To continue our study of Black History Month, this week’s feature musician is Stevie Wonder. Blind since shortly after his birth, Wonder was a child prodigy, signing with Motown’s Tamla label at the age of 11, and at age 13 became the youngest artist with a No. 1 single. He is also a social activist (short summary here) advocating for anti-racism, famine relief, AIDS awareness, and improving services for the blind and those with disabilities.
Some of his works we’re listening to this week:
– Isn’t She Lovely (written for his daughter, Aisha)
– I Just Called to Say I Love You (won an Oscar award for Best Original Song, which Stevie Wonder dedicated this to Nelson Mandela, and resulted in getting his music banned in South Africa)
– Happy Birthday (composed to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King‘s birthday, which Stevie Wonder dedicated 10 years to making a national American holiday)
– Ebony and Ivory (ebony is black wood and ivory is a white material made from animal tusks/teeth, materials used to make a piano; symbolizes black and white people living in harmony; sung with Paul McCartney from The Beatles)
– Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing (featured in the animated movie Sing)
– Sir Duke (we play this in FAT Jazz too! It was written for Duke Ellington, the pianist we saw in It Don’t Mean a Thing with Ella Fitzgerald, and the lyrics mention several jazz giants)
– Superstition
– As
– Living for the City
– Faith (with Ariana Grande, also featured in the movie Sing)
He’s performed in the 1999 Superbowl Halftime, for Queen Elizabeth II in 2012, for President Barack Obama, and holds many honours, including 22 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Grammy Award for lifetime achievement, Gershwin prize for Popular Song, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.