Growing up, we often heard our parents sing lullabies to us, and “Isn’t she Lovely” was a song that most daughters grew up listening to. The man behind the song, Stevie Wonder is an icon when it comes to the American music scene.
Stevie Wonder is a famous American singer, songwriter, and producer who is known for his unique writing style and lyrical prowess. But that wasn’t all. Stevie Wonder was signed to a record label when he was only 11 years old.
This article will further explore more about Stevie Wonder, his early and personal life, and his rise to fame from a young age.
Quick Facts
| Full Name |
Stevland Hardaway Judkins
|
| Birth Date | May 13, 1950 |
| Age | 73 |
| Profession | Singer, Songwriter, Musician, and Record Producer |
| Country of Origin | USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse |
Tomeeka Bracy
|
| Net Worth (as of 2024) | $200 million |
| Last Updated: | Feb 6, 2024 |
| Social Media | Instagram |
Early Life
Stevie Wonder was born on May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Michigan. He was named Stevland Hardaway Judkins at birth and grew up alongside five other siblings. He was born into a musical family, where both his parents were popular songwriters – Lula Mae Hardaway and Calvin Judkins.
Despite the level of fame he attained, Stevie’s childhood and his birth weren’t a fairytale ride. According to reports, he was born premature and developed a condition called retinopathy of prematurity.
While he grew up for a few years alongside his parents, they soon separated when he was four. Soon after, Stevie’s mother packed everything up and relocated to Detroit with her children. Since he was surrounded by music all the time, it wasn’t surprising that Stevie was part of the choir group of the local Baptist Church.
Right from an early age, Stevie picked musical instruments and learned to play them quite early on in his life. He learned to play drums, harmonica, and piano too. But his blindness enabled him to create music that was completely vibrant and caught the attention of the listeners.
Personal Life
Stevie’s first marriage was to Syreeta Wright, a singer on the same record label as him. They divorced and he remarried Kai Millard. The couple split up in 2012. Five years later in 2017, Stevie married Tomeeka Bracy. Besides being married thrice, Stevie has also fathered nine children with five different women.
Career
We mentioned at the beginning of the article that Stevie was signed to Motown Records when he was only 11 years old. During that period, he was signed to a five-year contract where the royalties from his released music would be accessible to him when he turned 21.
However, during the early periods of his career, the record label gave $2.50 to Stevie’s mother to manage their expenses. While the amount isn’t too much, it was enough to get things sorted for the family.
Stevie’s first big break was with the song, “Tribute to Uncle Ray.” Later, he released his first instrumental album and even performed in the famous Regal Theatre. During that period, he released his first popular album, “Recorded Live: The 12-Year-Old Genius,” and the single “Fingertips” became the talk of the town.
With the initial success, Stevie kept making and releasing music, all of which were pretty big hits. Before his contract with Motown Records expired, Stevie released another album, “Where I’m Coming From.”
Later, he resigned from Motown Records and released more albums in the next few years and even won three Grammy Awards throughout his musical journey.
Net Worth
With the extensive popularity that Stevie has garnered throughout his career, it isn’t a question that he has amassed a net worth of $200 million. Being engaged in a music career quite early on in his life, he managed to earn from a young age. The majority of his income is from his music career and the royalties he has earned through his album releases.