 Blind since birth, Stevie Wonder (whose real name is Steveland Judkins) was born on May 13, 1950, in Michigan. A choir singer little Stevie was taken to meet Berry Gordy the president of the famous `black' label Motown. Gordy immediately signed Stevie. Success was his, almost overnight. Stevie Wonder's first album Recorded Live The 12 Year Old Genius topped the Hot 100, R & B singles and album charts in the US. By 1965 Stevie Wonder became resentful of Motown's stranglehold over his career. Efforts to renegotiate his career were constantly stonewalled. Stevie Wonder had to push really hard to exercise creative freedom. It wasn't until Talking Book in 1972 that Wonder finally managed to become independent of what Motown needed and demanded from him. Right from the way the title was written in braille on the cover of the album to the shape, placing and suggestions of individual tracks, Talking Book was Stevie Wonder's most personal album. The single Superstition became his first No. 1 hit in ten years. With Talking Book, Stevie Wonder crossed over from a predominantly black audience to a mainstream listening public. His popularity seemed to multiply with every album that hit the market. Both Innervisions (1973) and Fulfilingness (1975) won him four Grammys each. In 1975 Wonder was awarded in tribute to "a man who embodies every facet of the complete musical artiste: composer, writer, performer, recording artiste, musician and interpreter through his music of the culture of his time." More record breaking success came Wonder's way with the zingy twist-and-slouch dancers' special Part Time Lover. It became the first US single to top the US pop, R&B, adult contemporary and dance-disco charts. Stevie Wonder has no match. In every decade since the sixties he has created tracks that have stood the test of time. The sixties had Uptight. The seventies spawned the enigmatic Superstition. The eighties shall be measured by Wonder's I just called to say I love you. The nineties are processed by Wonder's Kiss lonely goodbye. As the next century approaches Stevie Wonder prepares to expand his innervision to include future generations.
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