Full Name | Stevland Hardaway Judkins (né Morris) |
Date of Birth | May 13, 1950 |
Age | 74 |
Place of Birth | Saginaw, Michigan, U.S. |
Citizenship | United States, Ghana |
Occupations | Singer, songwriter, musician, record producer |
Years Active | 1961–present |
Spouses | Syreeta Wright (m. 1970; div. 1972), Kai Millard (m. 2001; div. 2012), Tomeeka Bracy (m. 2017) |
Children | 9 |
Net Worth | $200 million |
Genres | Soul, R&B, pop, funk, gospel, progressive soul |
Instruments | Vocals, keyboards, harmonica, drums, harpejji |
Labels | Tamla, Motown, So What the Fuss Records |
Notable Hit at a Young Age | “Fingertips” was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963, making him the youngest solo artist ever to top the chart |
Grammy Awards | Won 25 Grammy Awards, the most by a male solo artist |
Academy Award | Won one Academy Award for Best Original Song (for the 1984 film The Woman in Red) |
Hall of Fame Inductions | Inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame |
Activism | Known for his activism for political causes, including his campaign to make Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a federal holiday in the U.S.; named a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2009; honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014 |
Early Life | Born blind due to retinopathy of prematurity; began singing in the church choir at age eight; signed with Motown’s Tamla label at age 11 as “Little Stevie Wonder” |