Stevie Wonder - All Things Stevie

Stevie Wonder officially entered this world on 13 May 1950. His birth name is Stevland Hardaway Judkins, and he was born in St. Mary’s Hospital in a part of Michigan known as Saginaw. That first name illustrates that he’s from a true African-American family if you will, i.e. the type in which a child can be given a name that his moms made up.

Unfortunately, little Stevland went through some complications at birth which deprived him of the ability to see. But many people have theorized that very misfortune is what has made him such an extraordinary and compassionate musician.

Lula Mae Hardaway + Stevie Wonder (1969)

Stevie Wonder’s mother was the late Lula Mae Hardaway (1930-2006). Lula was also a professional musician, in that she actually co-wrote a number of songs from early in his career.

Calvin Judkins Jr.

Stevie Wonder’s dad was the late Calvin Judkins Jr. (1904-1976). He reportedly passed away at the age of 72 in 1976. If that’s true, that means Calvin was 45 years old when Stevie was born and was over a generation older than Lula, who was only 20 at the time.

STEVIE'S EARLY CHILDHOOD

When coming into this world, Stevie experienced what may be called am early-to-late preterm birth, more specifically meaning, in this case, that he was born six weeks too soon.. Such babies are at the threat of dying, and one common treatment to prevent that from happening is by placing the child in what is called a neonatal intensive care unit. A regular part of this treatment is giving the baby oxygen.

Unfortunately, doing can result in the child developing retrolental fibroplasia (RLF), which is a disease of the eye. And in extreme cases, such as that of Stevie, RLF can lead to blindness.

Stevie stood out musically from a young age. He served as a soloist at Whitestone Baptist Church in Detroit at just eight years old. He also began playing a number of instruments – the harmonica, drums and piano – during his prepubescent years. Stevie proved so talented that was able to land a five-year contract with Motown Records (which at the time was also based in Detroit) in 1961, i.e. the year in which he turned 11. It was then that the decision was made to legally change his last name from Judkins to Morris, the latter being “an old family name”, according to Lula Mae. So since then, the singer’s legal name has been Stevland Hardaway Morris. Also, he was given the stage moniker “Little Stevie Wonder” by Motown employee Clarence Paul. And since he was so young, the royalties from his contract were placed in a trust fund, which he could not access until he turned 21.

STEVIE'S EARLY CAREER

Stevie’s first three singles – I Call It Prety Music but the Old People Call It the Blues, Little Water Boy and Contract on Love, – all of which were dropped in 1962, failed to chart. It wasn’t until his fourth single, Fingertips – Part 2 , that he scored a hit, with the single topping the Hot 100 as well as Billboard’s R&B chart.

Concerning Stevie’s next seven singles, beginning with 1963’s Workout Stevie, Workout and concluding with 1965’s Hi-Heel Sneakers, some of them managed to chart, but none did nearly as well as Fingertips – Part 2. Also in 1964, Wonder appeared in a couple of Hollywood films, Bikini Beach and Muscle Beach Party, both starring Frankie Avalon, which likewise flopped. Concurrently, the young singer was going through puberty, a phenomenon which almost invariably results in one’s voice changing. All of those factors combined had the executives at Motown contemplating dropping him from the label. But it was Sylvia Moy, one of the label’s songwriters, who convinced them (and Berry Gordy in particular) otherwise.

Moy went on to play a major role in the first decade of Stevie’s career. For example, she co-wrote Uptight (Everything’s Alright), the title track of his fifth-studio album, with both the single and the LP proving to be notable successes. During the recording of the song Moy live-fed him the lyrics (i.e. singing them herself), since they didn’t have the opportunity to render them in braille. Moy, alongside Henry Cosby, proceeded to co-wrote many, if not most of Stevie’s singles of the latter half of the 1960s, including My Cherie Amour (1969), which is widely considered the signature track of his early career.

RECORDS HELD BY STEVIE WONDER

In 1989, at the age of 38, Stevie Wonder became the youngest inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Stevie Wonder holds the record (alongside Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra and Taylor Swift) for having won the most Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, at three.
Stevie Wonder is one of only two musicians (alongside Sinatra) to have won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards for two-consecutive years. He did so in 1974 with Innervisions (1973) and in 1975 with Fulfillingness’ Final Finale (1974).
Stevie Wonder is the only musician in history to have dropped three-consecutive studio albums – Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness’ Final Finale (1974) and Songs in the Keys of Life (1976) – to have won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year. The artist who has come closest to replicating that feat is Adele, who dropped two in a row that won.

SOURCES

STEVIE’S EARLY CHILDHOOD

Stevie Wonder. Wikipedia. Last edited on 3 January 2024.

Preterm Birth. Wikipedia. Last edited on 17 January 2024.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Wikipedia. Last edited on 9 January 2024.

Taylor Knight. It’s Our Turn to Sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the Legendary Stevie Wonder. New York Post. 15 May 2022.

Stevie Wonder Fast Facts. CNN. 1 May 2023.

STEVIE’S EARLY CAREER

Stevie Wonder. Wikipedia. Last edited on 22 March 2024.

Stevie Wonder discography. Wikipedia. Last edited on 2 March 2024.

Sylvia Moy. Wikipedia. Last edited on 12 January 2024.

RECORDS HELD BY STEVIE WONDER

Jan. 18 in Music History: Stevie Wonder Joins Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Current. 18 January 2024.

Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Wikipedia. Last edited on 21 January 2024.