He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He also helped drive such genres into the album era , crafting his LPs as cohesive and consistent, in addition to socially conscious statements with complex compositions. Blind since shortly after his birth, Wonder was a child prodigy who signed with Motown 's Tamla label at the age of 11, where he was given the professional name Little Stevie Wonder.
Wonder's single " Fingertips " was a No. Wonder's critical success was at its peak in the s. His "classic period" began in with the releases of Music of My Mind and Talking Book , the latter featuring " Superstition ", which is one of the most distinctive and famous examples of the sound of the Hohner Clavinet keyboard. His works Innervisions , Fulfillingness' First Finale and Songs in the Key of Life all won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year , making him the only artist to have won the award with three consecutive album releases.
Wonder began his "commercial period" in the s; he achieved his biggest hits and highest level of fame, had increased album sales, charity participation, high-profile collaborations including with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson , political impact, and television appearances. Wonder has continued to remain active in music and political causes. Wonder is one of the best-selling music artists of all time , with sales of over million records worldwide.
He is also noted for his political activism, including his campaign to make Martin Luther King Jr. When Wonder was four, his mother divorced his father and moved with her three children to Detroit.
Wonder attended Whitestone Baptist Church, where he sang in the choir and became a soloist at age eight. Wonder began playing instruments at an early age, including piano, harmonica, and drums. He formed a singing partnership with a friend; calling themselves Stevie and John, they played on street corners and occasionally at parties and dances.
