Stevie Wonder

soulfunkmotownpop

2 432 283

Deezer fans

4 077 558

Last.fm listeners

+ Add to my alerts

Listen on Spotify ↗Listen on Deezer ↗

About

Stevland Hardaway Morris (born Judkins; 13 May 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century and has been cited as a pioneer across genres including R&B, pop, soul, gospel, funk and jazz. During his peak years, Wonder often functioned as a largely self-contained performer, and his use of synthesizers and other electronic instruments in the 1970s contributed to changes in the sound and production of contemporary R&B. His work also helped establish the album as a cohesive artistic format, often incorporating socially conscious themes and complex musical arrangements. Blind from shortly after his birth, Wonder was identified as a child prodigy and signed to Motown’s Tamla label at the age of 11, where he was given the name Little Stevie Wonder. As a teenager, he became one of Motown’s most successful artists, known for his harmonica playing and vocal style on songs such as "Uptight (Everything's Alright)", "I Was Made to Love Her", "For Once in My Life" and "My Cherie Amour". His single "Fingertips" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963, making him the youngest solo artist to achieve this at the age of 13. His most critically and commercially successful period, often referred to as his "classic period" (1972–1976), began with "Music of My Mind" and "Talking Book" (1972), which marked a shift away from the Motown sound towards a style centred on keyboards and synthesizers.

Source: Last.fm