Home
Stevie Wonder: Blind Eyes, Beautiful Voice and Blessed Life
by
Lena Clayton

It seems like once a person's eyesight is gone he becomes unable to function by himself. There's nothing he can do on his own. It's as if someone is always needed there to hold his hand through it all. This was how I thought of someone who was blind, until doing research on a singer by the name of Stevie Wonder, who just so happens to be a blind African American musical entertainer. In this paper I'm going to talk about Stevie Wonder, his childhood, and how he managed to become one of the world's most famous singers, despite his blindness.

Steveland Morris Judkins was born at St. Mary's Hospital on May 13, 1950, in Saginaw Michigan, to parents Calvin and Lula Mae Judkins. Steveland was born four months early and was put into an incubator, a man-made womb. Due to too much oxygen while inside of the incubator, Stevie's eyesight was destroyed (Haskins 9-10). Stevie was the name his family had given him, which was short for Steveland. Stevie was the third child in a line of six children.

When Stevie was two years of age he showed much interest in music. He would always listen to the radio and even create his own line of music by using spoons to bang on pots and pans. At the age of four Stevie was already playing the harmonica and piano. Stevie had a great childhood. Thanks to his two older brothers, Stevie was taught to run, climb trees and ride a bike if someone else steered (Rediger 41). "I always have loved my mother for giving me that independence," he says; "[she] let me feel the breeze of riding a bicycle" (qtd. in Haskins 111).

At the age of seven Stevie and the other children went to live with their mother in Detroit, Michigan, when his parents got divorced. In Detroit, Stevie attended Michigan's School for the Blind. Stevie's school experience, of course, was more than learning about racial and economic differences. It was also learning how to cope with his blindness, which wasn't very hard for Stevie to do (Haskins l7). "People at school told me I couldn't make it, that I'd end up making potholders instead. But after I thought I wanted to be a musician, I became determined simply to prove those people wrong." (qtd. in New York Times).

Stevie's mother couldn't afford to buy him musical instruments, so many friends and neighbors pitched in. His barber bought him a brand new harmonica; the Lions Club gave him a set of drums for Christmas; and a neighbor who was moving gave him a piano (Rediger 44). Stevie most definitely had talent. There was nothing Stevie couldn't do. He didn't find himself different from the other kids at all, which was something I found very admirable. There wasn't anything that held him back from trying; determination stayed on his side. Stevie was fascinated with sound and touch; these were ways Stevie would learn how to distinguish things one from another.

While in Detroit, Michigan, Stevie sang in a local church choir and soon after became the church soloist when he was nine. After being caught singing rock and roll, Stevie was expelled from the choir. Well, as you can see, growing up for Stevie was a snap. Even though he had no eyesight at all, he most certainly had a vision in life. Music indeed was Stevie's life focus. In 1960, Stevie was heard by one of Motown Records singers, and he then immediately introduced him to Berry Gordy Jr., Motown's owner. Stevie then signed his first three-year contract at the age of ten. He then spent most of his time meeting singers, trying out instruments, and playing songs he had composed (Rediger 41). A singer Stevie wanted to become, and a singer he became.

In 1963, at the age of thirteen, Stevie's first recording was a hit. It sold over one million copies and topped the charts for fifteen weeks. The name of the recording was Fingertips Part 2, which featured him singing and playing the harmonica. "Little Stevie Wonder" is what they called him (Rediger 42). Stevie would go on tour with the other Motown musicians. His tutor would also go along with him so that he wouldn't fall behind in his studies at the Michigan School for the Blind. Stevie recorded an amazing number of hits such as: "Uptight" and I Was Made to Love Her" (Rediger 42).

Stevie married Syreeta Wright in 1970. They had three children, Aisha, Keita Sawandi, and Mumtaz Ekow. In 1971, Stevie broke away from Motown, but they still controlled his money. He wanted to express his feelings about the civil rights for African Americans, and Motown wouldn't let him. In 1974, Stevie and Syreeta divorced (Rediger 41).

Stevie then began to develop new skills like experimenting with synthesizers, which allowed him to perform all parts of a song himself. He also learned about the business part of the industry (Rediger 42). The first album Stevie produced was Music of My Mind. By this time Stevie and Berry Gordy, Motown's owner, patched up their differences, and Motown agreed to promote and distribute the album. He went on tour with The Rolling Stones, and everyone loved the new Stevie Wonder sound. The album was an incredible success (Rediger 42). Stevie released many more best selling albums since then. He has performed in England, Europe, Japan, and Africa. He also appeared in movies and on television (Rediger 43).

After a four-year absence, Stevie returned to the music scene in 1995 with a message of freedom and justice for all people. Stevie then decided to leave Motown and set up his own studio, yet it was not an easy decision. Berry Gordy, Jr. was very upset with Stevie, and for a while the two men didn't speak. Blindness was Stevie's biggest obstacle, but it is one that he has never limited his success. He uses a reading machine, which scans printed words and then speaks them back to him. He also uses a computer that prints in Braille, a writing system for the blind people. Today Stevie works at improving the world by raising money for AIDS research and world hunger relief projects.

Stevie Wonder is now a singer, songwriter, businessman, and social activist, all due to the faith he has in himself and determination he has in life. Who would ever have thought someone blind, poor, and from a town as small as Saginaw would have made it so far? This is why I found Stevie Wonder's story very interesting. In conclusion, as Stevie says, "The only people who are really blind are those... [who] can’t see the light of love and justice." This quote inspires me to strive for the best.

Works Cited

  • Dragonwagon, C. Stevie Wonder. Flash Books, 1997.
  • Haskins, James. The Stevie Wonder Scrapbook. New York, 1978.
  • Rediger, Pat. Great African Americans in Music. New York: Crabtree, 1966.
  • New York Times. Feb. 1975.
 
The written and visual works in Mid-Michigan Remembers-Stories about Us were chosen on the basis of their quality, diversity, community interest and appeal. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the College. This space is provided as a service by Delta College.