Stevie Wonder Biography

Fast Facts

• Was born prematurely and placed in an incubator; received too much oxygen, resulting in his blindness
• Nicknamed Little Stevie Wonder because of his skills in songwriting and playing various instruments when he was only 9 years old
• Signed his first record contract with Motown Records at the age of 12
• Reached No
• 1 on the R&B and Billboard Hot 100 charts with the single "Fingertips Part 2
• " Was involved in a near-fatal car crash in 1973 that left him in a coma for a week
• After the accident, vowed to use his talents to spotlight political and social issues
• Assisted in the 1980s campaign to make Dr
• Martin Luther King Jr
• 's birthday a federal holiday
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002
• Received an American Music Award of Merit in 1982 and was honored by the Kennedy Center in 1999
• Performed at the opening ceremonies for the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece