Coordinates	21°29′52″N158°3′48″N
Name	Ray Charles Robinson
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Ray Charles Robinson
Origin	Greenville, Florida, United States
Born	September 23, 1930Albany, Georgia, United States
Died	June 10, 2004Beverly Hills, California, United States
Instrument	Vocals, piano, keyboards, alto saxophone, trombone
Genre	R&B;, soul, rock and roll, blues, jazz, country, pop, gospel
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, bandleader
Years active	1947–2004
Label	Atlantic, ABC, Warner Bros., Swingtime, Concord, Columbia Records
Associated acts	The Raelettes, Quincy Jones, Betty Carter, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Little Richard
Url	Official website

Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930June 10, 2004), better known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm & blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records. He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, most notably with his Modern Sounds albums. While with ABC, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to be given artistic control by a mainstream record company. Frank Sinatra called Charles “the only true genius in show business.”

Rolling Stone ranked Charles number 10 on their list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" in 2004, and number two on their November 2008 list of "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In honoring Charles, Billy Joel noted: "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley. I don't know if Ray was the architect of rock & roll, but he was certainly the first guy to do a lot of things . . . Who the hell ever put so many styles together and made it work?"

Biography

Early life: 1930–1945

Ray Charles Robinson was the son of Aretha Williams, a sharecropper, and Bailey Robinson, a railroad repair man, mechanic and handyman. Aretha Williams was a devout Christian and the family attended the New Shiloh Baptist Church. When Ray was an infant, his family moved from Albany, Georgia, where he was born, to the poor black community on the western side of Greenville, Florida. In his early years, Charles showed a curiosity for mechanical things and he often watched the neighborhood men working on their cars and farm machinery. His musical curiosity was sparked at Mr. Wiley Pit's Red Wing Cafe when Pit played boogie woogie on an old upright piano. Pit would care for George, Ray's brother, so as to take the burden off Williams. However, George drowned in the Williams' wash tub when he was four years old.

Charles started to lose his sight at the age of five. He went completely blind by the age of seven, apparently due to glaucoma. He attended school at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine from 1937 to 1945, While at school, he became the school's premier musician. On Fridays, the South Campus Literary Society held assemblies where Charles would play piano and sing popular songs. On Halloween and Washington's birthday, the Colored Department of the school had socials where Charles would play. It was here he established "RC Robinson and the Shop Boys" and sang his own arrangement of "Jingle Bell Boogie." He spent his first Christmas at the school, but later the staff pitched in so that Charles could return to Greenville, as he did each summer.

Henry and Alice Johnson, who owned a store not unlike Mr. Pit's store in Greenville, moved to the Frenchtown section of Tallahassee, just west of Greenville; and they, as well as Freddy and Margaret Bryant, took Charles in. He worked the register in the Bryants' store under the direction of Lucille Bryant, their daughter. It's said he loved Tallahassee and often used the drug store delivery boy's motorbike to run up and down hills using the exhaust sound of a friend's bike to guide him. Charles found Tallahassee musically exciting too and sat in with the Florida A&M; University student band. He played with the Adderley brothers, Nat and Cannonball, and began playing gigs with Lawyer Smith and his Band in 1943 at the Red Bird Club and DeLuxe Clubs in Frenchtown and roadhouses around Tallahassee, as well as the Governor's Ball.

Early career: 1945–1952

After his mother died in 1945, Charles was 15 years old and didn't return to school. He lived in Jacksonville with a couple who were friends of his mother. For over a year, he played the piano for bands at the Ritz Theatre in LaVilla, earning $4 a night. Then he moved to Orlando, and later Tampa, where he played with a southern band called The Florida Playboys. This is where he began his habit of always wearing sunglasses, made by designer Billy Stickles.

Charles had always played for other people, but he wanted his own band. He decided to leave Florida for a large city, but Chicago and New York City were too big. After asking a friend to look in a map and note the city in the United States that was farthest from Florida, he moved to Seattle in 1947 (where he first met and befriended a 14 year old Quincy Jones) and soon started recording, first for the Down Beat label as the Maxin Trio with guitarist G.D. McKee and bassist Milton Garrett, achieving his first hit with "Confession Blues" in 1949. The song soared to #2 on the R&B; charts. He joined Swing Time Records and under his own name ("Ray Charles" to avoid being confused with boxer Sugar Ray Robinson)

Breakthrough period with Atlantic Records: 1953–1959

Almost immediately after signing with Atlantic, Charles scored his first hit singles. "Mess Around" was an R&B; hit in 1953. "It Should Have Been Me" and "Don't You Know" both made the charts in 1954, but "I Got a Woman" (composed with band mate Renald Richard) brought him to national prominence.

The song reached the top of Billboard's R&B; singles chart in 1955 and from there until 1959 he would have a series of R&B; successes including "A Fool For You" (#1), This Little Girl of Mine", "Lonely Avenue", "Mary Ann", "Drown in My Own Tears" (#1) and the #5 hit "The Night Time (Is the Right Time)", which were compiled on his Atlantic releases Hallelujah, I Love Her So, Yes Indeed!, and The Genius Sings the Blues.

During this time of transition, he recruited a young girl group from Philadelphia, The Cookies, as his background singing group, recording with them in New York and changing their name to the Raelettes in the process.

Crossover success: 1959–1967

In 1959, Charles crossed over to Top 40 radio with the release of his impromptu blues number, "What'd I Say", initially conceived while Charles was in concert. The song reached number one on the R&B; list and would become Charles's first top-ten single on the pop charts, peaking at number 6. Charles would also record The Genius of Ray Charles, before leaving Atlantic for a more lucrative deal with ABC-Paramount Records (later renamed ABC Records) in 1960. The deal gave Charles a higher royalty rate, complete artistic control and eventual ownership of the master tapes.

Hit songs such as "Georgia On My Mind" (US #1 Pop, #3 R&B;), "Hit the Road Jack" (US #1 Pop and R&B;), "One Mint Julep" (#8 Pop, #1 R&B;) and "Unchain My Heart" (#9 Pop, #1 R&B;) helped his transition to pop success, and his landmark 1962 album, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music and its sequel Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Vol. 2, helped to bring country into the mainstream of music. His version of the Don Gibson song, I Can't Stop Loving You topped the Pop chart for five weeks and stayed at #1 R&B; for ten weeks in 1962. It also gave him his only number one record in the UK. In 1963, he founded his own record label, Tangerine Records which ABC-Paramount distributed. He also had major pop hits in 1963 with "Busted" (US #4) and Take These Chains From My Heart (US #8), and a Top 20 hit four years later, in 1967, with "Here We Go Again" (US #15) (which would be a duet with Norah Jones in 2004).

Later years

In 1965, Ray Charles was arrested for possession of heroin, a drug to which he had been addicted for nearly 20 years. In the 1980s a number of other events increased Charles's recognition among young audiences. He made a cameo appearance in the popular 1980 film The Blues Brothers. In 1985, "The Right Time" was featured in the episode "Happy Anniversary" of The Cosby Show on NBC. The next year, he sang America The Beautiful at Wrestlemania 2. In a Pepsi Cola commercial of the early 1990s – composed by Kenny Ascher, Joseph C. Caro, and Helary Jay Lipsitz – Charles popularized the catchphrase "You Got the Right One, Baby!" and he was featured in the recording of "We Are the World" for USA for Africa.

After having supported Martin Luther King, Jr. and for the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, Charles courted controversy when he toured South Africa in 1981, Eventually, it sold more than 400,000 copies, and became that year's best-selling single performed by a Western artist for the Japanese music market.

Charles also appeared at two Presidential inaugurations in his lifetime. In 1985, he performed for Ronald Reagan's second inauguration, and in 1993 for Bill Clinton's first.

In the late 1980s/early 1990s, Charles made appearances on The Super Dave Osbourne Show, where he performed and appeared in a few vignettes where he was somehow driving a car, often as Super Dave's chauffeur. At the height of his newfound fame in the early nineties, Charles did guest vocals for several projects. He also appeared (with Chaka Khan) on long time friend Quincy Jones' hit "I'll Be Good to You" in 1990, from Jones's album Back on the Block. Following Jim Henson's death in 1990, Ray Charles appeared in the one-hour CBS tribute, The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson. He gave a short speech about Henson, stating that he "took a simple song and a piece of felt and turned it into a moment of great power". Charles was referring to the song "It's Not Easy Being Green", which he later performed with the rest of the Muppet cast in a tribute to Henson's legacy.

During the sixth season of Designing Women, Charles sang "Georgia on My Mind", instead of the song being rendered instrumentally by other musicians as in the previous five seasons. He also appeared in 4 episodes of the popular TV comedy The Nanny in Seasons 4 & 5 (1997 & 1998) as 'Sammy', in one episode singing "My Yiddish Mamma" to December romance and later fiancee of character Gramma Yetta, played by veteran actress Ann Guilbert.

Final appearances

In 2000, Charles made a special guest appearance on Blue's Clues Big Musical Movie as a fictional character named G-Clef. The Persuasions also made a guest appearance as his companions. Charles recorded "There It Is" during and after filming with Steve Burns and Traci Paige Johnson. After recording, Charles commented "This has been the most fun I have had since I met President Reagan in '84."

In 2001 Charles played a memorable show in a sold out Teatro Teresa Carreño in Caracas, Venezuela. In 2002 Charles headlined during the Blues Passions Cognac festival in southern France. Charles, along with the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall, paid a visit to Salt Lake City Tuesday night on October 15, 2002 and played a benefit concert for the Regence Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association's 10th Annual Caring Foundation for Children Gala.

In 2002, he took part with other musicians in a peace concert in Rome, the first event to take place inside the city's ancient Colosseum since A.D. 404. It was organized in partnership with the Global Forum and the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation. Charles appeared with Travis Tritt on CMT Crossroads in December of that year. He was invited to Star Academy (France) season 2 the 30th November for sing "Hit the Road Jack" with Emma Daumas.

In 2003, Ray Charles headlined the White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington, D.C. where the President, First Lady, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice attended. He also presented one of his greatest admirers, Van Morrison, with his award upon being inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the two sang Morrison's song "Crazy Love". This performance appears on Morrison's 2007 album, The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3.

On Friday, April 11, 2003, Ray Charles sang 'America The Beautiful' at Fenway Park in Boston, Friday, prior to the rained out Red Sox home opener against the Baltimore Orioles.

In 2003 Charles performed "Georgia On My Mind" and "America the Beautiful" at a televised annual electronic media journalist banquet held in Washington, D.C., at what may have been his final performance in public. His final public appearance came on April 30, 2004, at the dedication of his music studio as a historic landmark in the city of Los Angeles.

Two more posthumous albums, Genius & Friends (2005) and Ray Sings, Basie Swings (2006), were released. Genius & Friends consisted of duets recorded from 1997 to 2005 with his choice of artists. Ray Sings, Basie Swings consists of archived vocals of Ray Charles from live mid-1970s performances added to new instrumental tracks specially recorded by the contemporary Count Basie Orchestra and other musicians. Charles's vocals recorded from the concert mixing board were added to new accompaniments to create a "fantasy concert" recording. Gregg Field, who had performed as a drummer with both Charles and Basie, produced the album.

Personal life

Charles was married twice and fathered 12 children with nine different women. His first marriage to Eileen Williams was brief: July 31, 1951 to 1952. He had three children from his second marriage, to Della Beatrice Howard Robinson from April 5, 1955 to 1977. His long term girlfriend and partner at the time of his death was Norma Pinella.

His children:

Born ~ 1950: Evelyn Robinson (to Louise Mitchell)

Born ~ 1955: Ray Charles Robinson, Jr. (to Della Robinson)

Born ~ 1958: David Robinson (to Della Robinson)

Born ~ 1959: Charles Wayne Hendricks (to Margie Hendricks)

Born ~ 1960: Reverend Robert Robinson (to Della Robinson)

Born ~ 1961: Raenee Robinson (to Mae Mosely Lyles)

Born ~ 1963: Sheila Raye Charles Robinson (to Sandra Jean Betts)

Born ~ 1966: Reatha Butler (unknown)

Born ~ 1968: Alexandra Bertrand (to Chantal Bertrand)

Born ~ 1977: Vincent Kotchounian (to Arlette Kotchounian)

Born ~ 1978: Robyn Moffett (to Gloria Moffett)

Born ~ 1987: Ryan Corey Robinson den Bok (to Mary Anne den Bok)

Charles gave each of his children $1 million (tax-free) in December 2002 at a family lunch. Ten of his 12 children were given a check for $1,000,000 at the luncheon, while two couldn't make it.

Chess

Chess was a hobby of his, using a special board with holes for the pieces and raised squares. In 2002, he played American Grandmaster and former U. S. Champion Larry Evans. Evans won but some analysts believe Ray Charles resigned prematurely.

Drugs

On November 14, 1961, Charles was arrested on a narcotics charge in an Indiana hotel room, where he waited to perform. The detectives seized heroin, marijuana, and other items. Charles, then 31, stated that he had been a drug addict since the age of 16. While the case was dismissed because of the manner in which the evidence was obtained, Charles's situation did not improve until a few years later. Individuals such as Quincy Jones and Reverend Henry Griffin, felt that those around Charles were responsible for his drug use. By 1964 Charles's drug addiction caught up with him and he was arrested for possession of marijuana and heroin. Following a self-imposed stay

Discography

Filmography

Swingin' Along (1961)

Ballad in Blue (1964)

The Big T.N.T. Show (1966) (documentary)

The Blues Brothers (1980)

Who's The Boss (himself) 1987

Limit Up (1989)

Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones (1990) (documentary)

Love Affair (1994)

Spy Hard (1996)

The Nanny (1999) as Sammy

Adv. Super Dave (2000)

Blue's Big Musical Movie (2000)

Soul Deep

Biographical film

Charles was significantly involved in the biopic Ray, an October 2004 film which portrays his life and career between 1930 and 1966 and stars Jamie Foxx as Charles. Foxx won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Actor for the role.

