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83-626: The national prize for popular song, eventually named the Gershwin Prize, was created by Peter Kaminsky, Bob Kaminsky, Cappy McGarr , Mark Krantz, and Dalton Delan , subsequent to their creation of the national humor award, the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize . The project was presented to the Librarian, James Billington in 2003. The executive producers then secured a partnership with WETA , PBS , and CPB . The Librarian bestowed

166-726: A Bachelor of Arts in 1973, a Bachelor of Journalism in 1975, and a Master's in Business Administration in 1977. In 1996, McGarr was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts 's Board of Trustees for a six-year term. During that time, McGarr helped create the inaugural Mark Twain Prize ceremony in 1998 honoring Richard Pryor . McGarr then served as an executive producer on subsequent Mark Twain Prize ceremonies, extending after his term on

249-435: A Computer Music Melodian . It was also his first digital recording , and one of the earliest popular albums to use the technology, which Wonder used for all subsequent recordings. Wonder toured briefly with an orchestra in support of the album, and used a Fairlight CMI sampler onstage. In this year Wonder also wrote and produced the dance hit " Let's Get Serious ", performed by Jermaine Jackson and ranked by Billboard as

332-634: A federal holiday in the United States. In 2009, Wonder was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace , and in 2014, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom . Wonder was born Stevland Hardaway Judkins in Saginaw, Michigan , on May 13, 1950, the third of five children born to Lula Mae Hardaway , and the second of Hardaway's two children with Calvin Judkins. Wonder was born six weeks premature,

415-476: A soloist at age eight. His mother later rekindled her relationship with her first child's father (whose surname was also coincidentally Hardaway), changed her name back to Lula Hardaway, and had two more children. Wonder began playing instruments at an early age, including piano, harmonica, and drums. He formed a singing partnership with a friend; calling themselves Stevie and John, they played on street corners and occasionally at parties and dances. When Stevie

498-463: A Clown ", a No. 1 hit for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (it was first released in 1967, mostly unnoticed as the last track of their Make It Happen LP, but eventually became a major success when re-released as a single in 1970, which prompted Robinson to reconsider his intention of leaving the group). In 1968, Wonder recorded an album of instrumental soul/jazz tracks, mostly harmonica solos, under

581-575: A Woman "), Gavin DeGraw (" It's Still Rock and Roll To Me "), Michael Feinstein, Natalie Maines (" She's Got a Way "), John Mellencamp (" Allentown ") and Tony Bennett (" New York State of Mind "). Joel ended the night by performing four songs: " Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) ", " Vienna ", " You May Be Right ", and " Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) )". The show's finale was Kevin Spacey leading

664-499: A concert was held in Washington D.C. at DAR Constitution Hall November 19, 2014, and aired by PBS January 2, 2015. Kevin Spacey acted as emcee and Twyla Tharp (director of the Movin' Out musical) and Sir Paul McCartney gave special verbal tributes. Performers included Boyz II Men (" The Longest Time "), Leann Rimes (" Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) "), Josh Groban (" She's Always

747-409: A condition that, along with the oxygen-rich atmosphere in the hospital incubator, resulted in retinopathy of prematurity , a disease that aborts eye growth and often causes the retinas to detach, which left him blind. When Wonder was four, his mother divorced his father and moved with her three children to Detroit . Wonder attended Whitestone Baptist Church, where he sang in the choir and became

830-535: A duet with Andrea Bocelli on the latter's album Amore , offering harmonica and additional vocals on "Canzoni Stonate". Wonder also performed at Washington, D.C.'s 2006 A Capitol Fourth celebration. His other key appearances include performing at the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Paralympics in Salt Lake City , the 2005 Live 8 concert in Philadelphia , the pre-game show for Super Bowl XL in 2006,

913-569: A far more pensive mood. Songs in the Key of Life won Album of the Year and two other Grammys. The album ranks 4th on Rolling Stone ' s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Also in 1976, Wonder heard about the demonstration of the Kurzweil Reading Machine, the first multi-font reading machine for the blind, on The Today Show , and later became the user of the first production unit, beginning

