Stevie Wonder is one of the most praised artists of the 20th century. The singer and songwriter has released hundreds of songs over the years, receiving awards and recognition all over the world.
At the same time as one can be impressed by Stevie Wonder’s musicianship, what’s more remarkable is understanding how he does it considering that he’s actually blind.
So how did it all start? Was he blind from the beginning, or did something go wrong? This is the story of Stevie Wonder!
Going to concerts and watching talented musicians always leaves me feeling so inspired and impressed. It could be a singer with a wonderful voice, a guitarist that busts out insane solos, or a saxophonist playing his or her instrument on a whole different level. Put simply, there’s something special about musicians.
Now imagine witnessing a person play the piano, sing, write his or her own hits and then learn to do all of the above when he or she was blind? That pretty much sums up Stevie Wonder, who has managed to done all of those things over the course of his career.
Stevie Wonder – musical genius
The ability to succeed as Stevie Wonder has – while being blind – is something I can’t get my mind around. It’s just too impressive to fathom – still to this day, Wonder continues to amaze me and people all around the world.
So how did it all start for him? And when did he become blind? Here’s all you need to know about the musical genius and legend that is Stevie Wonder!
Stevie was born Steveland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan.
Wonder’s first couple of months were dramatic to say the least, but contrary to the popular belief, he wasn’t actually born blind.
When Stevie Wonder was just 6 weeks of age, he was placed in an incubator due to the fact that he was premature. It was in that incubator that he got too much oxygen, effectively destroying a part of his eyes.
The affliction is known as Retinopathy of Prematurity, which means that the growth of the eyes is aborted, causing the retinas to detach. This results in blindness.
In 2004, Stevie Wonder spoke to Oprah Winfrey about his early life, and the fact that he was only a few weeks old when he lost his sight.
“A girl who was born one minute before me actually died. She couldn’t withstand that much oxygen,” Wonder said.
Why is Stevie Wonder blind?
Even though it has greatly impacted his life, Wonder doesn’t feel bitter towards the doctor who made the mistake of giving him too much oxygen.
“No. Once when I went to Saginaw, Michigan, and visited the hospital where I was born, there was this big hoopla—they gave me a special award,” Wonder recalled. “I think people were scared I was planning to sue that doctor’s ass. But he didn’t have any intent to harm me.
“I don’t regret what happened because it made me who I am. But I’d love to see.”
Stevie Wonder moved to Detroit, Michigan, when he was only 4 years old, following his parents’ break-up. As with Diana Ross, it was the city where Stevie would start his incredible journey towards becoming a legendary musician.
Early on, Wonder showed a great gift for music. He sang in the church choir in Detroit, and later played his own instruments.
Wonder was gifted a harmonica from an uncle, and he quickly learned to play along to the songs he heard on the radio. He was inspired by the blues, and soon moved onto the drums after receiving a set for Christmas.
Stevie Wonder’s early career
Stevie Wonder has never seen anything in his life, at least not anything he can remember. But by age five, he understood that being blind wasn’t something that would stop him from pursuing his dreams.
Sure, it was going to make things harder and more challenging, but nothing is impossible – and he was happy.
When he was just five, Wonder is said to have told his mother: “Don’t worry about me being blind, because I’m happy.” Speaking to Oprah, he explained further.
“I said something like that. It bothered me that my mother was crying all the time. She thought God might be punishing her for something. She lived during a time when things were particularly difficult for a woman in her circumstances,” Stevie Wonder said.
“I used to say that if something happened to my mother, I wanted to die with her. That’s because I loved her so much. I want to live so I can carry out the essence of what she has shown me: kindness and goodness.”
His mother was a very big inspiration for Stevie. Even though he was blind, she taught him to never be ashamed of anything, and to always persevere.
“I just became more curious”
Stevie Wonder also told a story of other kids making fun of him when he was young. Instead of letting it get him down, he used it as fuel to help him on life’s path.
“I just became more curious: ‘How can I climb this tree and get an apple for this girl?’ That’s what mattered to me,” Wonder explained.
“We had these woodsheds in the backyard, and we played a game where we’d jump from the top of the woodshed into the alley. Who could jump the farthest? The kids were like, ‘Go, Steve, go!’ but I guess I missed the moment when my brother Larry whispered, ‘Momma’s home.’ So I’m on top of the shed saying, ‘Are you ready? Here we go!’ And I jumped right into my mother’s arms.”
After learning the harmonica and drums, Stevie Wonder soon moved on to the piano. But at first, it wasn’t all great. He explains that people saw him as the blind boy who always made noise and beating on walls or boxes, singing and playing bongos on all hours.
“Obviously, sound was very important to me,” Wonder told Larry King in 2010.
“So, when I was able to, you know, to touch that thing, what’s called a piano, I was curious about it.”
At age 11, Ronnie White of the Motown band The Miracles discovered Stevie. And soon the little boy auditioned before Motown founder and legendary producer and label founder Berry Gordy Jr.
‘Being blind isn’t a disadvantage’
Even though he has said that he misses all that’s associated with seeing, such as driving his wife and kids around, being blind isn’t something that has made his life less.
“Do you know, it’s funny,” he told The Guardian, “but I never thought of being blind as a disadvantage, and I never thought of being black as a disadvantage. I am what I am. I love me! And I don’t mean that egotistically – I love that God has allowed me to take whatever it was that I had and to make something out of it.”
Stevie Wonder has given us so much joy and great music over the years. We will always be thankful for all he’s done, and also for what he’s done for people who doesn’t think they can accomplish things because of different disabilities.