Before shooting could begin, director Taylor Hackford brought Foxx to meet Charles, who insisted that they sit down at two pianos and play together. After two hours, he stood up, hugged Foxx, and gave his blessing, proclaiming, "He's the one... he can do it." Charles was expected to attend a showing of the completed film, but died before it opened. The movie is the all-time number one biopic per screen average, opening on 2006 screens and making 20 million dollars.

As noted in the film's final credits, Ray is based on true events, but includes some characters, names, locations, events which have been changed and others which have been "fictionalized for dramatization purposes". Dramatic license accounts for scenes that refer to Charles as temporarily banned from performing in Georgia.

The credits note that he is survived by 12 children, 21 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren as of the movie release in October 2004.

Hall of Fame and other honors

In 1979, Charles was one of the first of the Georgia State Music Hall of Fame to be recognized as a musician born in the state. Ray's version of "Georgia On My Mind" was made the official state song for Georgia. In 1981, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was one of the first inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural ceremony in 1986. He received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986.

In 1987, he was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1991, he was inducted to the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. In 1993, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts. In 1998 he was awarded the Polar Music Prize together with Ravi Shankar in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2004 he was inducted to the Jazz Hall of Fame, and inducted to the National Black Sports & Entertainment Hall of Fame. The Grammy Awards of 2005 were dedicated to Charles.

On December 7, 2007, Ray Charles Plaza was opened in Albany, Georgia, with a revolving, lighted bronze sculpture of Charles seated at a piano. Later that month, on December 26, 2007, Ray Charles was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. He was also presented with the George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement, during the 1991 UCLA Spring Sing.

In 2003, Charles was awarded an honorary degree by Dillard University. Upon his death, he endowed a professorship of African-American culinary history at the school, which is the first such chair in the nation. A $20 million performing arts center at Morehouse College was named after Charles and was dedicated in September 2010.

Ray Charles Post Office Building

On Tuesday, July 12, 2005, President George Bush signed into law a bill (PL 109–25), sponsored by Congresswoman Diane E. Watson (CA-33rd), designating the U.S. postal facility at 4960 W. Washington Blvd. in Los Angeles, California, the Ray Charles Post Office Building. On August 24, 2005, the United States Congress honored Charles by dedicating and renaming the former West Adams Station post office, on the site of the former legendary jazz and supper club The Parisian Room, the "Ray Charles Station".

References

Further reading

Article from the St. Augustine Record noting Charles' being on WFOY.

External links

Ray Charles website

Ray Charles - Daily Telegraph obituary

Ray Charles at RollingStone.com

Ray Charles at Songwriters Hall of Fame

Ray Charles at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Ray Charles autobiography: The Early Years 1930–1960

I Can't Stop Loving You: Ray Charles and Country Music - Past Exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Yes Indeed! The Photographs of Joe Adams

Watch

Ray Charles's oral history video excerpts at the National Visionary Leadership Project

Listen

Category:1930 births Category:1940s singers Category:1950s singers Category:1960s singers Category:1970s singers Category:1980s singers Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2004 deaths Category:ABC Records artists Category:African American musicians Category:African American singers Category:American blues pianists Category:American blues singers Category:American composers Category:American country singers Category:American gospel singers Category:American keyboardists Category:American male singers Category:American pop pianists Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American soul singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American soul musicians Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Blind musicians Category:Blind bluesmen Category:Blues Hall of Fame inductees Category:Blind musicians Category:Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery Category:Cancer deaths in California Category:Deaths from liver cancer Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:Musicians from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Musicians from Florida Category:Kennedy Center honorees Category:People from Albany, Georgia Category:People from Madison County, Florida Category:People from the Greater Los Angeles Area Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees‎ Category:Rhythm and blues pianists Category:Songwriters from Florida Category:Songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Urban blues musicians

Coordinates	21°29′52″N158°3′48″N
Name	Stevie Wonder
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Stevland Hardaway Judkins
Alias	Stevland Hardaway Morris, Little Stevie Wonder, Eivets Rednow
Born	May 13, 1950Saginaw, Michigan, United States
Origin	Detroit, Michigan, United States
Instrument	Vocals, synthesizer, piano, keyboards, guitar, harmonica, drums, bass guitar, congas, bongos, clavinet, melodica, keytar, accordion
Genre	R&B;, pop, soul, jazz, funk
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, activist
Years active	1961–present
Label	Tamla, Motown
Url

Stevland Hardaway Judkins (born May 13, 1950), name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris, known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist. Blind since shortly after birth, Wonder is also noted for his work as an activist for political causes, including his 1980 campaign to make Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a holiday in the United States. In 2009, Wonder was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's fiftieth anniversary, with Wonder at number five.

Early life

Stevie Wonder was born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1950, being the third of six children to Calvin Judkins and Lula Mae Hardaway. Owing to his being born six weeks premature, the blood vessels at the back of his eyes had not yet reached the front and their aborted growth caused the retinas to detach. The medical term for this condition is retinopathy of prematurity, or ROP, and while it may have been exacerbated by the oxygen pumped into his incubator, this was not the primary cause of his blindness.

When Stevie Wonder was four, his mother left his father and moved herself and her children to Detroit. She changed her name back to Lula Hardaway and later changed her son's surname to Morris, partly because of relatives. Morris has remained Stevie Wonder's legal name ever since. He began playing instruments at an early age, including piano, harmonica, drums and bass. During childhood he was active in his church choir.

Discovery and early Motown recordings

Ronnie White of The Miracles gives credit to his brother Gerald White for persistently nagging him to come to his friend's house in 1961 to check out Stevie Wonder. Afterward, White brought Wonder and his mother to Motown Records. Impressed by the young musician, Motown CEO Berry Gordy signed Wonder to Motown's Tamla label with the name Little Stevie Wonder.

In 1970, Wonder co-wrote, and played numerous instruments on the hit "It's a Shame" for fellow Motown act The Spinners. His contribution was meant to be a showcase of his talent and thus a weapon in his on-going negotiations with Gordy about creative autonomy.

Classic period: 1972–1976

Wonder independently recorded two albums, which he used as a bargaining tool while negotiating with Motown. Eventually the label agreed to his demands for full creative control and the rights to his own songs. The 120-page contract shattered precedent at Motown and additionally gave Wonder a much higher royalty rate.