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996-504: A guest appearance on Busta Rhymes ' 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 2006 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

1079-440: A long-term association between himself and Ray Kurzweil . Until 1979's Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" , his only further 1970s release was the retrospective three-disc album Looking Back (1977), an anthology of his early Motown period. The mainly instrumental soundtrack album Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" (1979), was composed using an early music sampler called

1162-500: A retrospective of his 1970s work with Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium , which included four new songs: the ten-minute funk classic " Do I Do " (which featured Dizzy Gillespie ), " That Girl " (one of the year's biggest singles to chart on the R&;B side), " Front Line ", a narrative about a soldier in the Vietnam War that Wonder wrote and sang in the first person, and " Ribbon in

1245-436: A rolling five-year contract in which royalties would be held in trust until Wonder was 21. He and his mother would be paid a weekly stipend to cover their expenses: Wonder received $ 2.50 (equivalent to $ 25.49 in 2023) per week, and a private tutor was provided when Wonder was on tour. Wonder was put in the care of producer and songwriter Clarence Paul, and for a year they worked together on two albums. Tribute to Uncle Ray

1328-451: A slower pace. He recorded a soundtrack album for Spike Lee 's film Jungle Fever in 1991. From this album, singles and videos were released for "Gotta Have You", "Fun Day" (remix only), "These Three Words" and "Jungle Fever". The B-side to the "Gotta Have You" single was "Feeding Off The Love of the Land", which was played during the end credits of the movie Jungle Fever but was not included on

1411-805: A two-hour set at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee , a stop at the Hard Rock Calling festival in Hyde Park , London, and appearances at England's Glastonbury Festival , Rotterdam's North Sea Jazz Festival , a concert in Bergen , Norway, and a concert in Dublin , Ireland, at The O 2 on June 24. Wonder's harmonica playing can be heard on the 2009 Grammy-nominated "Never Give You Up", featuring CJ Hilton and Raphael Saadiq . Wonder sang at

1494-412: Is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. One of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the 20th century, he is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include R&B , pop , soul , gospel , funk , and jazz . A virtual one-man band , Wonder's use of synthesizers and other electronic musical instruments during the 1970s reshaped

1577-658: Is one of the best-selling music artists of all time , with sales of over 100 million records worldwide. He has won 25 Grammy Awards (the most by a male solo artist) and one Academy Award ( Best Original Song , for the 1984 film The Woman in Red ). Wonder has been inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame , Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame . He is also noted for his political activism, including his 1980 campaign to make Martin Luther King Jr. 's birthday

1660-499: The Kurzweil K250 in 1984. In 1983, Wonder performed the song "Stay Gold", the theme to Francis Ford Coppola 's film adaptation of S. E. Hinton 's novel The Outsiders . Wonder wrote the lyrics. In 1983, he scheduled an album to be entitled People Work, Human Play . The album never surfaced and instead 1984 saw the release of Wonder's soundtrack album for The Woman in Red . The lead single, " I Just Called to Say I Love You ",

1743-561: The Michael Jackson memorial service in 2009, at Etta James ' funeral, in 2012, a month later at Whitney Houston 's memorial service, and at the funeral of Aretha Franklin in 2018. Wonder appeared on singer Celine Dion 's studio album Loved Me Back to Life , performing a cover of his 1985 song "Overjoyed". The album was released in October 2013. He was also featured on two tracks on Mark Ronson 's 2015 album Uptown Special , and

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1826-600: The Obama Inaugural Celebration in 2009, and the opening ceremony of the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens , Greece. Wonder's first new album in 10 years, A Time to Love , was released in October 2005 to lower sales than previous albums, and lukewarm reviews—most reviewers appearing frustrated at the end of the long delay to get an album that mainly copied the style of Wonder's "classic period" without doing anything new. The first single, " So What

