Lula Mae Hardaway

Stevie Wonder’s mom, Lula Mae Hardaway, was born in 1930 in a part of Alabama known as Eufaula.  She was birthed by a teenage mother and raised by an aunt and uncle, who were sharecroppers.  The pair eventually passed away, and resultantly Lula moved around for a while, eventually settling in Saginaw, Michigan, where Stevie was born in 1950, when she was 20 years old.  In 1975, Lula relocated to Los Angeles, i.e. the center of the American music industry, presumably as a result of her son’s success.

Besides giving birth to Stevie, Lula was instrumental in contributing as a songwriter early in his career.  According to Genius, she is credited as co-writing:

Blind Faith: The Miraculous Journey of Lula Hardaway, Stevie Wonder's Mother (2007)

Lula Mae Hardaway’s biography, as available on Amazon

In 2002, an authorized biography of Lula Mae was published titled Blind Faith: The Miraculous Journey of Lula Hardaway, Stevie Wonder’s Mother.  I haven’t read the book yet, but I can imagine that she went through the same types of struggles that many other young (African-American) mothers face, at least until Stevland managed to blow up.

In a 2004 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder revealed that Lula Mae “thought God might be punishing her for something” due to his blindness.  But he also let it be known that she did not baby him due to his disability.  More specifically, he stated that she “didn’t bind (him) up” and, though protective of young Stevland, let him learn to adapt to the world on his own.  It was through such experiences that Stevie developed a “facial radar”, which allowed him to “hear the sound of objects” within his vicinity.

Teenage Stevie Wonder with his mother and what appears to be his younger siblings.

Teenage Stevie Wonder with his moms and what appears to be Timmy, Renee and Larry.

Lula had five biological children with two different men.  Stevie has two older brothers, Milton and Calvin Hardaway.  And he had three younger siblings – Timmy (1959-2020), Renee (1961-2018) and Larry Hardaway (1954-2002).  Calvin and Stevie were fathered by Calvin Judkins Jr. (1904-1976).  The fathering of Milton, Timmy and Renee has been attributed to either Paul Hardaway or Paul Lynch, who were obviously the same person.   Larry was Stevie’s stepbrother, i.e. being the child of Paul and another woman, not Lula.

Lula Mae Hardaway's tomb

Lula eventually passed away, at the age of 76, in 2006.  Her passing was memorialized at the West Angeles Church of God in Christ (in Los Angeles, where she continued to reside until her death).  Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records, spoke at the funeral.  Yolanda Adams sang at the service, as did Stevie himself, who rendered a gospel song known as I Won’t Complain.