Released in the fall of 1972, Talking Book featured the No. 1 hit "Superstition", The song features a rocking groove that garnered Wonder an additional audience on rock radio stations. Talking Book also featured "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", which also peaked at No. 1. During the same time as the album's release, Stevie Wonder began touring with the Rolling Stones to alleviate the negative effects from pigeon-holing as a result of being an R&B; artist in America. Between them, the two songs won three Grammy Awards. Wonder and his band performed "Superstition", as well as an original song called "Sesame Street Song", which demonstrated his abilities with the "talk box".

Political considerations were brought into greater focus than ever before on his next album, Innervisions, released in 1973. The album featured "Higher Ground" (#4 on the pop charts) as well as the trenchant "Living for the City" (#8). Innervisions generated three more Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. Wonder had become the most influential and acclaimed black musician of the early 1970s. This left him in a coma for four days and resulted in a partial loss of his sense of smell and a temporary loss of sense of taste.

Despite the setback, Wonder eventually recovered all of his musical faculties, and re-appeared in concert at Madison Square Garden in March 1974 with a performance that highlighted both up-tempo material and long, building improvisations on mid-tempo songs such as "Living for the City". He also co-wrote and produced the Syreeta Wright album .

On October 4, 1975, Wonder performed at the historical "Wonder Dream Concert" in Kingston, Jamaica, a benefit for the Jamaican Institute for the Blind.

By 1975, in his 25th year, Stevie Wonder had won two consecutive Grammy Awards: in 1974 for Innervisions and in 1975 for Fulfillingness' First Finale.

The double album-with-extra-EP Songs in the Key of Life, was released in September 1976. Sprawling in style, unlimited in ambition, and sometimes lyrically difficult to fathom, the album was hard for some listeners to assimilate, yet is regarded by many as Wonder's crowning achievement and one of the most recognizable and accomplished albums in pop music history. The album became the first of an American artist to debut straight at #1 in the Billboard charts, where it remained for 14 non-consecutive weeks. Two tracks, became #1 Pop/R&B; hits "I Wish" and "Sir Duke". The baby-celebratory "Isn't She Lovely?" was written about his newborn daughter Aisha, while songs such as "Love's in Need of Love Today" (which years later Wonder would perform at the post-September 11, 2001 telethon) and "Village Ghetto Land" reflected a far more pensive mood. Songs in the Key of Life won Album of the Year and two other Grammys. Rolling Stone Magazine's 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time included four of the five albums, with three in the top 90.

In 1994, Wonder made a guest appearance on the KISS cover album , playing harmonica and supplying background vocals for the song "Deuce", performed by Lenny Kravitz.

In 1996, Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life was selected as a documentary subject for the Classic Albums documentary series. This series dedicates 60 minutes to one groundbreaking record per feature. The same year, he performed John Lennon's song "Imagine" in the closing ceremony of the Atlanta Olympic Games. The same year, Wonder performed in a remix of "Seasons of Love" from the Jonathan Larson musical Rent.

In 1997, Wonder collaborated with Babyface for a song about abuse (domestic violence) called "How Come, How Long" which was nominated for an award.

In December 1999, Wonder announced that he was interested in pursuing an intraocular retinal prosthesis to partially restore his sight. That same year, Wonder was featured on harmonica in the Sting song "Brand New Day".

In 2000, Stevie Wonder contributed two new songs to the soundtrack for Spike Lee's Bamboozled album ("Misrepresented People" and "Some Years Ago").

Current career: 2002–present

In March 2002, Wonder performed at the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Paralympics in Salt Lake City.

On July 2, 2005, Wonder performed in the USA part of the Live 8 series of concerts in Philadelphia.

Wonder's first new album in ten years, A Time to Love, was released on October 18, 2005, after having been pushed back from first a May, and then a June release. The album was released electronically on September 27, 2005, exclusively on Apple's iTunes Music Store. The first single, "So What the Fuss", was released in April. A second single, "From the Bottom of My Heart" was a hit on adult-contemporary R&B; radio. The album also featured a duet with India.Arie on the title track "A Time to Love".

Wonder performed at the pre-game show for Super Bowl XL in Detroit in early 2006, singing various hit singles (with his four-year-old son on drums) and accompanying Aretha Franklin during "The Star Spangled Banner".

, Brazil in July 2006]]

In March 2006, Wonder received new national exposure on the top-rated American Idol television program. Wonder performed "My Love Is on Fire" (from A Time To Love) live on the show itself. In June 2006, Stevie Wonder made a guest appearance on Busta Rhymes' new album, The Big Bang on the track "Been through the Storm". He sings the refrain and plays the piano on the Dr. Dre and Sha Money XL produced track. He appeared again on the last track of Snoop Dogg's new album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, "Conversations". The song is a remake of "Have a Talk with God" from Songs in the Key of Life.

In 2006 Wonder staged a duet with Andrea Bocelli on the latter's album Amore, offering harmonica and additional vocals on "Canzoni Stonate". Stevie Wonder also performed at Washington, D.C.'s 2006 "A Capitol Fourth" celebration.

On August 2, 2007, Stevie Wonder announced the A Wonder Summer's Night 13 concert tour — his first U.S. tour in over ten years. This tour was inspired by the recent passing of his mother, as he stated at the conclusion of the tour on December 9 at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

in Denver, Colorado.]] On August 28, 2008, Wonder performed at the Democratic National Convention at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. Songs included were a previously unreleased song, "Fear Can't Put Dreams to Sleep," and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours".

On September 8, 2008, Wonder started the European leg of his Wonder Summer's Night Tour, the first time he had toured Europe in over a decade. His opening show was at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England. During the tour, Wonder played eight UK gigs; four at The O2 Arena in London, two in Birmingham and two at the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester. Stevie Wonder's other stops in the tour's European leg also found him performing in Holland (Rotterdam), Sweden (Stockholm), Germany (Cologne, Mannheim and Munich), Norway (Hamar), France (Paris), Italy (Milan) and Denmark (Aalborg). Wonder also toured Australia (Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane) and New Zealand (Christchurch, Auckland and New Plymouth) in October and November.

By June 2008, Wonder was working on two projects simultaneously: a new album titled The Gospel Inspired By Lula which will deal with the various spiritual and cultural crises facing the world, and Through The Eyes Of Wonder, an album which Wonder has described as a performance piece that will reflect his experience as a blind man. Wonder was also keeping the door open for a collaboration with Tony Bennett and Quincy Jones concerning a rumoured jazz album. If Wonder was to join forces with Bennett, it would not be for the first time; Their rendition of "For Once in My Life" earned them a Grammy for best pop collaboration with vocals in 2006.

.]]

Wonder performed on January 18, 2009 at the . On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009, Wonder performed the song "Brand New Day" with musician Sting. He performed his new song "All About the Love Again" and, with other musical artists, "Signed, Sealed, and Delivered". On February 23, 2009, Wonder became the second recipient of the Library of Congress's Gershwin Prize for pop music, honored by President Barack Obama at the White House.

