The Life and Career of Stevie Wonder

Early Childhood

Stevie Wonder was born Stevland Hardaway Judkins, on the day May 13, 1950. He was born six weeks early with an eye disorder, retinopathy of prematurity. It wasn’t the greatest start to a life full of pleasant achievements for the musician. In addition to being blind, he also had an abusive father. It wasn’t a way that you would think one of the greatest jazz musicians would start their life. I would say that him being blind and having an abusive father just gave him more ambition to achieve more. He started and mastered the basics of many instruments by the age of 10. It was a promising start for any musician but imagine being blind, and not feeling safe in your own home.

Early Career

After learning instruments, he found The Miracles (a band) and with that it followed with an audition to become part of that group. It gets better though, with the owner of the group he got a record deal. Being eleven at this time, he didn’t get the choice to create whatever music he wanted. The owner would give him a genre to work with and some ideas and he would have to work with it. In 1962, he changed his name from Stevland Hardaway Judkins to Little Stevie Wonder. A name that people could remember and would remember him as. When the music started getting produced and going on charts, he raised the bar for Jazz players also for himself to create better and more music.

Inspiration

His music was inspired by his loved ones, that could be his ex-wifes or his wife, and his daughters. One of the top songs that he wrote was “Isn’t She Lovely” and that was inspired by his daughter, Aisha Morris (his eldest). Also, because he was blind, and because he had the odds against him, he worked harder and harder. First, people thought that he wouldn’t make it because he was blind and because if you’re blind how are you supposed to read music, never mind make it. In addition, he wanted to be part of the music community and he also had the talented so why not?

Building Upon Success

As I said before Stevie had a great start to his life (musically), and he kept going and creating his albums even as he got older. He had many albums that reached the top of charts; the highlight of his career was in the 70’s when jazz was the style of music everybody listened to. When getting albums out to the world, almost every single one reached the top of the charts. The greatest thing about Stevie (at least in my opinion) is that he doesn’t stop when he gets a title or two, he keeps on going.

Philanthropic Deeds

Stevie Wonder produced music, in a world and in a time where people listened to that music to lift thier spirts, fighting for what they think should be changed. That is a great thing, to do something you love and make people be happy listening to that thing that you put your heart into. However, you can’t forget that he also wanted to change how blind and disabled people where looked at. He wanted to raise up the standard for people who were like him. 2013 was the year when that all changed, and for the better. He went to Marrakech to perform because of an International treaty that was signed.

Conclusion

Stevie Wonder still lives today, he also still puts out music. In my opinion, he is a great model to look at because he never gave up. When the odds were against him when he was a little, he kept on thriving. When people thought that he would never make it, because of the way he ways, he kept on going. Even when old age is around the corner, he keeps on thriving. In addition to all this hard work he keeps on giving back and wanting people like him to live their life to the fullest like he did and still is.

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