Stevie Wonder Biography: Age, Height, Wives, Children, Career, Net Worth, Blindness, Songs, Grammy Awards & Facts

Stevland Hardaway Morris—known to the world as Stevie Wonder—is one of the most celebrated musicians in history, a blind child prodigy who signed with Motown at age 11 and went on to reshape soul, R&B, and pop music across six decades. From “Superstition” to “Isn’t She Lovely,” his catalog has sold over 100 million records, earned 25 Grammy Awards, and influenced everyone from Michael Jackson to Drake. Today, at 76, he remains a living legend, a devoted father of nine, and a passionate voice for civil rights and human dignity.

Quick Facts

Fans of Stevie Wonder also follow Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Prince, Lionel Richie, Elton John, Beyoncé, John Legend, and Bruno Mars.

Early Life & Education

Stevland Hardaway Judkins was born on May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Michigan, the third of six children born to Calvin Judkins and Lula Mae Hardaway. He arrived six weeks premature, and the oxygen-rich incubator environment caused retrolental fibroplasia, permanently damaging his retinas and leaving him blind shortly after birth.

When Stevie was four, his mother divorced his father and moved with her children to Detroit, Michigan, changing her surname back to Hardaway and later changing Stevie’s legal name to Stevland Hardaway Morris.

Despite his blindness, Stevie showed musical genius almost immediately. By age seven, he had mastered the harmonica, piano, and drums. He sang in his local church choir and soaked up the sounds of Detroit. A member of The Miracles, Ronnie White, heard the ten-year-old perform and brought him to audition for Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. Gordy signed him on the spot.

Stevie attended the Michigan School for the Blind and later had private tutors travel with him on tour to ensure he kept up with his education.

Career Journey

The Motown Prodigy: Little Stevie Wonder (1961–1969)

Signed to Motown’s Tamla label in 1961 at age 11, Stevie was given the professional name Little Stevie Wonder. His first single, “I Call It Pretty Music But the Old People Call It the Blues,” landed in 1962, but it was the live recording of “Fingertips (Pt. 2)” in 1963 that changed everything. The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making 13-year-old Stevie the youngest solo artist ever to top the chart.

Throughout the 1960s, he dropped the “Little” and matured into one of Motown’s finest acts, scoring hits like “Uptight (Everything’s Alright),” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “I Was Made to Love Her,” “For Once in My Life,” and “My Cherie Amour.” He also wrote for other Motown stars, including “It’s a Shame” for The Spinners and “The Tears of a Clown” with Smokey Robinson.

The Classic Period: Total Creative Control (1972–1976)

When Stevie turned 21 in 1971, he renegotiated his Motown contract and became one of the first artists at the label to gain full artistic control over his music. What followed is widely considered one of the greatest runs in music history.

He released five groundbreaking albums in five years:

• Music of My Mind (1972)
• Talking Book (1972) — featuring “Superstition” and “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” both No. 1 hits
• Innervisions (1973) — won Album of the Year at the Grammys
• Fulfillingness’ First Finale (1974) — won Album of the Year again
• Songs in the Key of Life (1976) — a sprawling double album that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, stayed there for 14 non-consecutive weeks, and won a third consecutive Album of the Year Grammy

This run made Stevie the only artist in Grammy history to win Album of the Year three times in a row—a record that still stands.

The 1980s: Global Superstardom & Activism

The 1980s brought more commercial peaks. “Master Blaster (Jammin’)” (1980) and the Paul McCartney duet “Ebony and Ivory” (1982) both topped the charts. In 1984, “I Just Called to Say I Love You” from The Woman in Red soundtrack became a global phenomenon, earning Stevie an Academy Award for Best Original Song—making him the first Motown artist and second African-American musician to win an Oscar.

In 1985, “Part-Time Lover” became the first single ever to hit No. 1 on the pop, R&B, adult contemporary, and dance charts simultaneously.

Offstage, Stevie was a fierce activist. He led the campaign to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a national holiday, marching with 100,000 people in Washington, D.C., and releasing “Happy Birthday” as its anthem. He also protested apartheid outside the South African embassy, was arrested alongside 47 other protesters, and dedicated his Oscar to Nelson Mandela—which got his music banned in South Africa.