On July 7, 2009, Wonder performed "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer" and "They Won't Go When I Go" at the Staples Center for Michael Jackson's memorial service. On October 29, 2009, Wonder performed at the 25th anniversary concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Among performing songs with B.B. King, Wonder performed Michael Jackson's 'The Way You Make Me Feel', during which he became emotionally distraught and was unable to perform until he regained his composure.

On January 22, 2010, Wonder performed Bridge Over Troubled Water for the event to help victims of the earthquake in Port-au-Prince on January 12, 2010.

On March 6, 2010, Wonder was awarded the Commander of the Arts and Letters by French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand. Wonder had been due to receive this award in 1981, but scheduling problems prevented this from happening. A lifetime achievement award was also given to Wonder on the same day, at France's biggest music awards.

His summer 2010 tour included a two-hour set at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, a stop at London's "Hard Rock Calling" in Hyde Park, and appearances at England's Glastonbury Festival, Rotterdam's North Sea Jazz Festival, and a concert in Bergen, Norway and a concert in Dublin, Ireland at the O2 Arena on June 24th.

Accomplishments

A prominent figure in popular music during the latter half of the 20th century, Wonder has recorded more than thirty U.S. top ten hits and won twenty-two Grammy Awards (the most ever won by a solo artist) as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also won an Academy Award for Best Song, and been inducted into both the Rock and Roll and Songwriters halls of fame. He has also been awarded the Polar Music Prize. American music magazine Rolling Stone named him the ninth greatest singer of all time. In June 2009 he became the fourth artist to receive the Montreal Jazz Festival Spirit Award.

He has ten U.S. number-one hits on the pop charts as well as 20 R&B; number one hits, and album sales totaling more than 100 million units. Wonder has recorded several critically acclaimed albums and hit singles, and writes and produces songs for many of his label mates and outside artists as well. Wonder plays the piano, synthesizer, harmonica, congas, drums, bass guitar, bongos, organ, melodica, and clavinet. In his childhood, he was best known for his harmonica work, but today he is better known for his keyboard skills and vocal ability. Wonder was the first Motown artist and second African American musician to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song for his 1984 hit single "I Just Called to Say I Love You" from the movie The Woman in Red.

Impact

Wonder's songs are renowned for being quite difficult to sing. He has a very developed sense of harmony and uses many extended chords utilizing extensions such as 9ths, 11ths, 13ths, b5s, etc. in his compositions. Many of his melodies make abrupt, unpredictable changes. Many of his vocal melodies are also melismatic, meaning that a syllable is sung over several notes. Some of his best known and most frequently covered songs are played in keys which are more often found in jazz than in pop and rock. For example, "Superstition", "Higher Ground" and "I Wish" are in the key of E flat minor, and feature distinctive riffs in the E flat minor pentatonic scale (i.e. largely on the black notes of the keyboard).

Wonder played a large role in bringing synthesizers to the forefront of popular music. He developed many new textures and sounds never heard before. In 1981, Wonder became the first owner of an E-mu Emulator.

Songs sampled by other musicians

Wonder has recorded with Jon Gibson, a Christian Soul musician, on a remake of his own song, "Have a Talk With God" (from the 1989 album Body & Soul), covered by Gibson in which Wonder plays harmonica. The two men met in the early 1980s through a shared music agent (Bill Wolfer).

Red Hot Chili Peppers covered "Higher Ground" in 1989 on their Mother's Milk album. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble covered "Superstition" and Wonder made a cameo appearance in the official music video for the song.

"Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" was rendered by English band Incognito in 1992 and John Legend covered this song for the 2005 film, Hitch. George Michael and Mary J. Blige covered "As" in the late 90's. In 1999, Salome De Bahia made a Brazilian version of "Another Star". Tupac Shakur sampled "That Girl" for his hit song "So Many Tears".

"Pastime Paradise" would become an interpolation for Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" while Will Smith would use "I Wish" as the basis for the theme song to his movie, Wild Wild West. The elements of "Love's In Need of Love Today" were used by 50 Cent in the song "Ryder Music", and Warren G sampled "Village Ghetto Land" for his song "Ghetto Village".

Mary Mary, did a cover of his song, "You Will Know" on their 2002 album, Incredible. Australian soul artist Guy Sebastian recorded a cover of "I Wish" on his Beautiful Life album. In 2003, Raven-Symoné recorded a cover of "Superstition" for the soundtrack to Disney's The Haunted Mansion. In 2005, Canadian singer Dave Moffatt, from the group The Moffatts, sang the song "Overjoyed" from the In Square Circle album on Canadian Idol. Clay Aiken performed "Isn't She Lovely?" in the episode "My Life in Four Cameras" of Scrubs.