1909-552: The "Little" from his name, Moy and Wonder worked together to create the hit " Uptight (Everything's Alright) ", and Wonder went on to have a number of other hits during the mid-1960s, including "With a Child's Heart", and " Blowin' in the Wind ", a Bob Dylan song, co-sung by his mentor, producer Clarence Paul. He also began to work in the Motown songwriting department, composing songs both for himself and his label mates, including " The Tears of

1992-593: The 1994 tribute album Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved ; sang at the 1996 Summer Olympics closing ceremony ; collaborated in 1997 with Babyface on " How Come, How Long ", a song about domestic violence that was nominated for a Grammy award; and played harmonica on Sting 's 1999 " Brand New Day ". In early 1999, Wonder performed in the Super Bowl XXXIII halftime show . In May 1999, Rutgers University presented Wonder with an honorary doctorate degree in fine arts . In December 1999, Wonder announced that he

2075-659: The 2023 honoree. She was celebrated with a concert delivered on March 2 in Washington, D.C. Performers included Brandi Carlile , Annie Lennox , Angélique Kidjo , Herbie Hancock , Cyndi Lauper , Graham Nash , James Taylor , Ledisi , Lucius , Marcus Mumford , Sara Bareilles , and Celisse. Mitchell herself performed the George Gershwin song " Summertime " as well as participating in all-star renditions of her own compositions " Big Yellow Taxi " and " The Circle Game ". A ceremony for 2024 honourees Elton John and Bernie Taupin

2158-506: The Blind in Lansing, Michigan . In 1961, at the age of 11, Wonder sang his own composition, "Lonely Boy", to Ronnie White of the Miracles ; White then took Wonder and his mother to an audition at Motown , where CEO Berry Gordy signed Wonder to Motown's Tamla label. Before signing, producer Clarence Paul gave him the name Little Stevie Wonder . Because of Wonder's age, the label drew up

2241-695: 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 did a 13-date tour of North America in 2007, starting in San Diego on August 23; this was his first U.S. tour in more than 10 years. On September 8, 2008, he started the European leg of his Wonder Summer's Night Tour,

2324-658: The German television show Musikladen . On his return to the United States, he played a sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden in March 1974, highlighting both up-tempo material and long, building improvisations on mid-tempo songs such as " Living for the City ". The album Fulfillingness' First Finale appeared in July 1974 and set two hits high on the pop charts: the No. 1 " You Haven't Done Nothin' " and

2407-618: The Kennedy Center board was complete. McGarr also co-created the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song , which was first awarded in 2007 to Paul Simon , and has since been given to Stevie Wonder , Paul McCartney , Hal David and Burt Bacharach , Carole King and more. For his work on the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize ceremony honoring George Carlin , McGarr received an Emmy Award nomination in 2009 in

2490-582: The Key of Life (1976) all won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year , making him the only artist to have won the award with three consecutive album releases. Wonder began his "commercial period" in the 1980s; he achieved his biggest hits and highest level of fame, had increased album sales, charity participation, high-profile collaborations (including with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson ), political impact, and television appearances. Wonder has continued to remain active in music and political causes. Wonder

2573-514: The Library announced Burt Bacharach and Hal David as the fourth recipients of the honor. The presentation ceremony was May 9, 2012, during a White House tribute concert (recorded for later broadcast on PBS) with the President and Mrs. Obama in attendance. Performers included Stevie Wonder , Diana Krall , Lyle Lovett , Sheléa, Rumer , Sheryl Crow , Mike Myers , Arturo Sandoval , and Michael Feinstein , who spoke of Ira Gershwin 's admiration of

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2656-591: The Library announced Sir Paul McCartney as the third recipient of the honor. The ceremony for McCartney was held June 2, 2010, in the East Room of the White House with President Obama and Mrs. Obama in attendance. Performers included McCartney as well as Stevie Wonder , Elvis Costello , Jonas Brothers , Herbie Hancock , Corinne Bailey Rae , Dave Grohl , Faith Hill , Emmylou Harris , Lang Lang and Jack White , with remarks by Jerry Seinfeld . On September 27, 2011,

