Stevie Wonder: Fingertips to Songs in the Key of Life
May 19, 2022, 1:15 PM PST
Stevie Wonder SOUL Newspaper photo by Howard Bingham
Originally dubbed "Little Stevie Wonder", Stevland Morris was born May 13, 1950 in Saginaw Michigan. The middle of six children, Stevie Wonder was born with a dislocated optical nerve causing blindness.
Stevie Wonder is an unmatched pioneer of music who's SOUL continues to influence artists across all genres.
His first major success "Fingertips" catapulted his career early in his life. Years later at Crystal Studios he would begin to develop "Songs in the Key of Life". This 18th recording by Stevie Wonder would go on to be considered one of the greatest albums of all time.
Little Stevie Wonder
His family moved to Detroit soon after he was born where he sang in church and other community events. At the age of nine, Stevie became friends with a boy whose older brother was Ronnie White. White was a co-founder and member of The Miracles who were signed to a then struggling black-owned company Motown Records. Ronnie auditioned Stevie and then took him to Brian Holland of Holland–Dozier–Holland for a second audition. Holland then took Stevie to Berry Gordy who he played harmonica and sang for. In 1959, an impressed Gordy officially changed Morris' name to Stevie Wonder.
Blindness, Education & Fingertips
Stevie's first record on the Tamla label was "I Call It Pretty Music" which quickly became a hit. This was followed shortly by a duet with Clarence Paul called "Little Water Boy" and "Contract on Love". His fourth release and first million-seller "Fingertips", skyrocketed his career solidifying Stevie as an established recording artist at just 12 years old.
Stevie's talent allowed him to avoid the pipeline other blind children from poor families fell into. Typically a child would be enrolled into one of Michigan's schools for the blind, learned a trade and worked it for the rest of their life.
“When I was thirteen, the Board of Education didn’t want me to leave Detroit, but fortunately Motown got in touch with the superintendent of the Michigan School for the Blind, Dr. Robert Thompson, who set up a program which enabled me to have a tutor and to also attend the school when I was not working. I was to go to the school two weeks out of the month, but when I was traveling, I had my tutor, Ted Hull, with me. On the road we had school for four to five hours a day...”
Stevie Wonder on the cover of SOUL Newspaper 1966
Workin' It Out
Stevie would go on to produce several more recordings, embark on tours and make numerous television appearances in the years after “Fingertips” joining the ranks of other Motown powerhouses of the time like the Supremes, Miracles, Temptations, Four Tops, Marvellettes, Marvin Gaye and Junior Walker and the All Stars.
By 1966 Little Stevie Wonder had grown to a six feet tall Stevie Wonder and the "Little" moniker was dropped. Once thought of as a student of another blind singer, Ray Charles, Wonder now had his own proteges and had grown into his distinct style. He had already become a master of several instruments with equally varied vocal ability often becoming so engrossed in his singing and dancing that he had to be removed from the stage.
STEVIE WONDER greeted at airport by Dodgers' John Roseboro. Photo by Howard Bingham
His classic period began in 1972 with the releases of Music of My Mind and Talking Book, the latter featuring "Superstition” and "You are the Sunshine of My Life", Innervisions in 1973, and Fulfillingness' First Finale in 1974. His ability to convert sound and lyrics to genuine feeling was unmatched and fans across the globe felt his soul. These albums would help define much of Steve’s evolved sound and lay the groundwork for the last recordings of this period; one of the greatest albums of all time.
Walking the Walk
Motown Board Chairman Berry Gordy Jr with Stevie wonder, SOUL Publisher Ken Jones and Motown Executive Vice President Barney Ales celebrate Stevie's 13 million dollar deal with Motown. Photo by Bruce Talamon
He was already on top of the music industry at this time. In 1975 alone he toured 44 states to sellout crowds and received 20 keys to cities. All of the accolades and success only seemed to humble Wonder more. Unlike the average recording artist, Stevie’s compassion and need to illustrate overlooked aspects of our humanity grew deeper. He based many of his classical, Swahili, Jamaican, gospel and funk songs on themes of universal brotherhood and mutual understanding.