Personal life

Wonder has been married twice: to Motown singer Syreeta Wright from 1970 until their divorce in 1972; and since 2001, to fashion designer Kai Milla Morris. He has seven children from his two marriages and several relationships. ! style="vertical-align:top; width:30px;"| US R&B; ! style="vertical-align:top; width:30px;"| US Dance ! style="vertical-align:top; width:30px;"| US AC ! style="vertical-align:top; width:30px;"| UK |- ||1963 |"Fingertips - Pt. 2" | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |rowspan="3"|1966 |"Uptight (Everything's Alright)" | style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 14 |- |"Blowin' in the Wind" | style="text-align:center;"| 9 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 36 |- |"A Place in the Sun" | style="text-align:center;"| 9 | style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 20 |- ||1967 |"I Was Made to Love Her" | style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 5 |- |rowspan="2"|1968 |"For Once in My Life" | style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 3 |- |"Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" | style="text-align:center;"| 9 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |rowspan="2"|1969 |"My Cherie Amour" | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 4 |- |"Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" | style="text-align:center;"| 7 | style="text-align:center;"| 5 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 2 |- |rowspan="3"|1970 |"Never Had A Dream Come True" | style="text-align:center;"| 26 | style="text-align:center;"| 11 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 5 |- |"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" | style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 15 |- |"Heaven Help Us All" | style="text-align:center;"| 8 | style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 29 |- |rowspan="2"|1971 |"We Can Work It Out" | style="text-align:center;"| 13 | style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 27 |- |"If You Really Love Me" | style="text-align:center;"| 8 | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 20 |- |rowspan="2"|1972 |"Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)" | style="text-align:center;"| 33 | style="text-align:center;"| 13 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |"Superstition" | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 11 |- |rowspan="3"|1973 |"You Are the Sunshine of My Life" | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 3 |- |"Higher Ground" | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 29 |- |"Living for the City" | style="text-align:center;"| 8 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 15 |- |rowspan="3"|1974 |"He's Misstra Know It All" | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 10 |- |"You Haven't Done Nothin'" ^{(with The Jackson 5)} | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 30 |- |"Boogie On Reggae Woman" | style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 12 |- |rowspan="4"|1977 |"I Wish" | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 5 |- |"Sir Duke" | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 2 |- |"Another Star" | style="text-align:center;"| 32 | style="text-align:center;"| 18 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 29 |- |"As" | style="text-align:center;"| 36 | style="text-align:center;"| 36 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - |- ||1979 |"Send One Your Love" | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 5 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |rowspan="2"|1980 |"Master Blaster (Jammin)" | style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 2 |- |"I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" | style="text-align:center;"| 10 | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 11 |- |rowspan="3"|1981 |"Lately" | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 3 |- |"Happy Birthday" | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 17 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 2 |- |"That Girl" | style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 39 |- |rowspan="3"|1982 |"Do I Do" | style="text-align:center;"| 7 | style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 10 |- |"Ebony and Ivory" (with Paul McCartney) | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 8 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 1 |- |"Ribbon in the Sky" | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 9 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - |- ||1984 |"I Just Called to Say I Love You" | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 |- |rowspan="3"|1985 |"Part-Time Lover" | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 3 |- |"That's What Friends Are For" ^{(with Dionne Warwick, Elton John and Gladys Knight)} | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 16 |- |"Love Light In Flight" | style="text-align:center;"| 17 | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 6 | style="text-align:center;"| 10 | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |rowspan="3"|1986 |"Go Home" | style="text-align:center;"| 10 | style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |"Land Of La La" | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 19 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |"Overjoyed" | style="text-align:center;"| 24 | style="text-align:center;"| 8 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 17 |- ||1987 |"Skeletons" | style="text-align:center;"| 17 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 20 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |rowspan="3"|1988 |"Get It" (with Michael Jackson) | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 37 |- |"My Eyes Don t Cry" | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 6 | style="text-align:center;"| 12 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |"You Will Know" | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - |- ||1989 |"With Each Beat Of My Heart" | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 28 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - |- ||1990 |"Keep Our Love Alive" | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 24 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |rowspan="2"|1991 |"Fun Day (From "Jungle Fever")" | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 6 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |"Gotta Have You (From "Jungle Fever")" | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - |- ||1992 |"These Three Words" | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 7 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - |- ||1995 |"For Your Love" | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 11 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 30 | style="text-align:center;"| 23 |- |rowspan="2"|2005 |"So What The Fuss" | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 34 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 40 | style="text-align:center;"| 19 |- |"From The Bottom Of My Heart" | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 25 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 7 | style="text-align:center;"| - |}

U.S. and UK albums

{|class="wikitable" |- ! style="width:28px;" rowspan="2"| Year ! style="width:250px;" rowspan="2"| Album ! colspan="3"| Chart positions |- ! style="vertical-align:top; width:30px;"| US ! style="vertical-align:top; width:30px;"| US R&B; ! style="vertical-align:top; width:30px;"| UK |- |1963 | | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |1966 |Up-Tight | style="text-align:center;"| 33 | style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |1966 |Down to Earth | style="text-align:center;"| 72 | style="text-align:center;"| 8 | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |1967 |I Was Made to Love Her | style="text-align:center;"| 45 | style="text-align:center;"| 7 | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |1968 |For Once in My Life | style="text-align:center;"| 50 | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |1969 |My Cherie Amour | style="text-align:center;"| 34 | style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| 17 |- |1970 |Signed, Sealed, and Delivered | style="text-align:center;"| 25 | style="text-align:center;"| 7 | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |1971 |Where I'm Coming From | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 7 | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |1972 |Music of My Mind | style="text-align:center;"| 21 | style="text-align:center;"| 6 | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |1972 |Talking Book | style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 16 |- |1973 |Innervisions | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 6 |- |1974 |Fulfillingness' First Finale | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 5 |- |1976 |''Songs in the Key of Life | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 2 |- |1979 |Journey through the Secret Life of Plants | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 7 |- |1980 |Hotter than July | style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 2 |- |1982 |''Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 8 |- |1984 |The Woman in Red | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 2 |- |1985 |In Square Circle | style="text-align:center;"| 5 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 5 |- |1987 |Characters | style="text-align:center;"| 17 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 33 |- |1995 |Conversation Peace | style="text-align:center;"| 17 | style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 8 |- |1996 |Natural Wonder | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 88 | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |1997 |Song Review A Greatest Hits Collection | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 100 | style="text-align:center;"| 19 |- |2000 |At the Close of a Century | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 100 | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |2002 |The Definitive Collection | style="text-align:center;"| 35 | style="text-align:center;"| 28 | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |2004 |Best Of Stevie Wonder: 20th Century Masters Christmas Collection | style="text-align:center;"| - | style="text-align:center;"| 90 | style="text-align:center;"| - |- |2005 |A Time To Love | style="text-align:center;"| 5 | style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 24 |- |2007 |Number 1's | style="text-align:center;"| 171 | style="text-align:center;"| 40 | style="text-align:center;"| 23 |}

Awards and recognition

Grammy Awards

Wonder has received 25 Grammy Awards: |- |1976 || Best Producer of the Year* || N/A |- |1976 || Album of the Year || Songs in the Key of Life |- |1985 || Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance|| In Square Circle |- |1986 || Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal ''(awarded to Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Wonder) || "That's What Friends Are For" |- |1995 || Best Rhythm & Blues Song || "For Your Love" |- |1995 || Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance || "For Your Love" |- |1996 || Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award || General |- |1998 || Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) ''(awarded to Herbie Hancock, Robert Sadin, and Wonder)|| "St. Louis Blues" |- |1998 || Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance || "St. Louis Blues" |- |2002 || Best R&B; Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals ''(awarded to Wonder and Take 6)|| "Love's in Need of Love Today" |- |2005 || Best Male Pop Vocal Performance || "From the Bottom of My Heart" |- |2005 || Best R&B; Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals ''(awarded to Beyoncé and Wonder)|| "So Amazing" |- |2006 || Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals ''(awarded to Tony Bennett and Wonder) || "For Once In My Life" |}

Between 1965 and 1980, a self-produced artist won an additional Grammy as a producer as well as an artist.

Other awards and recognition

1983: inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. 1999: received the Polar Music Prize 2002: received the George and Ira Gershwin Lifetime Achievement Award at UCLA's Spring Sing. The same year, Wonder received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. 2004: received the Billboard Century Award. Also in 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #15 on their list of the 100 Greatest Rock and Roll Artists of All Time. 2006: was inducted, as one of the first inductees, into the Michigan Walk of Fame. The same year, Wonder received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. 2008: Ranked at number five on "The Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists", making him as the third most successful male artist in the history of Billboard Hot 100 chart. 2009: Recipient of the second Gershwin Prize For Popular Song.

2009: Recipient of the Montreal Jazz Festival Spirit Award. This special award underlines a popular artist’s extraordinary contribution to the musical world. The Montreal Jazz Festival Spirit Award is in bronze.

2009: Named a Messenger of Peace by the United Nations.

