Stevie Wonder
By: Cassie Berger
Childhood
- Born completely blind on May 13,1950
- Child prodigy in music despite being blind, starting in church choir, and later showing in his gift to play multiple instruments including harmonica, piano, and drums- all self-taught
- Made his recording debut at age 12
Obstacles
- Stevie was born completely blind (born premature- too much oxygen)
- Difficult to find teachers who can teach an instrument to someone blind, so he taught himself
- Once he was popular, he had a hard time staying relevant in the music world
How He Overcame His Obstacles
- Tried to follow in the footsteps of his role model, Ray Charles
- Taught himself any instruments he wanted to play
- Had a wide range of music to stay relevant
- Public intrigued because of his natural talent for great music and the fact that he was doing this blind
Achievements
- 1982- No.1 single "Ebony and Ivory" with Paul McCartney
- Married twice, 7 children
- 25 Grammies, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- 1989- Got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- Recognized with the Second Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song