2739-462: The Library announced that Stevie Wonder would become the second recipient of the honor. President Barack Obama presented Wonder with the Library of Congress's Gershwin Prize at a February 25, 2009 White House ceremony. Performers included Wonder as well as India.Arie , Tony Bennett , Wayne Brady , Anita Johnson , Diana Krall , Mary Mary , Martina McBride , Rickey Minor , Paul Simon , Esperanza Spalding and will.i.am . On November 18, 2009,

2822-556: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song . He was appointed to the board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts by President Bill Clinton in 1996, and re-appointed by President Barack Obama in 2011. He has also produced several shows for PBS ’s In Performance at the White House series. McGarr was born in San Angelo, Texas . He attended the University of Texas at Austin , where he received

2905-1209: The National Archives and currently serves on the board of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation and the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations . In 2021, McGarr published a memoir about his life and the founding of the Mark Twain Prize titled The Man Who Made Mark Twain Famous: Stories from the Kennedy Center, the White House, and Other Comedy Venues. McGarr married Janie Strauss in 1978, and they live together in Dallas, Texas . They have two children, Elizabeth McGarr McCue and Kathryn McGarr, as well as two grandchildren. Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( / ˈ s t iː v ˌ l ə n d / ; né Judkins ; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder ,

2988-424: The No. 1 R&B single of 1980. Hotter than July (1980) became Wonder's first platinum-selling single album, and its single " Happy Birthday " was a successful vehicle for his campaign to establish Martin Luther King Jr. 's birthday as a national holiday . The album also included " Master Blaster (Jammin') ", " I Ain't Gonna Stand for It ", and the sentimental ballad, " Lately ". In 1982, Wonder released

3071-524: The R&;B charts. Popular ballads such as "Golden Lady" and "All in Love Is Fair" were also present, in a mixture of moods that nevertheless held together as a unified whole. Innervisions generated three more Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year . The album is ranked No. 34 on Rolling Stone 's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time . Wonder had become the most influential and acclaimed black musician of

3154-561: The Sky ", one of his many classic compositions. He also gained a No. 1 hit that year in collaboration with Paul McCartney in their paean to racial harmony, " Ebony and Ivory ". Also in 1982, Wonder invited Raymond Kurzweil to his Los Angeles recording studio, Wonderland, and asked if "we could use the extraordinarily flexible computer control methods on the beautiful sounds of acoustic instruments?" In response, and with Wonder as musical advisor, Kurzweil founded Kurzweil Music Systems , which unveiled

3237-645: The Sunshine of My Life ", which also peaked at No. 1. During the same time as the album's release, Wonder began touring with the Rolling Stones to alleviate the negative effects from being pigeonholed as an R&B artist in America. His touring with the Stones was also a factor behind the success of both "Superstition" and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life". Between them, the two songs won three Grammy Awards . On an episode of

3320-729: The Supremes or the Tempts could have, now didn't he? —Review of Stevie Wonder's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981) At the end of 1962, when Wonder was 12 years old, he joined the Motortown Revue , touring the " Chitlin' Circuit " of theatres across America that accepted black artists. At the Regal Theater , Chicago, his 20-minute performance

3403-484: The Top Ten " Boogie on Reggae Woman ". The Album of the Year was again one of three Grammys won. The same year, Wonder took part in a Los Angeles jam session with ex- Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney that would become known as the bootleg album A Toot and a Snore in '74 . He also co-wrote and produced the 1974 Syreeta Wright album Stevie Wonder Presents: Syreeta . On October 4, 1975, Wonder performed at

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3486-1065: The White House, the First Family joined King and star performers including James Taylor, Gloria Estefan , Emeli Sandé , Trisha Yearwood , Jesse McCartney and Billy Joel . On July 22, 2014, Billy Joel was announced as the sixth honoree of the Gershwin Prize, named by the Librarian of Congress under advisement of Library of Congress subject matter experts and an expanded advisory board that included Mary Chapin Carpenter (songwriter), Wesley Bulla (Belmont University), Anthony DeCurtis (Rolling Stone Magazine), Emilio Estefan (producer), Gregg Field (producer), Ed Hardy (CMA), Joel Katz (Global Entertainment), Stinson Liles (brand advisor), Rickey Minor (music director), Neil Portnow (President/CEO NARAS), Karen Sherry (ASCAP Foundation), Michael Strunsky (Ira and Leonore Gershwin Trusts) and Michelynn Woodard (Dr. Phil Foundation). The honor ceremony along with