Later Career & Legacy (1990s–2026)

Stevie slowed his album releases after the 1980s but remained a towering presence. He performed at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics closing ceremony, the Super Bowl XXXIII halftime show, and countless charity events. His last full studio album, A Time to Love, arrived in 2005 after a 10-year gap, featuring collaborations with Prince, Paul McCartney, and En Vogue.

In 2014, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. In 2019, he announced he would undergo a kidney transplant, telling a London crowd, “I have a donor and it’s all good.” The surgery was successful, and he has since maintained a lower public profile while focusing on family and occasional performances.

In 2024, he celebrated his 75th birthday with tributes from across the music world. As of 2026, he continues to make select appearances and remains one of the most sampled and covered artists in music history.

Career Stats & Discography

Studio Albums (23+):

1. The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie (1962)
2. Tribute to Uncle Ray (1962)
3. With a Song in My Heart (1963)
4. Stevie at the Beach (1964)
5. Up-Tight (1966)
6. Down to Earth (1966)
7. I Was Made to Love Her (1967)
8. Someday at Christmas (1967)
9. Eivets Rednow (1968)
10. For Once in My Life (1968)
11. My Cherie Amour (1969)
12. Signed, Sealed & Delivered (1970)
13. Where I’m Coming From (1971)
14. Music of My Mind (1972)
15. Talking Book (1972)
16. Innervisions (1973)
17. Fulfillingness’ First Finale (1974)
18. Songs in the Key of Life (1976)
19. Stevie Wonder’s Journey Through “The Secret Life of Plants” (1979)
20. Hotter than July (1980)
21. Stevie Wonder’s Original Musiquarium I (1982)
22. In Square Circle (1985)
23. Characters (1987)
24. Jungle Fever (1991)
25. Conversation Peace (1995)
26. A Time to Love (2005)

No. 1 Hit Singles (U.S. Pop):

• “Fingertips (Pt. 2)”
• “Superstition”
• “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”
• “You Haven’t Done Nothin'”
• “I Just Called to Say I Love You”
• “Part-Time Lover”

No. 1 R&B Hits (20 total):
Including “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,” “Higher Ground,” “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” “Sir Duke,” “I Wish,” “Master Blaster (Jammin’),” and “That’s What Friends Are For” (with Dionne Warwick, Elton John, and Gladys Knight)

Personal Life

Marriages & Relationships

Stevie Wonder has been married three times and has fathered nine children with five different women.

First Wife: Syreeta Wright (1970–1972)
Stevie married fellow Motown singer-songwriter Syreeta Wright in 1970. She co-wrote hits like “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” and “If You Really Love Me.” Though they divorced amicably after two years, they remained close friends until her death from cancer in 2004.

Second Wife: Kai Millard Morris (2001–2012)
Stevie wed fashion designer Kai Millard in 2001. They had two sons, Kailand and Mandla, before separating in 2009 and finalizing their divorce in 2012.

Current Wife: Tomeeka Robyn Bracy (2017–present)
In 2017, Stevie married Tomeeka Robyn Bracy, then 42. The couple had already welcomed two daughters—Zaiah and Nia (born December 2014, whose name means “purpose,” one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa).

Children

Stevie’s nine children span nearly 40 years:

Family & Health

Stevie has suffered significant family losses, including the deaths of his mother Lula Mae Hardaway, his brother Larry Hardaway, his sister Renee Hardaway (2018), and his close friend Aretha Franklin (2018).

In 1973, he survived a near-fatal car accident in North Carolina that left him in a coma for four days and caused a partial loss of his sense of smell.

In 2019, he publicly announced his need for a kidney transplant and successfully underwent the surgery that September.

Hobbies & Interests

Stevie is an avid chess player, a passionate supporter of Ghanaian culture (he holds Ghanaian citizenship and has a home there), and has even landed a 13-seater plane while flying with the former Ghanaian president. He also enjoys flying and is deeply committed to civil rights and humanitarian causes.

Controversies

Stevie Wonder has largely maintained a positive public image, but he has faced a few notable disputes:

Plagiarism Lawsuit: He was sued over “I Just Called to Say I Love You,” but won the case in court.

Cousin’s Extortion Attempt: In 2012, his cousin Alpha Walker accused Stevie of being a “slumlord” and made disturbing claims about him sleeping with family members in an attempt to extort $10 million. The allegations went nowhere.

