Feel the Wonder

One day in 1954, a four year old boy skipped into a toy shop with 10 cents and walked out with his first musical instrument— a harmonica.

Steveland Hardaway Morris felt the sunshine on his face and the music in his soul for as long as he could remember.

By the age of eight, he was a prodigy, mastering piano, drums and bass.

Steveland began to see the world through melodies and rhythm, and his talents became know throughout his neighborhood. 

When he was 11, Steveland auditioned at Motown Records, leaving the label executives speechless. 

They called him Little Stevie. He was truly a WONDER. Born prematurely, Stevie spent the first several weeks of his life in an incubator. 

Too much oxygen in the incubator damaged his vision, leaving him permanently blind at six weeks old.

But he did not live in darkness, and he never let his blindness stop him.

In fact, Stevie Wonder saw his blindness as a gift of higher consciousness. Steveland began to see the world through melodies and rhythm, and his talents became know throughout his neighborhood. 

By age 12, he landed his first recording contract. Motown records gave him creative freedom, so he wrote, produced, arranged, and performed all of his own songs.

Soon he was co-writing with Smoky Robinson and touring with the Rolling Stones. He influenced rock, jazz and blues musicians everywhere with a unique style inspired by the Black church music of his childhood.

Stevie Wonder has won 25 Grammy Awards and has been inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

He has been named a United Nations Messenger of Peace, is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and has won multiple Lifetime Achievement Awards.

And it all began at the age of four with a toy shop harmonica.

Celebrate the wonder of this artist with the illustrated children’s book, Little People Big Dreams: Stevie Wonder and the Gentle Boys Collection tee — Young Stevie

“Music, at its essence, is what gives us memories.”

— STEVIE WONDER