See also

Best selling music artists

List of number-one hits (United States)

List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones

List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)

References

External links

Official Site

Stevie Wonder Website Coming Soon

IMDB Profile

Category:1950 births Category:1960s singers Category:1970s singers Category:1980s singers Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:African American drummers Category:African American singer-songwriters Category:African American pianists Category:African American record producers Category:African Americans' rights activists Category:American child singers Category:American composers Category:American funk drummers Category:American funk keyboardists Category:American funk singers Category:American harmonica players Category:American male singers Category:American multi-instrumentalists Category:American rhythm and blues keyboardists Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul keyboardists Category:American soul singers Category:Best Song Academy Award winning songwriters Category:Blind musicians Category:Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Category:Frank Farian artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:Kennedy Center honorees Category:Living people Category:Motown artists

Category:Musicians from Detroit, Michigan Category:Musicians from Michigan Category:People from Saginaw, Michigan

Category:Rhythm and blues pianists Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees‎ Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Category:Soul drummers Category:United Nations Messengers of Peace

Coordinates	21°29′52″N158°3′48″N
Name	Dick Cavett
Caption	Cavett attends the Amfar Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City, January 31, 2008
Birth name	Richard Alva Cavett
Birth date	November 19, 1936
Birth place	Gibbon, Nebraska, U.S.
Spouse	Carrie Nye (1964-2006; her death)
Active	1959–present

}}

Richard Alva "Dick" Cavett (born November 19, 1936) is a former American television talk show host known for his conversational style and in-depth discussion of issues. Cavett appeared regularly on nationally broadcast television in the United States in five consecutive decades, the 1960s through the 2000s.

In recent years, Cavett has written a blog for the New York Times, promoted DVDs of his former shows, and hosted replays of his classic TV interviews with Groucho Marx, Katharine Hepburn, and others on Turner Classic Movies channel.

Early life

Dick Cavett was born in Nebraska, but sources differ as to the specific town, locating his birthplace in either Gibbon, where his family lived, or nearby Kearney, the location of the nearest hospital. His mother Erabel "Era" (née Richards) and his father Alva B. Cavett both worked as educators. When asked by Lucille Ball on his own show about his heritage, he said he was "Scottish, Irish, English, and possibly partly French, and, and uh, a dose of German." He also mentioned that one grandfather "came over" from England, and the other from Wales. Cavett's grandparents all lived in Grand Island, Nebraska. His paternal grandparents were Alva A Cavett and Gertrude Pinsch. His paternal grandfather was from Diller, Nebraska and his paternal grandmother was an immigrant from Aachen, Germany. His maternal grandparents were the Rev. R. R. and Etta Mae Richards. Rev. Richards was from Carmarthen, Wales and was a Baptist minister who served parishes across central Nebraska.

Cavett's parents taught in Comstock, Gibbon, and Grand Island, where Cavett started kindergarten at Wasmer Elementary School. Three years later, both of his parents landed teaching positions in Lincoln, Nebraska, where Cavett completed his education at Capitol, Prescott, and Irving schools and Lincoln High School. When Cavett was ten, his mother, then thirty-six, died of cancer. His father subsequently married Dorcas Deland, also an educator, originally from Alliance, Nebraska. On September 24, 1995 Lincoln Public Schools dedicated the new Dorcas C. and Alva B. Cavett Elementary School in their honor.

In eighth grade, Cavett directed a live Saturday-morning radio show sponsored by the Junior League and played the title role in The Winslow Boy. One of his high-school classmates was actress Sandy Dennis. Cavett was elected state president of the student council in high school, and was a gold-medalist at the state gymnastics championship.

Before leaving for college, he worked as a caddy at the Lincoln Country Club. He also began doing magic shows for $35 a night under the tutelage of Gene Gloye. In 1952 Cavett attended the convention of the International Brotherhood of Magicians in St. Louis and won the Best New Performer trophy.

While attending Yale University, Cavett played in and directed dramas on the campus radio station, WYBC, and appeared in Yale Drama productions. In his senior year, he changed his major from English to Drama. He also took advantage of any opportunity to meet stars, routinely going to shows in New York to hang around stage doors or venture backstage. He would go so far as to carry a copy of Variety or an appropriate piece of company stationery in order to look inconspicuous while sneaking backstage or into a TV studio. Cavett took many odd jobs ranging from store detective to label-typist for a Wall Street firm, and as a copy boy at Time Magazine.

Marriage

At Yale School of Drama, Cavett met his future wife, Caroline Nye McGeoy (known professionally as Carrie Nye), a native of Greenwood, Mississippi. After graduation, the two acted in summer theater in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and Cavett worked for two weeks in a local lumberyard in order to buy an engagement ring. On June 4, 1964, they were married in New York. Their marriage was at times tumultuous, but they remained married until Nye's death on July 14, 2006.

The Tonight Show

In 1960, Cavett was living in a three-room, fifth-floor on West 89th Street in Manhattan for $51 a month.

He was cast in a film by the Signal Corps, but further jobs were not forthcoming. He was an extra on The Phil Silvers Show, a TV remake of Body and Soul, and Playhouse 90 ("The Hiding Place"). He briefly revived his magic act while working as a typist and as a mystery shopper in department stores. Meanwhile, Nye landed several Broadway roles.

Cavett was a copyboy (gofer) at Time when he read a newspaper item about Jack Paar, then host of The Tonight Show. The article described Paar's concerns about his opening monologue and constant search for material. Cavett wrote some jokes, put them into a Time envelope, and went to the RCA Building. He ran into Paar in a hallway and handed him the envelope. Cavett appeared on the show in 1961, interpreting Miss Universe of 1961, Marlene Schmidt of Germany.

While at Time, Cavett had written a letter to Stan Laurel. The two later met at Laurel's apartment in Hollywood. Later the same day, Cavett wrote a tribute that Paar read on the show, which Laurel saw and appreciated. Cavett visited Laurel a few more times, up to three weeks before Laurel's death.

In his capacity as talent coordinator for The Tonight Show, Cavett was sent to the Blue Angel nightclub to see Woody Allen's act, and immediately afterward struck up a friendship. The very next day, the funeral of playwright George S. Kaufman was held at the Frank E. Campbell funeral home. Allen could not attend, but Cavett did, where he met Groucho Marx in an anteroom. From the funeral, Cavett followed Marx (who later told Cavett that Kaufman was "his personal god") three blocks up Fifth Avenue to the Plaza Hotel, where Marx invited him to lunch.

Cavett continued with The Tonight Show as a writer after Johnny Carson took over. For Carson he wrote the line, "Having your taste criticized by Dorothy Kilgallen is like having your clothes criticized by Emmett Kelly." He even appeared to do a gymnastics routine on the pommel horse on the show. After quitting The Tonight Show, Cavett wrote for Jerry Lewis's ill-fated talk show, for three times the money. He returned to The Tonight Show, however, when Marx was interim host for Carson in July 1964.