3569-540: The Year Grammy for his Still Crazy After All These Years , he wryly noted: "I'd like to thank Stevie Wonder, who didn't make an album this year." The double album-with-extra- EP , Songs in the Key of Life , was released in September 1976. Sprawling in style 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

3652-421: The age of 20, Wonder married Syreeta Wright , a songwriter and former Motown secretary. Wright and Wonder worked together on the next album, Where I'm Coming From (1971), Wonder writing the music, and Wright helping with the lyrics. Around this time, Wonder became interested in utilizing synthesizers after hearing albums by electronic group Tonto's Expanding Head Band . Wonder and Wright wanted to "touch on

3735-739: The all-star charity single for African Famine Relief, " We Are the World ", and he was part of another charity single the following year (1986), the AIDS -inspired " That's What Friends Are For ". He played harmonica on the album Dreamland Express by John Denver in the song "If Ever", a song Wonder co-wrote with Stephanie Andrews; wrote the track "I Do Love You" for the Beach Boys ' 1985 self-titled album ; and played harmonica on " Can't Help Lovin' That Man " on The Broadway Album by Barbra Streisand . In 1987, Wonder appeared on Michael Jackson 's Bad album, on

3818-518: The broader music community. On March 1, 2007, the Library announced Paul Simon as the first honoree of the new award, which joins other awards bestowed by the Library including the Living Legend and Kluge Prize . Simon received the Prize during a concert gala featuring his music at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., on the evening of May 23, 2007. The event was nationally broadcast on PBS

3901-531: The category of Outstanding Special Class Programs. He was also nominated for a 2010 NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Variety category for the 2009 Mark Twain Prize. President Barack Obama re-appointed McGarr to the Kennedy Center board in 2011, making McGarr one of only two people at the time to receive that appointment from multiple presidents. McGarr has served on the board of the Foundation for

3984-494: The charts in a big way before Stevie turned twenty-one [in 1971]. Because he's grown up fast, the love lyrics are less teen-specific than a lot of early Smokey , say, but the music is pure puberty . Stevie's rockers are always one step ahead of themselves—their gawky groove is so disorienting it makes you pay attention, like a voice that's perpetually changing. The ballads conceive coming of age more conventionally, and less felicitously. But he sure covered Tony Bennett better than

4067-423: The children's television show Sesame Street that aired in April 1973, Wonder and his band performed "Superstition", as well as an original called "Sesame Street Song", which demonstrated his abilities with television. Wonder's studio album Innervisions , released in 1973, featured " Higher Ground " (No. 4 on the pop charts) as well as the trenchant " Living for the City " (No. 8). Both songs reached No. 1 on

4150-441: The conventions of contemporary R&B . He also helped drive such genres into the album era , crafting his LPs as cohesive and consistent, in addition to socially conscious statements with complex compositions. Blind since shortly after his birth, Wonder was a child prodigy who signed with Motown 's Tamla label at the age of 11, where he was given the professional name Little Stevie Wonder . Wonder's single " Fingertips "

4233-414: The duet "Just Good Friends". Jackson also sang a duet with him entitled "Get It" on Wonder's 1987 album Characters . This was a minor hit single, as were "Skeletons" and "You Will Know". Wonder played harmonica on a remake of his own song, "Have a Talk with God" (from Songs in the Key of Life in 1976), on Jon Gibson 's album Body & Soul (1989). Wonder continued to release new material, but at

