YouTube Gold: Little Stevie Wonder Lights Up The Apollo

Truly an American original

If it seems like Stevie Wonder has been around forever, well, it’s kind of true.

Born Stevland Hardaway Morris in 1950, he was a preemie and lost his sight before he left the hospital.

He showed remarkable musical talent early and in 1963 his song Fingertips went to #1 on the charts. He’s still the youngest person to ever land a #1 hit.

He had a string of Motown hits in the ‘60’s but really hit his stride in the ‘70’s with hits like Superstition and the classic album Songs in the Key of Life.

This clip of Fingertips is from 1963 at the Apollo, when he was on tour with other Motown artists.

He’s only playing harmonica here, but even at 13, he was redefining the possibilities of a chromatic harmonica (Wonder prefers a Hohner Chromonica Super 64). When he leaves the stage and returns, he has both the musicians and the audience in the palm of his hand - at 13. What an amazing talent.