Latest News 2014
December[16] Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute will honour Stevie and will take place on February 16 at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles.
The two-hour special, which will air on America's CBS network, will feature artists performing Wonder's biggest hits, while a number of guest presenters will speak about the impact his songs have had on music and culture, according to Billboard.com.
CBS executive Jack Sussman says, "We are thrilled to pay tribute to this legendary man and musician. His influence is present in so much of today's greatest music. This salute will give everyone he's inspired a chance to show our esteem."
The Grammy Awards will air on February 8, a week before the Wonder tribute concert.
[16] Stevie will feature on two tracks on the upcoming Uptown Special album from Mark Ronsoon due out on January 27th. The opening track Uptown's First Finale featuring Stevie & Andrew Wyatt and the closing track Crack in the Pearl pt II featuring Stevie & Jeff Bhasker
[10] Get official Stevie Wonder merchandise from his Songs in the Key of Life 'The Performance' tour.
[06] Following a New York grand jury's decision Wednesday not to indict an NYPD officer involved in the apparent choke-hold death of Eric Garner, Stevie at his performance at Seattle's Key Arena, spoke up asking the audience, "Can you believe that within one month, two grand juries — secret grand juries — declined to indict two policemen for the killing of two black men? I just don't understand that. Guns are too accessible to everybody, I do understand that something is wrong, real wrong. And we as family, Americans, all of us of all colors, need to fix it with a quickness real soon."
November
[25] Last night Stevie was awarded the President's Medal of Freedom. President Obama described Wonder as a musical prodigy with an electrifying voice and one of the most influential musicians in American history.
"For more than 50 years, he channeled his inner visions to messages of hope and healing," Obama said. "Thanks to Stevie, all of us have been moved to higher ground."
After the ceremony, Stevie told reporters: I feel truly honored to receive this wonderful Medal of Freedom. My receiving it is saying to me, by the president, be forever committed to this that you’ve started, continue to try your best to encourage people to reach higher ground. But it is also a statement to me that says this is something that you’re wearing that says you’re committed for the rest of your life to fighting for the freedom of other people—freedom where race is not an issue, where everyone is respected as a family. The freedom of accessibility for those who have disabilities, that there’s nowhere in the world that they can’t be able to go and have a way of it being accessible for them. Freedom for health care, I feel that we need to have health care in this country. We have to have education. There’s no reason for illiteracy anywhere in this country or in the world. So anything that people are not free to be able to do and be appreciated and recognized, to think that in 2014 that we still have a condition where a person’s color is treated with disrespect and not being honored. We’re all made from the same creator.
- Watch video of Stevie being presented with award here.
[18] The ASCAP Centennial Awards on Monday night honored musical icons — Stevie, Joan Baez, Billy Joel, Garth Brooks and Stephen Sondheim. Stevie was presented with the award by Motown founder, Berry Gordy Jr. In his acceptance speech he said: All of us here, let's continue to write. Let's continue to encourage and inspire, because without writing, the world will lose its magic because the world will lose its love. It is an amazing world when you think about writing songs... You write songs like 'If It's Magic' because you say, 'What is the most magical thing in the world?' And the most magical thing I see in the world is love.
Paul Williams, president and chairman of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, said the awards were "a once-in-a-lifetime honor that would not be conferred again for another century."
[18] Donny Osmond's new album, features a cover of Stevie's My Cherie Amour on which Stevie guests playing the harmonica. The song can be heard here.
[18] Stevie will be performing at a $1,000-per-person fundraiser Dec. 1 in New Orleans to drum up support for the Big Easy Committee, a joint committee that supports Mary Landrieu and the Democratic State Central Committee of Louisiana.
[11] President Obama will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Stevie and 18 others during a ceremony to be held at the Whitehouse on November 24th.
October
[31] Stevie announced his 19th annual House Of Toys benefit concert with the We Are You Foundation will be held on December 20 at the Forum in Los Angeles.
[08] BBC Music has released an all-star cover of the Beach Boys' God Only Knows as part of its Children In Need charity fund raising, which features Stevie and many others including Brian Wilson, Elton John, Lorde, Sam Smith and Pharrell. Click here to listen.
[08] Last night at the Waldorf Grand Ballroom the Friars Foundation Gala honoring actor Robert De Niro and philanthropist Carlos Slim took place with performances from Stevie, Sting and Aretha.
Stevie, Grace Hightower De Niro and Robert De Niro
[08] Last night at the Waldorf Grand Ballroom the Friars Foundation Gala honoring actor Robert De Niro and philanthropist Carlos Slim took place with performances from Stevie, Sting and Aretha.
[01] India Arie, Jordin Sparks, Ledisi and Sharon Jones all are set to perform in a tribute honoring Stevie on this night entitled A Soulright Evening at the Cannon Center for The Performing Arts on October 11 in Downtown Memphis.
[01] Stevie will serve as the Grand Marshal of the 83rd Hollywood Annual Christmas Parade, Associated Television Intl. has announced. The Parade benefiting the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation will begin on the streets of Hollywood at 6 p.m. on Nov. 30, with Stevie seated at the helm, following a star-studded concert.
[01] Hundreds gathered for an emotional and star-studded memorial for Robin Williams on Saturday (Sept. 27). Billy Crystal opened the “Celebration of Life” with a tearful tribute at the landmark Curran Theatre in San Francisco. Stevie led the musical tribute along with the Glide Memorial choir.
September
[12] Stevie will hit the road this fall across 11 US Cities, with the Songs in the Key of Life Performance Tour.The concerts will also include performances of new songs written for an upcoming album titled Through the Eyes of Wonder. See Tours page for details
[12] Stevie will receive the first ASCAP Centennial Award in celebration of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers' 100th anniversary. The event takes place at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC on Nov. 17.
[12] Stevie is to receive the inaugural Epitome of Soul Award at a special event in Memphis at a musical gala staged by The Consortium Mmt (Memphis Music Town). Stevie will perform at the event, and several other musicians will pay homage. The event is scheduled to take place on 11 October at the Cannon Center in Memphis.
[12] Listen to People, Stevie's duet with Barbra Streisand on her new album 'Partners'
June
[30] On Sunday night Stevie kicked off his European Festivals tour when he played the Calling Festival on Clapham Common, London.
[25] On Sunday night, June 22nd, Stevie joined Janelle Monáe on stage at the Hollywood Bowl to perform a rowdy version of James Brown's I Feel Good, with Monáe leading the audience in a chant of "Go, Stevie, Go!". After Stevie left the stage, she told the crowd, "I can't believe that just happened!"
[20] This morning Stevie received an honorary degree from Northwestern University, Chicago. Last night he spoke to a small group at a Northwestern dinner for honorees. In his speeh he said, “I commit to God that, for as long as we live, I want to give everything that I can to give back the gift that he has given me, to encourage love, to inspire positivity to everyone no matter what culture or color they might be. The great thing about it is I can’t see your color but I can see your spirit.” Full speech can be seen here.
[06] The BBC will be using a edited version of Another Star as the theme tune for their 2014 Football World Cup programming.
[03] Donny Osmond says a duet with Stevie will be the first single from his upcoming 60th album. My Cherie Amour will be the lead track that comes out in mid June.
May
[16] An upcoming album of Police and Sting covers to raise awareness of and money to combat the global child slavery issue is scheduled for release in September. Stevie, Justin Timberlake, Slash, Steven Tyler and Fergie are some of the artist contributing tracks to the project. A concert has been planned for September in the U.K.
[13] Happy Birthday To You - Stevie Wonder
[08] The Andrew J. Young Foundation will celebrate its second Pass on Blessings Awards ceremony to be held on Sunday, May 18. The Pass on Blessings Award was created to affirm the giving spirit and actions of accomplished people who have used the bounty of their blessing to make a difference in the lives of others. This year’s honorees are: Stevie Wonder, President Lyndon Baines and Lady Bird Johnson (posthumously); Henry “Hank” and Billye Aaron, John. and Jan Portman and Herman and Sylvia E. Russell.
April
[29] In a recent interview, Mariah Carey revealed that Stevie will be featured playing harmonica on a track on her upcoming album due out on May 6th.