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4316-478: The early 1970s. On August 6, 1973, Wonder was injured in a serious automobile accident while on tour in North Carolina , when a car in which he was riding hit the back of a truck. 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 orders from his doctor to refrain from performing, Wonder performed at a homecoming benefit for Shaw University in Raleigh , in November 1973. Shaw

4399-428: The episode "A Touch of Wonder", where he demonstrated his ability to sample. The following year's In Square Circle featured the No. 1 pop hit " Part-Time Lover ". The album also has a Top 10 Hit with "Go Home". It also featured the ballad " Overjoyed ", which was originally written for Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" , but did not make the album. He performed "Overjoyed" on Saturday Night Live when he

4482-451: The evening of June 27, 2007. Performers included Yolanda Adams , Marc Anthony , Shawn Colvin , The Dixie Hummingbirds , Jessy Dixon and the Jessy Dixon Singers , Jerry Douglas , Philip Glass , Alison Krauss , Ladysmith Black Mambazo , Lyle Lovett , Stephen Marley , Dianne Reeves , James Taylor , Grover and Elmo Stevie Wonder , and Buckwheat Zydeco , as well as Simon's former collaborator Art Garfunkel . On September 3, 2008,

4565-415: The first award in 2007 to recognize "the profound and positive effect of popular music on the world’s culture" as part of the Library's mission to recognize and celebrate creativity. The recipient of the Gershwin Prize is said to "exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins". In selecting the honoree, the Librarian of Congress works with staff of the Library's Music Division as well as

4648-427: The first time he had toured Europe in more than a decade. His opening show was at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham , in the English Midlands . During the tour, he played eight UK gigs; four at the O2 Arena in London (filmed in HD and subsequently released as a live-in-concert release on DVD and Blu-Ray, Live At Last ), two in Birmingham and two at the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester . Wonder's other stop in

4731-404: The historic " Wonder Dream Concert " in Kingston , Jamaica, a benefit for the Jamaican Institute for the Blind. In 1975, he played harmonica on two tracks on Billy Preston 's album It's My Pleasure . By 1975, at the age of 25, Wonder had won two consecutive Grammy Awards : in 1974 for Innervisions and in 1975 for Fulfillingness' First Finale . In 1976, when Paul Simon won the Album of

4814-426: 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 ongoing negotiations with Gordy about creative autonomy. Reaching his 21st birthday on May 13, 1971, Wonder allowed his Motown contract to expire. During this period, Wonder independently recorded two albums and signed a new contract with Motown Records. The 120-page contract

4897-456: The instrumental parts himself. Music of My Mind marked the beginning of a long collaboration with Tonto's Expanding Head Band ( Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil ), and with lyricist Yvonne Wright . Released in late 1972, Wonder's album Talking Book featured the No. 1 hit " Superstition ", which is one of the most distinctive and famous examples of the sound of the Hohner Clavinet keyboard. Talking Book also featured " You Are

4980-469: The most recognizable and accomplished albums in pop music history. The album became the first by an American artist to debut straight at No. 1 in the Billboard charts, where it stood for 14 non-consecutive weeks. Two tracks became No. 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 " and "Village Ghetto Land" reflected

5063-430: The occasion of his 35th birthday, Stevie Wonder was honored by the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid for his stance against racism in South Africa that same year (1985). The album also featured a guest appearance by Dionne Warwick , singing the duet "It's You" with Stevie and a few songs of her own. Following the success of the album and its lead single, Wonder made an appearance on The Cosby Show , in

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5146-643: The pair's songs. The singer most closely associated with the Bacharach-David songbook, Dionne Warwick , sang “This Guy’s in Love With You” which was not included in the PBS broadcast. On December 13, 2012, Carole King became the honoree of the fifth Gershwin Prize, the first time it was awarded to a woman composer. Tuesday, May 21, 2013, The Library hosted an invitation-only concert at Coolidge Auditorium in honor of King. The all-star tribute included performances by Siedah Garrett , Colbie Caillat , Gian Marco , Shelby Lynne , Patti Austin , Arturo Sandoval and King's daughter, Louise Goffin . The following night at

