Stevie Wonder

"Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past," sang Stevie Wonder in one of his many hits, "Superstition." Bad luck was a regular opponent in his road to superstardom. Stevie Wonder was born on May 13, 1950. He was born blind, and grew up in a poverty-stricken and venal part of Detroit. Wonder was a child prodigy with incredible musical talent. At a very young age, Motown Records discovered and signed him. Under them, he released many hit songs and critically acclaimed albums, and after this deal ended he continued to remain an imposing figure in the music industry for four more decades ("Stevie Wonder", Gale).  Heroes must inspire their followers to better themselves and society, either through fighting out of a struggle or choosing a struggle to fight in. Heroes must also use what they possess selflessly, selecting to help others instead of themselves. Stevie Wonder is a hero and an inspiration because he overcame immense obstacles, drives to do good with his fame and influence, and is a founding father of many genres in modern music.

Wonder made it past many obstacles that blocked his path to success, a feat that inspires others to do the same. Many of these obstacles arose during his childhood: "Born prematurely, Wonder was likely blinded by an excess of oxygen in his incubator. Wonder's father, Calvin Judkins, abused Stevie's mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, and at one point forced her into prostitution. In 1954 Hardaway moved Wonder and his siblings to the west side of Detroit to escape Judkins"("Stevie Wonder," Gale). Wonder was born with many burdens, burdens that very few successful individuals would able to handle. However, like a true hero, he didn't let these burdens stop him from being great. In a 2004 interview with Oprah, well after the height of his career,Wonder stated, "I've had some incredibly triumphal things happen in my life," (Streiber). Wonder himself and the rest of the world as well recognize the immense success that he has enjoyed despite the challenges that he had to face. There is no doubt that he exceeded the expectations that anyone had of a poor, blind child. His story reinvigorates determination within his followers and inspires them to persevere whenever times get rough, even though the rough times of most pale in comparison to his. Wonder's heroic ability to overcome the burdens he was born with make him an inspiration.

Stevie Wonder uses what he has achieved not to improve his own quality of life, but to do good in society. In the 1980s, shortly after a campaign to help make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a holiday, he "became involved in such issues as gun control, the fight against apartheid, AIDS awareness, and hunger relief. He also made public service announcements for Mothers Against Drunk Driving"("Stevie Wonder," Gale). Instead of simply sitting back and enjoying his hard-earned success, Wonder dedicated himself to bettering society and worked to ameliorate all of the major world problems that he saw. Only a true hero has this level of selfless dedication, and would be willing to put so much effort into a world that was not kind to him in the past. In the Oprah interview, he described his blindness not as a disability to himself , but as something that limited his ability to help others: "That isn't to say my desire to help humankind is any less strong because I'm blind. But blindness creates dependency. That's just real. Yet it doesn't make my thoughts any less free"(Streiber). As exhibited in his words and actions, Wonder has an everlasting thirst to help humanity. He is not looking to help himself, he only strives to make a difference. This nobility solidifies Wonder as a heroic figure. Heroes spend their lives serving others, and Wonder embodies that trait.

Stevie Wonder reinvented many genres of music through the incredible work that he put out. His albums in the 1970s, which electrified the genre soul, "have exerted a tremendous influence on musicians, from Michael Jackson and Prince in the 80s to rapper Drake and this year's most lauded new R&B star, Frank Ocean"(Lester). Throughout multiple decades, Wonder has influenced the leaders in American music. Both current and upcoming stars look up to him and his music for guidance. To these stars and their fans, Wonder is an inspiration. Music makers and music lovers alike adulate him. Pop superstar Ariana Grande, at a performance in his honor, said that Wonder has "influenced everyone in music"(France). The biggest names in music today recognize the depth of Wonder's impact on the industry. The fact that they have tremendous influence themselves exhibits how profound his impact really is. Wonder was not only incredibly successful on his own, his career and music served as inspirations for future musical acts.

Stevie Wonder has so far lived an inspirational and heroic life. He demonstrated that he could defy the odds against him being successful, he used his music, his fame, and his influence to help make a difference in the world, and many artists that have enjoyed success after Wonder have him to thank for their sound. The obstacles that he overcame inspire others and myself to tackle the obstacles that we face everyday, not succumb to them. Reading about his selfless actions weans us away from doing selfish things ourselves, and instills within us the feeling that we too can change the world. His seven years of bad luck shaped him into the Stevie Wonder we watch in wonder today.

Works Cited

France, Lisa Respers. "Stevie Wonder Tribute May Have Been Better than Grammys - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 17 Feb. 2015. Web. 03 Feb. 2016. <http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/17/entertainment/feat-stevie-wonder-tribute/index.html>.

Lester, Paul. "Stevie Wonder: 'I Never Thought of Being Blind and Black as a Disadvantage'" The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited or Its Affiliated Companies, 30 Aug. 2012. Web. 4 Feb. 2016. <http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/aug/30/stevie-wonder-blind-black-disadvantage>.

" Stevie Wonder." Contemporary Black Biography. Vol. 121. Detroit: Gale, 2015. Biography in Context. Web. 27 Jan. 2016.

Streiber, Art. "Oprah talks to Stevie Wonder: since the age of 12, he's been the sunshine of our musical lives. Now the 22-time Grammy winner--a true-blue living legend--talks about the music of his mind, his inner visions ('I am not a normal man'), fatherhood (seven children!), staying connected to the world--and his first album in ten years (out this month)." O, The Oprah Magazine May 2004: 223+. Biography in Context. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.