Why is Stevie Wonder so great?

Why is Stevie Wonder so great?

Stevie Wonder, at forty-four, is revered as the composer of a thick catalogue of pop songs, many of them hits; as the blind former child prodigy who became an international star; as one of the most gifted and influential vocalists of his generation; as a pianist both fluid and intricately rhythmical; as a virtuoso …

Why is Stevie Wonder important to the history of music?

Wonder is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that includes rhythm and blues, pop, soul, gospel, funk, and jazz. A virtual one-man band, his use of synthesizers and other electronic musical instruments during the 1970s reshaped the conventions of R&B.

What made Stevie Wonder an influential musician?

His classical prowess on several instruments and the expressiveness of his voice has led him down a path of unprecedented fame, political impact and societal reverence. Songs like “Superstition,” “I Was Made to Love Her” and, especially, “Higher Ground” are the very foundation from which modern soul music was born.

How did Stevie Wonder influence music?

Wonder was an early proponent of drum machines, and one of the first artists — if not the first — to use a sampler in his music, on the 1979 nature documentary soundtrack album “Stevie Wonder’s Journey Through ‘The Secret Life of Plants. ‘ ” That record was also one of the earliest digital recordings ever released.

Why is Ray Charles blind?

Born Ray Charles Robinson on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia, he was raised in Greenville, Florida, and started playing the piano before he was five. At age six, he contracted glaucoma that eventually left him blind.

What did Stevie Wonder accomplish?

Over the years Wonder has delivered 32 No. 1 R&B and Pop singles, 49 Top 40 R&B and Pop singles, and garnered 25 Grammy Awards, as well as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. He collected an Academy Award for the 1984 hit “I Just Called to Say I Love You” from the film The Woman in Red.

What is something interesting about Stevie Wonder?

Other Facts Nominated for 74 Grammy Awards and won 25, plus received an honorary award. Nominated for one Academy Award with one win. Born prematurely; doctors believe he was blinded when he was accidentally given too much oxygen in his incubator. Learned to play piano, drums and harmonica by age 9.

What artists are influenced by Stevie Wonder?

Featured Artists

• D’Angelo.
• Michael Jackson.
• India.Arie.
• Prince.
• Lauryn Hill.
• Charlie Wilson.
• Donell Jones.

What can we learn from Stevie Wonder?

Stevie knew that he was building up his career and that he should never give up. He teaches aspiring musicians to start their careers as young as they can. You should also persevere even if you’re gaining little recognition or money at first. Check out this video of “Little Stevie Wonder” from 1963.

Does Stevie Wonder own his master’s?

Stevie Wonder gained control over all of his proceeding masters after a deal he signed with Motown records in 1971.

Can Ray Charles See all?

Ray Charles did not lose his sight until he was about seven years old. Years later, doctors suggested that juvenile glaucoma had caused his blindness. I lost my sight when I was seven. So blindness didn’t have anything to do with it.

Is Stevie Wonder the best pianist ever?

Considered by many to be a child prodigy, Stevland Hardaway Morris, or Stevie Wonder, is one of the most successful pianist, singer-songwriter the world has ever known. Unlike Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder was born blind and grew up playing a variety of instruments in his local church.

Where does Ray Charles rank on the list of the greatest singers?

Rolling Stone ranked Charles No. 10 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and No. 2 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Ray Charles Robinson was the son of Bailey Robinson, a laborer, and Aretha (or Reatha) Williams, a laundress, of Greenville, Florida .

Did Stevie Wonder play the harmonica?

Unlike Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder was born blind and grew up playing a variety of instruments in his local church. This included the harmonica for which Stevie Wonder is equally known. By the age of eleven Stevie Wonder had a contract with the Motown label and stayed with the brand until 2010.

Was Ray Charles more important than Elvis Presley?

Frank Sinatra called Ray Charles “the only true genius in show business,” although Charles downplayed this notion. Billy Joel said, “This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley “.