wonder's Personal Life

Family Life

Stevie Wonder has been married three times. He was married to singer-songwriter Syreeta Wright from 1970 to 1972. He was then married to fashion designer Kai Millard from 2001 to 2012. In 2017, he married Tomeeka Bracy.

Stevie Wonder has nine children. His daughter Aisha Morris, born in 1975, was the inspiration for his famous song "Isn't She Lovely?". Aisha is now a singer and has toured and recorded with her father. He also has a son named Keita, born in 1977.

His son Mandla was born on Stevie's 55th birthday in 2005. His youngest child, a daughter named Nia, was born in December 2014. Nia means "purpose" and is one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

Interesting Facts About Stevie Wonder

• Stevie Wonder's original last name was Judkins, then Hardaway. When he signed with Motown in 1961, his last name was legally changed to Morris, which was an old family name.
• Motown producer Clarence Paul gave him the name Little Stevie Wonder.
• His song "Fingertips" was a number one hit when he was 13. This made him the youngest artist ever to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
• In 1964, Stevie Wonder appeared as himself in two movies: Muscle Beach Party and Bikini Beach.
• Stevie Wonder learned about Transcendental Meditation. He became a vegetarian, and later a vegan.
• In 2024, the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, made Stevie Wonder a Ghanaian citizen. Stevie took an oath and received his citizenship certificate in Accra.

Stevie Wonder Quotes

• "You can't base your life on other people's expectations."
• "Life has meaning only in the struggle. Triumph or defeat is in the hands of the Gods. So let us celebrate the struggle!"
• "Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there."
• "Minds ripen at very different ages."

Awards and Recognition

Grammy Awards

Stevie Wonder has won 25 Grammy Awards, which are very important music awards. He also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. He is one of only four artists who have won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year three times. He is the only artist to win this award for three albums in a row!

Some of his Grammy wins include:

• 1973: "Superstition" (Best R&B Song, Best R&B Vocal Performance)
• 1973: "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (Best Pop Vocal Performance)
• 1973: Innervisions (Album of the Year)
• 1974: Fulfillingness' First Finale (Album of the Year)
• 1976: Songs in the Key of Life (Album of the Year)
• 1986: In Square Circle (Best Male R&B Vocal Performance)
• 1987: "That's What Friends Are For" (Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal)

Other Honors

Stevie Wonder has received many other awards for his music and his work for civil rights. These include:

• 1983: Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
• 1984: Won an Academy Award for Best Song for "I Just Called to Say I Love You".
• 1989: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• 1994: Received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• 1999: Received the Polar Music Prize and Kennedy Center Honors.
• 2009: Named a Messenger of Peace by the United Nations.
• 2014: Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. This is one of the highest honors a civilian can receive in the U.S.
• 2016: The City of Detroit renamed a part of his childhood street "Stevie Wonder Avenue". He also received an honorary key to the city.
• 2023: Awarded the Freedom of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, for his activism.

Honorary Degrees

Stevie Wonder has also received many honorary degrees from universities. These degrees recognize his amazing music career. Some of these include:

• 1978: Howard University
• 1987: Brown University
• 2017: Yale University
• 2024: Johns Hopkins University

Discography

Images for kids

• 

  Wonder rehearsing for a performance on Dutch television in 1967

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  Billboard advertisement, June 17, 1967

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  Wonder backstage at the 1990 Grammy Awards

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  Wonder in 2006

See also

In Spanish: Stevie Wonder para niños

• List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)