One balmy night in 1963, I turned the big stereo “hifi” on and heard Little Stevie Wonder for the first time. It was an unusually warm night in the winter, even for Galveston. The ocean breeze was blowing in through the open windows and I was home alone. I remember hearing the harmonica and thinking what a catchy tune. It was “Fingertips Part 1”. I was hooked on Stevie Wonder; he and I were both twelve years old when he released that song. I learned later he was blind at birth, played not only the harmonica, but had also mastered the piano at seven and the drums at nine.
Stevie Wonder was born Steveland Judkins in 1950. He suffered from R.O.P. (Retinopothy of Prematurity). Blood vessels in his eyes had not developed properly, then grew out of control, causing his retina to detach, the direct cause of his blindness. Despite this disability, he went on to write and record some of the best music to come out of Motown and has been on the charts every decade for the last forty years.
“Little” Stevie Wonder signed with Berry Gordy, of Motown Record fame, in 1961, at the age of eleven. He released “Fingertips Part 1 and 2” in 1963. The song moved swiftly up the charts and the deejays on the radio remarked often about the little blind black boy. His music has had continued popularity for four decades.
That first time I heard his song, I had no idea he was blind. After learning of his disability, I admired him even more. I have enjoyed his music all these years, but I think I admire his courage even more. He has maintained a positive attitude through his songs and worked for peace and understanding throughout his life. An avid supporter of the teachings of Dr. Martin Luthor King, Jr., he was instrumental in convincing President Ronald Reagan to make MLK’s birthday a national holiday. He sang a duet with Paul McCartney, ‘Ebony and Ivory”, in the 1980’s. The song’s theme was about setting aside racial discrimination, and learning to live together in peace and harmony.
Although Stevie Wonder has recorded many songs in his long and illustrious career, I think my favorite is “Love’s In Need of Love Today”, on his “Songs in the Key of Life” album, released in the mid seventies. That song moved me as much as Fingertips did on that winter night years ago.
In 1973, he was involved in a horrific car accident. While asleep in the front seat of a car traveling behind a logging truck, the truck unexpectedly slammed on it’s brakes, causing a log to fly through the windshield and hit him in the forehead. He was in intensive care and his prognosis looked grim for awhile. After fighting a long battle to recover, he returned to the studio to begin recording again. His career has been successfully ongoing ever since.
Stevie Wonder has shown the world that any adversity can be overcome with determination. In an era where a little African American boy was considered a second class citizen to many, a time when the music industry was dominated by hip white sighted teenagers, he made a place for himself on the charts and in our hearts.