Lawsuit from Former Employee: Former wardrobe consultant Angela McAfee sued him for $30 million, claiming he gave her a venereal disease and breached a verbal agreement. Stevie countersued for theft, and the case was settled out of court.

Lawyer’s Royalty Dispute: After his former lawyer Johanan Vigoda negotiated his landmark Motown contract, Vigoda’s widow later sued Stevie over a clause requiring him to pay 6% royalties to Vigoda and his heirs in perpetuity. Stevie claimed he was unaware of the clause because he hadn’t read the contract due to his blindness. They settled out of court.

Awards & Achievements

Stevie Wonder’s trophy cabinet is one of the most impressive in music history:

• Grammy Awards: 25 wins (most ever by a solo male artist), including:
  • Album of the Year: Innervisions (1974), Fulfillingness’ First Finale (1975), Songs in the Key of Life (1977)
  • Lifetime Achievement Award (1996)
• Academy Award: Best Original Song — “I Just Called to Say I Love You” (1985)
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Inducted 1989
• Songwriters Hall of Fame: Inducted
• Kennedy Center Honors: 1999
• Presidential Medal of Freedom: 2014 (from President Barack Obama)
• Gershwin Prize for Popular Song: 2009
• United Nations Messenger of Peace
• Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres (France, 2010)
• Apollo Theater Hall of Fame: 2011
• Billboard Icon Award: 2012
• BET Honors: 2012
• Hollywood Walk of Fame: Star recipient
• Induction into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame

Physical Statistics

Quotes

“Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn’t mean he lacks vision.”

“Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love, and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love.”

“We all have ability. The difference is how we use it.”

“You can’t base your life on other people’s expectations.”

“I am what I am. I love me! And if I love me, then I can love you.”

Favorites

Earnings

As of 2026, Stevie Wonder’s net worth is estimated at approximately $200 million. His wealth comes from:

• Music Sales & Streaming: Over 100 million records sold, including 19.5 million albums in the U.S. alone
• Touring: Decades of sold-out arena and stadium tours worldwide
• Songwriting & Production Royalties: One of the most sampled artists in history
• Real Estate: Properties in Los Angeles and Hawaii
• Business Investments: Significant stake in EMI music publishing
• Film Soundtracks: The Woman in Red, Jungle Fever, and others

Interesting Facts

• Stevie wrote his first song, “Lonely Boy,” at age 11.
• He was the youngest solo artist ever to top the Billboard Hot 100 at age 13.
• He is the only artist to win three consecutive Album of the Year Grammys.
• He helped make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday.
• He dedicated his Oscar to Nelson Mandela, getting his music banned in South Africa.
• Nelson Mandela named his son Mandla—though Stevie and Kai couldn’t pronounce Mandela’s first choice, so they went with “Mandla.”
• He successfully landed a 13-seater airplane despite being blind.
• He was the first American artist to debut an album at No. 1 (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976).
• He holds Ghanaian citizenship and has a deep love for the country.
• He has never learned to read Braille for music—he plays entirely by ear and memory.
• Songs in the Key of Life ranks #4 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
• He took a knee with his son Kwame at the 2017 Global Citizen Festival to protest police brutality.

Did You Know Already?

• Stevie was born six weeks premature and weighed under 4 pounds.
• His mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, was a songwriter who co-wrote some of his early material.
• He survived a coma after a 1973 car crash and was back on stage within eight weeks.
• He was the first Motown artist to win an Academy Award.
• His daughter Aisha is the baby celebrated in “Isn’t She Lovely.”
• He has been blind for so long that he does not remember sight.
• He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
• He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in 2014.

Social Media Links

Stay connected with Stevie Wonder:

• Official Website: steviewonder.net
• Facebook: StevieWonder
• YouTube: Stevie Wonder
• Spotify: Stevie Wonder
• Instagram: Various fan pages and tribute accounts

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Stevie Wonder’s life is a testament to the boundless power of human creativity. A blind child from Saginaw, Michigan, who signed with Motown at 11, became the youngest No. 1 artist in history, and went on to win 25 Grammys, an Oscar, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Through his classic albums, timeless hits, and tireless activism, he has given the world not just a soundtrack, but a vision of justice, love, and hope. At 76, with a loving wife, nine children, and a legacy that spans generations, Stevie Wonder remains one of the greatest musicians the world has ever known.

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