Stevie Wonder was discovered in 1961, when his friend, Gerald White, convinced his brother Ronnie White of The Miracles to come check his talented friend out. Impressed, Ronnie White took Stevie, to Motown’s Berry Gordy who signed him to Motown’s Tamla label under the name Little Stevie Wonder.
While his single “I Call It Pretty Music, But the Old People Call it the Blues” and first two albums, “The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie” and “Tribute to Uncle Ray” weren’t as successful as the label hoped, by age 13 Stevie had in his hands a hit with the single “Fingertips (Pt. 2).” That song would be the first of many smashes, including “Uptight,” “For Once in My Life,” “Superstition” and “I Just Called To Say I Love You,” among a slew of others.
Stevie Wonder has recorded more than 30 U.S. top ten hits and has received 22 Grammy Awards. Wonder is also a celebrated activist and heavily interested in political issues, including his 1980 campaign to make Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday a holiday in the United States.