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Stevie Wonder speaks at the opening of the 2nd Conference of Intellectuals from Africa and the Diaspora in Salvador photo by Antonio Cruz/ABr

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Stevie Wonder

American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder has a long history of being hailed as a musical genius and a child prodigy. Wonder, who is legally blind, never ceases to astound audiences of all ages with his ability to compose tunes that are not only classic but also intelligent.

With over 100 million records sold globally, Wonder is one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has one Academy Award and 25 Grammy Awards, the most of any solo musician (Best Original Song, for the 1984 film The Woman in Red). Wonder has been honored with induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame.

He is renowned for his work as a political activist, particularly for his 1980 drive to have Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday declared a federal holiday in the United States. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014 after being appointed a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2009.

Here are the Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Stevie Wonder

1. Stevie Wonder was known as a child prodigy

Before the age of ten, Stevie Wonder taught himself to play a number of different instruments, demonstrating his musical skill at a young age. These instruments—which would only be the start of this brilliance—included the harmonica, piano, and drums.

2. There are Numerous Top Albums by Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder performs for President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington, D.C. photo by Pete Souza

Stevie Wonder has had an active and fruitful career, releasing twenty-three studio albums, three soundtrack albums, four live albums, and eleven compilations.

Some of the top albums from his long career of entertainment include

Uptight — 1966, For Once in My Life — 1968, My Cherie Amour — 1969, Where I’m Coming From — 1971, Talking Book — 1972, Music of My Mind –1972, Innervisions — 1973, Fulfillingness’ First Finale — 1974, Songs in the Key of Life — 1976, The Woman in Red (Soundtrack) — 1984 and A Time to Love — 2005.

3. Stevie  was one of the most talented young musicians to ever top the Billboard charts

Even though the sales of Stevie Wonder’s first two debut albums, The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie and A Tribute to Uncle Ray, which included Ray Charles cover songs, weren’t as good as expected, they were still regarded as promising young artists with a promising future.

As the youngest musician to ever have a number-one single on the Billboard Top 100, young Stevie Wonder contributed to the annals of music. In 1963, his song “Fingertips, Part 2” from the live CD The 12-Year-Old Genius topped a number of charts

4. Stevie Wonder was discovered by Motortown Revue at the age of 12 years old

Wonder joined the Motortown Revue at the end of 1962 when he was 12 years old, and they began touring the “Chitlin’ Circuit” of theaters across America that welcomed black performers. His 20-minute performance at the Regal Theater in Chicago was captured on tape and issued in May 1963 as the album Recorded Live: The 12-Year-Old Genius.

Also released in May, “Fingertips,” the album’s main track, gained popularity rapidly. The substitute bass player is startled by the song, which features a confident and vivacious Wonder returning for an unexpected encore, and can be heard shouting “Which key? Which key?” When Wonder, then just 13 years old, became the song’s No. 1 hit, he became the youngest artist to ever achieve No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

5. He has a large family with 9 children and had married several times

Stevie Wonder’s first marriage—the first of his three—to Syreeta Wright lasted from 1970 until 1972. Despite the fact that their marriage lasted only two years before ending in divorce, she was a well-known Motown performer who frequently worked with Wonder.

His second marriage, which began in 2001 with fashion designer Kai Milliard, lasted a great deal longer than his first. They both agreed to keep the circumstances of their divorce, which occurred in 2012, a secret.

Stevie Wonder wed Tomeeka Robyn Bracy in 2017 after being romantically involved with her for a number of years.

Through marriage and other relationships, Stevie Wonder has fathered kids on various occasions over the years. There was a 40-year gap between the first and the last of his nine children, according to sources. Stevie Wonder gained two additional children, Kailand and Mandla, during his marriage to Kai Milliard.

6. Stevie Wonder works on a protest

Stevie Wonder 1994 photo by Unknown Author

He has worked as a volunteer for a number of organizations that promote understanding of various social issues, such as hunger, AIDS research, and assistance for the blind community.

Stevie Wonder was named the UN Messenger of Peace in 2009 in honor of his work to ensure that all people may access services for the blind and people with disabilities. He participated in the charity CD “That’s What Friends Are For” for the AIDS campaign alongside Elton John and Gladys Knight.

Wonder has offered his services as a performer for the “We Are the World” campaign to aid individuals in Africa who are starving. It is clear that Stevie Wonder is dedicated to and enthusiastic about both his music and raising awareness of social issues.

7. Stevie Wonder has been one of the two musicians to have won album of the year at the Grammys in back- to back years

The distinction has only been twice, going to Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra. With “September of My Years” in 1966 and “A Man and His Music” in 1967, Sinatra won. Wonder came in second and third with “Innervisions” in 1974 and “Fulfillingness’ First Finale” in 1975.

8. He has won several accolades and awards

Stevie Wonder is a multi-Grammy and Oscar-winning American singer, pianist, and composer. photo by Gyöngyi Rózsavölgyi

Throughout the course of his more than fifty-year career, Stevie Wonder has been presented with a number of awards and distinctions. While some of these honors are related to his music, others recognize his dedication to his role as an advocate.

For his musical accomplishments in a variety of genres and places, Stevie Wonder won 25 Grammy Awards, including those for Best Producer, Album of the Year, and Best Vocalist. His lifetime achievement was recognized in 1996 with a Grammy. A Grammy Award for Best Song was given to Stevie Wonder’s song “I Just Called To Say I Love You” in 1985. Additionally, in 1989 and 1983, he received inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Throughout the course of his lengthy career, Stevie Wonder was awarded numerous honorary degrees from some of the most prestigious universities in the world, including Brown, Tulane, and Yale. Additionally, in 2014, former President Barack Obama gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

9. Stevie wasn’t born Blind

Stevie Wonder was not born blind, despite being one from a young age. When he was prematurely delivered and placed in an incubator with too much oxygen, he developed blindness.

10. More than 30 top ten singles in the United States have been released by Wonder, including 20 R&B number singles and ten pop chart-topping singles

With combined sales of singles and albums, he is one of the top 60 best-selling

Stevie Wonder performs for President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington, D.C. photo by Pete Souza 

musicians with over 100 million recordings sold, 19.5 million of which are albums.  Wonder won 1984 hit single “I Just Called to Say I Love You” from the movie The Woman in Red, making him the first Motown artist and second African-American singer to do so. Wonder received a Lifetime Achievement Award in addition to 25 Grammy Awards, which is the most ever received by a solo artist.

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