Constantly investing in community, Wonder intervened in the potential closing of Shaw University a private Baptist historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina. When told about Shaw, he set up a concert with several music stars to raise funding and set up an account where he would deposit money and give the school all of the interest. He set up two scholarship funds and established a teachers education program as well.
These are just a few examples of Stevie’s early philanthropy and interest in educational investments and community empowerment. These ideals were being reflected in his lyrics and musical composition as he embarked on his next album.
Stevie Wonder on the cover of SOUL Newspaper 1976
Songs in the Key of Life
In 1975 SOUL Newspaper was invited to Crystal Studios in Hollywood to interview Stevie. Lee Underwood described the scene in an 1976 article in SOUL.
Blind Stevie Wonder led me through the children, the laughing musicians, the bustling secretaries and the friends, into the high-ceilinged studio, where two gigantic speakers hung like waiting thunderbanks on the walls in front of the red and blue-buttoned switchboard. Along with Malcolm Cecil. Bob Margouleff, and his two new engineers, John Fischbach and Gary Olazable, Stevie has been working continuously for the past 10 months on his new 18-20 tune double-LP Songs In The Key Of Life." Originally Stevie had planned to release the already recorded "Fulfillingness First Finale, Part Il,' but he abandoned the idea because he feels his new material sounds so much better.
Stevie Wonder recording music at Crystal Studios. Photo by Regina Jones
““Stevie would have had the album out by now but he says, ‘No, I think this sounds better than that.’ He’s not worried. Everybody was telling him to get it out in time for the Oct. 8 Grammy Nominations. Well, that’s not even the concern. The concern is to get the album out sounding the way he wants it to sound. When he feels that it’s ready to present to the public, THAT’S when it goes out. He is a perfectionist but he does not think in terms of competition, either against himself or against anyone else.”
SOUL Review of Songs In The Key of Life
The hype around the album was real and well deserved. An eight foot replica of Stevie's face and a four story reproduction from "Songs In The Key Of Life" was erected in downtown Manhattan.
The billboard was one block long, eight feet high, covering 45th and 46th streets wrapping around into Broadway. It stood for three months beginning Memorial Day.
Advertisement for Songs In The Key Of Life in SOUL Newspaper
Ira Tucker, ministrator of Wonder's Black Bull Production was quoted as saying, "...come July 4, when the world takes a look at us celebrating our bicentennial, in the big apple, they'll see a Black man smiling down on all the people."
The following is a review of Songs in the Key of Life by SOUL Newspaper published November 22, 1976:
Here we have an Event: an album that was truly worth waiting two years for!
Stevie seems to be acutely aware that as a performer, he can relay political and philosophical messages that carry weight and credence.
Thus, folks who might never be curious enough to read a book on Black history will listen to 'Black Man'and become enlightened. And Black men who are still hung up over the worth and value of their mates may be sensitized by "Ebony Eyes, which is a loving tribute to Black women. Songs like Village Ghetto Land," "Love's In Need Of Love Today "Saturn" and Have A Talk With God"' also reveal a maturity of thought (as well as being prime examples of Stevie's expertise as a composer and musician).
Stevie Wonder poses for SOUL Newspaper at Crystal Studios. Photo by Regina Jones
Stevie utilized a Yamaha synthesizer (also known as a dream machine') on many of the tracks. Other noteworthy musicians such as Herbie Hancock, Bobbi Humphrey, George Benson, Bobbye Hall, Syreeta Wright and Minnie Riperton added their talent and inspiration. Not all the songs on this album contain heavy, social commentary. For example, "Isn't She Lovely" is a touching number about his daughter Aisha (whom you can hear laughing and baby-talking in the background) and "I Wish"' is a right-on-time Wonder classic that bemoans the loss of childhood.
Doing a sell-job on Stevie and his work is totally unnecessary at this point for he continues to prove that he's one of our most valuable and important artists. It is enough to say that "Songs In the Key of Life" is here (at last!) to liberate both our musical and moral senses.
Songs In The Key of Life would be released September 28th 1976 and go on to win Album of the Year at the 19th Grammy Awards in 1977 becomming one of the most celebrated albums of all time.
Read more about Stevie in the original January 19, 1976 article on Songs in the Key of Life in the SOUL Newspaper Archives
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