5229-404: The performers singing " Piano Man ". Willie Nelson was named the 2015 honoree. The two-day celebration began with a presentation and special display on Tuesday, November 18, 2015 in the Library’s historic Thomas Jefferson Building with a group of the nation’s lawmakers, who recognized Nelson for his contributions to popular music. The Library of Congress recognized Willie Nelson as the honoree of

5312-399: The prize were the husband-and-wife team of Emilio Estefan and Gloria Estefan . They received the prize in March 2019 at an all-star tribute concert in Washington, D.C. The concert aired on PBS stations nationwide. Garth Brooks was the 2020 honoree; he is the youngest recipient of the prize to date. There was no honoree in 2021. Lionel Richie was the 2022 honoree. Joni Mitchell was

5395-430: The seventh Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Nelson was the first country music singer-songwriter to be awarded the prize. Smokey Robinson was named the 2016 honoree. Tony Bennett was the 2017 honoree. The celebration for the beloved 91 year old singer-songwriter began Wednesday afternoon November 15, 2017 and was hosted by Bruce Willis in the Jefferson Building. There was no honoree in 2018. The 2019 honorees of

5478-569: The social problems of the world", and for the lyrics "to mean something". The album was released at around the same time as Marvin Gaye 's What's Going On . As both albums had similar ambitions and themes, they have been compared; in a contemporaneous review by Vince Aletti in Rolling Stone , Gaye's was seen as successful, while Wonder's was seen as failing due to "self-indulgent and cluttered" production, "undistinguished" and "pretentious" lyrics, and an overall lack of unity and flow. Also in 1970, Wonder co-wrote (and played numerous instruments on)

5561-441: The songs featured on Conversation Peace , and he would describe in a 1995 interview the powerful impact his visit to that country had: "I'd only been there for 18 hours when I decided I'd eventually move there permanently." In 1994, as co-chair of Panafest that year, he headlined a concert at the National Theatre in Accra . Among his other activities, Wonder played harmonica on the track " Deuce " (sung by Lenny Kravitz ) for

5644-413: The soundtrack. A piano and vocal version of "Feeding Off The Love of the Land" was also released on the Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal compilation. Conversation Peace and the live album Natural Wonder were released in the 1990s. In 1992, Wonder went to perform at Panafest , a new international festival of music held biennially in Ghana ; it was during this trip that he composed many of

5727-680: The title Eivets Rednow , which is "Stevie Wonder" spelled backward. The album failed to get much attention, and its only single, a cover of Burt Bacharach's and Hal David's " Alfie ", only reached number 66 on the U.S. Pop charts and number 11 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary charts. Nonetheless, he managed to score several hits between 1967 and 1970 such as " I Was Made to Love Her ", " For Once in My Life " and " Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours ". A number of Wonder's early hits, including " My Cherie Amour ", "I Was Made to Love Her", and "Uptight (Everything's Alright)", were co-written with Henry Cosby . The hit single " Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours "

5810-402: The tour's European leg also found him performing in the Netherlands (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. His 2010 tour included

5893-519: Was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963, when he was 13, making him the youngest solo artist ever to top the chart. Wonder's critical success was at its peak in the 1970s. His "classic period" began in 1972 with the releases of Music of My Mind and Talking Book , the latter featuring " Superstition ", which is one of the most distinctive and famous examples of the sound of the Hohner Clavinet keyboard. His works Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974) and Songs in

5976-557: Was a No. 1 pop and R&B hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom, where it was placed 13th in the list of best-selling singles in the UK published in 2002. It went on to win an Academy award for best song in 1985. Wonder accepted the award in the name of Nelson Mandela and was subsequently banned from all South African radio by the Government of South Africa . Incidentally, on

6059-517: Was a precedent at Motown and gave Wonder a much higher royalty rate. He returned to Motown in March 1972 with Music of My Mind . Unlike most previous albums on Motown, which usually consisted of a collection of singles, B-sides and covers, Music of My Mind was a full-length artistic statement with songs flowing together thematically. Wonder's lyrics dealt with social, political, and mystical themes as well as standard romantic ones, while musically he began exploring overdubbing and recording most of

