Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris, 生於1950年五月十三日 Michigan 密芝根州 Saginaw, 雙親育有六孩子, Stevie 排行第三, 出生時因較預産期早六週, 需放在醫院的氧氣培養箱待觀察; 由於早産導致視網膜分離而成為瞎婴。四歲時, 父母離異, 隨母親遷往 Detroit 底特律生活, 改母親姓 Hardaway, 及後再改以母家的親屬姓氏 Morris 以用於法律和文件上。
Stevie 自幼已學會不同樂器演奏, 如: 鋼琴、口琴、擊鼓和低音大提琴等; 孩童時已開始與同輩合組 "Stevie & John" 两人歌唱組合, 除在街上演奏之外, 偶爾在一些舞會中演出。
1961年, 十一歲的 Stevie 以一首自己創作的歌曲 "Lonely Boy" 拿到 Miracles Record 公司的 Ronnie White 跟前試唱後, 即帶他母子倆前往 Motown 公司試音, 公司總裁 Berry Gordy 即决定與他簽約, 成為 Motown 旗下唱片 Talma 品牌的歌手; 監製的 Clarence Paul 立刻給他改上名字 "Little Stevie Wonder", 給他一紙五年的合約, 所有收益包括歌曲版稅, 將由公司以信託人付責滾存至他21歲為止, 母親衹拿到每週的生活費用, 而 Stevie 每週另有 $2.50 的零用, 另外公司會付責他在演唱期間的私人導師和所需照顧的費用。
Stevie 在監製、作曲家 Clarence Paul 的悉心栽培, 一年間已錄製两張專輯, 首張是悼念 Ray Charles 的專輯 "Tribute to Uncle Ray", 以十一歲之齡, 主要翻唱 Ray Charles 的歌曲; 第二張是 "The Jazz of Little Stevie"。及後的一曲 "Mother Thank You" 亦是他對母親的心意。
Stevie Wonder - Tribute to Uncle Ray [1962]
"Hallelujah I Love Her So"
"Ain't That Love"
"Don't You Know"
"The Masquerade" (Herbert Magidson, Allie Wrubel)
"Frankie & Johnny" (Traditional)
"Drown in My Own Tears" (Henry Glover)
"Come Back Baby"
"Mary Ann"
"Sunset" (Stevie Wonder, Clarence Paul)
"My Baby's Gone" (Berry Gordy, Jr.)
FINGERTIPS PART 2
1962年, Stevie Wonder 加入了 Motortown 表演團隊, 巡迴演出美國各地一些以黑人表演的劇院。在芝加哥的 Regal Theater, 一埸個人表演被收錄在1963年五月發行的專輯 "The 12 Year Old Genius"; 另外以一張細唱片, 把當中的現埸版 "Fingertips" 分為" Part 1" 放在A面, "Part 2" 則放在B面發行。B面是同時間的現場錄音, 衹是在觀眾 encore 與掌聲中, Stevie 即興返回台上繼續表演, 當時正由女歌手 Mary Wells 接着演出, 在樂隊交替中, 引至接替的低音結他手與隊友, 一問一答的對話, 不知就裡同被收錄。這不經修輯的原錄音版本, 以 "Fingertips Part 2" 面世後, 即登上1963年八月十七日起的两星期在 U.S.Billboard Hot 100 的榜首。
Stevie Wonder 在十三歲另八十八天, 登上 U.S. BILLBOARD HOT 100 CHART 榜首, 是十位最年輕的榜首歌星紀錄當中, 他是最年輕的歌手, 至今仍後無來者 !
"FINGERTIPS" Part 1 & 2
Clarence Paul and Henry 'Hank' Cosby
Little Stevie Wonder
Part 1: (bongo drum background)
'Yeah'
'Yeah'
Spoken:
Ladies and gentlemen, now I'm going to do a song
taken from my album, 'The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie'
The name of the song is called, umm, 'Fingertips'.
Now, I want ya to clap yo' hand, come on.
Come on!
Yeah!
Stomp yo' feet
Jump up and down, do anything that you wanna do!
Yeah!
Yeah!
[instrumental & Stevie harmonica begin .40 trk]
Part 2:
Ev'rybody say, 'Yeah'
(Yeah, yeah!)
Say, yeah!
(Yeah!)
Say, yeah
(Yeah!)
Yeah?
(Yeah!)
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
(instrumental & harmonica)
Just a little bit-a so-whoa-whoa-whoa-oh-oul
Yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah
Clap your hands, just a little bit louder
Clap your hands, just a little bit louder
(harmonica & instrumental)
Stevie sings:
I know that ev'rybody had, yeah
Ev'rybody have a good time
So, if you want me to
If you want me to
I'm gonna swing a-song
Yeah, just-a one mo' time
Be sure I'll come back
Just-a one more time
Will I come back
So, good-bye
(harmonica)
Announcer spoken:
How about it?
Let's hear it for him, huh?
Little Stevie Wonder
Take a bow, Stevie
(instrumental, harmonica, piano)
Audience crowd woman: 'Yeah!, Harry, get down!'
Band member: (What key? What key?)
Other band member: (Been tellin' you)
Band member: (You been tellin' me, what?)
(instrumental, drums)
Stevie: Hey!
Come on!
Well, good-bye, good-bye
A-good-bye, good-bye
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye
I'm gonna go, yeah
I'm gonna go, yeah
Let's just swing it one more time!
(instrumental and harmonica to end)
Announcer:
'How 'bout it?'
'Go ahead an shake this up for me real good'
'Stevie Wonder.'
Little Stevie Wonder - Fingertips