Stevie Wonder Biography

Stevland Hardaway Morris, known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an African American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. As a child he was a singing sensation, Stevie is one of the most gifted and adored musical performers of the late 20th century. Wonder signed with Motown Records under the Tamla label at the young age of eleven In 2009. Hes one of the youngest singers to ever sign a major record deal. In 2008, Billboard magazine’s Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's fiftieth anniversary list featured Stevie Wonder at number five.

Stevie Wonder was born in Saginaw, Michigan, on May 13 1950, he was the third of six children to his father Calvin Judkins and his mother Lula Mae Hardaway. He was born six weeks premature, His premature birth resulted in retinopathy of prematurity, a medical condition in which the growth of the eyes is stopped and causes the retinas to detach; so he became blind. When Stevie Wonder was four, his mother left his father due to family conflicts and moved to Detroit, Michigan with her six children. She then changed her name back to Lula Hardaway and soon after changed her son's last name to Morris, mostly because of relatives. Wonder began playing instruments at an early age, he played the piano, harmonica, drums and bass. He formed a partnership with a friend, they called themselves Stevie and John, they played on street corners, and sometimes at parties and dances.

In 1961, when he was 11, Wonder sang his own song called "Lonely Boy".Wonder was put in the care of producer and song-writer Clarence Paul.They worked together on two albums in two years. Tribute to Uncle Ray was his first recorded song, when Stevie was still 11 years old he mainly sang...

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...is talent and thus a strength in his ongoing negotiations with Gordy about creative autonomy.During this period, Wonder independently recorded two albums and signed a contract with Motown Records. The 120-page gave Wonder a much higher royalty rate.

In conclusion Stevie overcame many things in his life in order to become the great singer that he is today. He overcame being blind. His disability did not stop him from achieving his dream. He even learned to play instruments despite his disability. He played instruments such as the harmonica,The piano, synthesizer,congas, drums, bass guitar, bongos, organ, melodica, and clavinet. Wonder has dedicated his life to music and thats what makes him so talented, also starting from a very young age. His first album was released when he was only twelve. He was and still is one of the best African American Jazz and Soul singers.