6142-553: Was aged 13, making him the youngest artist ever to top the chart. The single was simultaneously No. 1 on the R&B chart, the first time that had occurred. His next few recordings were not successful; his voice was changing as he got older, and some Motown executives were considering cancelling his recording contract. During 1964, Wonder appeared in two films as himself, Muscle Beach Party and Bikini Beach , but these were not successful either. Sylvia Moy persuaded label owner Berry Gordy to give Wonder another chance. Dropping

6225-792: Was facing financial difficulties, so Wonder, who was a member of the university's board of trustees, rallied other acts including Exuma , LaBelle , and the Chambers Brothers to join the concert, which raised more than $ 10,000 for the school's scholarship fund. Wonder embarked on a European tour in early 1974, performing in France at the Midem convention in Cannes , in England at the Rainbow Theatre in London, and on

6308-507: Was held on March 20, featuring performances from Garth Brooks , Brandi Carlile , Annie Lennox , Jacob Lusk , Metallica , Joni Mitchell , Maren Morris , Billy Porter and Charlie Puth . Cappy McGarr Cappy McGarr is an American entrepreneur, fundraiser, author, and Emmy -nominated producer based in Dallas, Texas . He is a co-creator of the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor , as well as

6391-500: Was his first-ever self-produced song. In 1969, Wonder participated in the Sanremo Music Festival with the song "Se tu ragazzo mio", in conjunction with Gabriella Ferri . Between 1967 and 1970, he recorded four 45 rpm singles and an Italian LP. Wonder's appearance at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival opens the 2021 music documentary, Summer of Soul . Wonder plays a drum solo during his set. In September 1970, at

6474-460: Was interested in pursuing an intraocular retinal prosthesis to partially restore his sight. In 2000, Wonder contributed two new songs to the soundtrack for Spike Lee 's Bamboozled album ("Misrepresented People" and "Some Years Ago"). Wonder continues to record and perform; though mainly occasional appearances and guest performances, he did do two tours, and released one album of new material, 2005's A Time to Love . In June 2006, Wonder made

6557-530: Was recorded and released in May 1963 as the album Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius . A single, " Fingertips ", from the album was also released in May, and became a major hit. The song, featuring a confident and enthusiastic Wonder returning for a spontaneous encore that catches out the replacement bass player, who is heard to call out "What key? What key?", was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 when Wonder

6640-413: Was recorded first, when Wonder was still 11 years old. Mainly covers of Ray Charles 's songs, the album included a Wonder and Paul composition, "Sunset". The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie was recorded next, an instrumental album consisting mainly of Paul's compositions, two of which, "Wondering" and "Session Number 112", were co-written with Wonder. Feeling Wonder was now ready, a song, "Mother Thank You",

6723-790: Was recorded for release as a single, but then pulled and replaced by the Berry Gordy song "I Call It Pretty Music, But the Old People Call It the Blues" as his début single; released summer 1962, it almost broke into the Billboard 100, spending one week of August at 101. Two follow-up singles, "Little Water Boy" and "Contract on Love", both had no success, and the two albums, released in reverse order of recording— The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie in September 1962 and Tribute to Uncle Ray in October 1962—also met with little success. Most of these songs hit

6806-528: Was signed by Motown in 1961, his surname was legally changed to Morris, which (according to Lula Mae Hardaway's authorized biography) was an old family name. Berry Gordy was responsible for creating the stage name of "Little Stevie Wonder". Wonder attended Fitzgerald Elementary School in Detroit. After his first album was released, The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie (1962), he enrolled in Michigan School for

6889-462: Was the host. He was also featured in Chaka Khan 's cover of Prince 's " I Feel For You ", alongside Melle Mel , playing his signature harmonica. In roughly the same period he was also featured on harmonica on Eurythmics ' single " There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart) " and Elton John 's " I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues ". Wonder was in a featured duet with Bruce Springsteen on

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