Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder towers among the truly singular musicians of the postwar era, evolving from a child prodigy to a virtual one-man band whose complex, socially conscious songcraft and unparalleled studio wizardry forever redefined the dimensions of popular music.

Blind since shortly after his birth in Saginaw, Mich. in 1950, Wonder signed to Motown Records at the age of 11, originally recording and performing under the name Little Stevie Wonder. He topped the pop charts in 1963 with the raucous "Fingertips," a showcase for his preternatural harmonica skills, followed by enduring hits like "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" and "For Once in My Life."

Wonder self-produced his 1970 smash "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" anticipated the creative control he commanded over an extraordinary series of Motown LPs including Talking Book, Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life - ambitious, deeply personal statements that popularized synthesizers and electronic instrumentation within contemporary R&B. Wonder is also noted for his political activism, highlighted by his 1980 campaign to celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. as a federal holiday.