Years later, when he was a guest on The Tonight Show, Carson told Cavett that his favorite joke Cavett wrote for him was the humorous caption to a newspaper photo of Aristotle Onassis looking at the home of Buster Keaton, which he was considering purchasing: "Aristotle Contemplating the Home of Buster."

Stand-up comic

Cavett began a brief career as a stand-up comic in 1964 at the Bitter End in Greenwich Village.}}

In 1965, Cavett did some commercial voiceovers, including a series of mock interviews with Mel Brooks for Ballantine beer. In the next couple of years he appeared on game shows, including What's My Line. He wrote for Merv Griffin and appeared on Griffin's talk show several times, and then on The Ed Sullivan Show.

In 1968, after the premiere of the international film Candy, Cavett went to a party at the Americana Hotel, where those who had just seen the film were being interviewed for TV. The exchange was cut from the broadcast.

After doing The Star and the Story, a rejected television pilot with Van Johnson, Cavett hosted a special, Where It's At, for Bud Yorkin and Norman Lear.

In 1968 Cavett was hired by ABC to host This Morning.

The Dick Cavett Show

Intermittently since 1968, Cavett has been host of his own talk show, in various formats and on various television and radio networks:

ABC (1968–1974)

CBS (1975)

PBS (1977–1982)

USA (1985–1986)

ABC (1986–1987)

CNBC (1989–1996)

Olympia Broadcasting (syndicated radio show, 1986–1990)

Turner Classic Movies (2006–2007)

Cavett has been nominated for at least ten Emmy Awards In 1970, he co-hosted the Emmy Awards Show (from Carnegie Hall in New York) with Bill Cosby (from Century Plaza in Los Angeles). His most popular talk show was his ABC program, which ran from 1969 to 1974. From 1962 to 1992, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson was arguably the most popular of late night variety and talk shows. Unlike many contemporary shows, Cavett managed to remain on the air for five years. Although his shows did not attract a wide audience, remaining in third place in the ratings behind Carson and Merv Griffin, he earned a reputation as "the thinking man's talk show host" and received favorable reviews from critics. As a talk show host, Cavett has been noted for his ability to listen to his guests and engage them in intellectual conversation. He is also known for his ability to remain calm and mediate between contentious guests,

His show often focussed on controversial people or subjects, often pairing guests with opposing views on social or political issues, such as George Brown and Lester Maddox.

One particularly controversial show from June 1971 featured a debate between future senator and presidential candidate John Kerry and fellow veteran John O'Neill over the Vietnam War. O'Neill had been approached by the Nixon administration to work through the Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace to counter Kerry's influence on the public. The episode so angered President Nixon that he is heard discussing the incident on the Watergate tapes, saying, "Well, is there any way we can screw him [Cavett]? That's what I mean. There must be ways." To which H.R. Haldeman, White House Chief of Staff, answered, "We've been trying to."

Cavett himself, asked during a Question and Answer segment with his audience in the late '60s why he wore long sideburns, replied, "It's a form of mild protest. Sort of like boiling my draft card."

Cavett also hosted many popular musicians, both in interview and performance, such as Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. Several of his Emmy Award nominations and one Emmy Award were for Outstanding Musical or Variety Series,

Clips from his TV shows have been used in movies, for example Annie Hall (1977), Forrest Gump (1994), Apollo 13 (1995), and Frequency (2000). He also holds the distinction of being the only famous person to actually interact with the title character of Forrest Gump without the aid of archive footage or computer trickery. Makeup was applied to Cavett to make him appear as his 1971 self, and he was filmed with Tom Hanks on a recreated set (though archive footage of John Lennon from Cavett's show was digitally added).

Cavett was surprised at footage from his TV show appearing in Apollo 13. He said at the time of the film's release, "I'm happily enjoying a movie, and suddenly I'm in it."

Bouts with depression

Cavett has openly discussed his bouts with clinical depression, an illness that first affected him during his freshman year at Yale. According to an interview published in a 1992 issue of People magazine, Cavett contacted Dr. Nathan Kline in 1975 seeking treatment. Kline prescribed antidepressant medication, which according to Cavett was successful in treating his depression.

He was also the subject of a 1993 video produced by the Depression and Related Affective Disorders Association called A Patient's Perspective.

In 1997 Cavett was sued by producer James Moskovitz for breach of contract after failing to show up for a nationally syndicated radio program (also called The Dick Cavett Show). Cavett's lawyer, Melvyn Leventhal, asserted at the time that Cavett left due to a manic-depressive episode. The case was later dropped.

Cavett also hosted a documentary series for HBO in the early 80's entitled Remember When that examined changes in American culture over time.

From November 15, 2000, to January 6, 2002, he played the narrator in a Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show.

Dick Cavett is featured in the 2003 documentary about the fire that destroyed his Montauk home and his effort to rebuild it.

Cavett's signature tune has long been a trumpet version of the vocalise "Glitter and Be Gay" from Leonard Bernstein's Candide. The tune was first played at the midpoint of his ABC late-night show, and later became the theme of his PBS show. The tune is also played as he walks on stage during guest appearances on other talk shows.

In 2008 Cavett entered the Iraq war dispute with a New York Times blog entry criticizing General David Petraeus, stating "I can’t look at Petraeus — his uniform ornamented like a Christmas tree with honors, medals and ribbons — without thinking of the great Mort Sahl at the peak of his brilliance." Cavett went on to recall Sahl's expressed contempt of General Westmoreland's display of medals, and criticized Petraeus for not speaking in plain language.

On February 27, 1981, Rick Moranis did a split-screen parody of Cavett interviewing himself on SCTV, in which he recreated and gently poked fun at Cavett's wit, quirks, and mild egotism.

On October 18, 1996, he was mentioned as the "smartest human on Earth" on the cartoon Pinky & the Brain.

In The Charles Bukowski Tapes, Bukowski claims that Cavett's is the only talk show he would ever go on. The rest of them would be "like eating your own vomit."

Bibliography

Cavett by Dick Cavett and Christopher Porterfield, Bantam Books, August 1974. ISBN 0-15-116130-5

Eye on Cavett by Dick Cavett and Christopher Porterfield, Arbor House, 1983. ISBN 0-87795-463-1

Talk Show by Dick Cavett, Times Books, 2010. ISBN 0-8050-9195-5

References

External links

Dick Cavett at TVGuide.com

Dick Cavett talks about his love of magic with Dodd Vickers at MagicNewswire.com

"Talk Show: Dick Cavett Speaks Again" New York Times Blog

"Discussion of Dick Cavett's unique talent on MetaFilter"

Category:1936 births Category:American male artistic gymnasts Category:American comedians Category:American game show hosts Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television talk show hosts Category:American people of English descent Category:American comedians of Irish descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of German descent Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Entertainers from Nebraska Category:People from Buffalo County, Nebraska Category:People with bipolar disorder Category:Yale School of Drama alumni