[11] The BBC short film released last year titled Martin Luther King: I Have a Dream has been nominated for two Webby Awards. Stevie appears in the film alongside other luminaries such as the Dalai Lama, Dr Maya Angelou, Joan Baez and Malala Yousafzai. You can influence the outcome of one of the awards, The People's Voice, by voting at the Webby Awards website.
[08] Stevie's European Festivals tour has now added the Calling Festival, Clapham London to its lineup. The two day festival will see Stevie closing the final night on June 29th. Tickets go on sale on April 10th. See Tours page for more details.
[05] Stevie will receive an honorary degre from Northwestern University during their spring commencement ceremony to be held on 20th June.
[03] A photo posted by Snoop Lion on his personal Instagram with caption, “Session wit skate board p n the musical genius Stevie wonder !! Uh uh !! Album comin soon #snoopdogg”. So expect Stevie and Pharrell to appear on an upcoming Snoop album.
[03] News dates on Stevie's Europe festivals tour has been announced: Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland 4-19 July, Roskilde Festival in Denmark 29 June - 6 July and North Sea Jazz Festival Rotterdam 12 July. See Tours page for more details.
March
[31] Its been announced that Stevie will do the Kongsberg Jazz Festival in Norway on 5 July, the Helsinki Classic Festival in Finland on 9 July and the Lucca Summer Festival in Italy on 20 July. See Tours page for more details.
[21] Yesterday, Thursday March 20th, Stevie was in San Diego, not for a performance, but checking out new gadgets showcased at the International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference. Speaking to NBC he said, It’s always good seeing new technology that makes the world more accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. Imagine yourself not being able to see, and then all of a sudden, you’re able to get information that you would have never had available to you. That’s how important new assisted technology is.
[03] The movie 20 Feet from Stardom last night won the Academy Award for best documentary feature. The film, directed by Emmy-award winner Morgan Neville, follows singers who rarely get the spotlight, some of whom came of age in the 1960s and 70s behind luminaries like Ray Charles, Tina Turner and Stevie. Stevie is interviewed in the movie.
February
[23] Last night at the NAACP Image Awards Oprah Winfrey and Stevie paid tribute to Nelson Mandela, the late South African leader who died last year. Stevie sang a medley of songs including Keep Our Love Alive and Higher Ground.
[21] The NAACP and TV One announced today that Stevie Wonder will perform at its Annual Image Awards. The two-hour special will broadcast live on TV One from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Saturday, February 22, 9:00 p.m./6:00 p.m. ET/PT.
January
[29] The Grammys didn’t give any albums or tracks a particular sales bounce. On iTunes, things have remained pretty quiet with no surprise jumps on the charts. Audio streaming was a different story, however. Spotify says its most streamed song from the Grammys was Stevie’s Another Star. It jumped 635 percent. People who’d never heard it before probably thought, "What’s that? Real music?" Maybe they’ll dig into Songs in the Key of Life and Stevie’s many other classic albums. We can only hope.
[29] Beatles fans were in for a treat when the two remaining rock legends got together at a special tribute concert on Monday night, marking 50 years since The Beatles appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Joining them were Stevie, Alicia Keys, John Mayer and Katie Perry.
Stevie performing We Can Work it Out at Beatles Tribute Concert.
[27] As promised, Daft Punk was joined on stage by Stevie, Nile Rodgers, and Pharrell Williams at the Grammy Awards ceremony last night. Backed by Random Access Memories' session musicians on a mock-studio set, they performed Daft Punk’s Get Lucky, Chic’s Le Freak, and Stevie’s Another Star.
[19] Last night (Sat Jan. 18) Stevie and Beyonce rocked the White House at a star-studded, late-night dance party celebrating first lady Michelle Obama's 50th birthday. Other guests included Bill and Hillary Clinton, Sir Paul McCartney, Nancy Pelosi, Susan Rice, Magic Johnson, Jennifer Hudson, Janelle Monae, and Billie Jean King.
[15] Of some interest to Stevie fans at this year's Grammy Awards is the nomination of PJ Morton's song Only One for Best R&B song. Stevie is featured on the track playing harmonica.
[06] Daft Punk are to perform a duet with Stevie at this year’s Grammy Awards on January 26. The French electro duo will also be joined by Get Lucky collaborators Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers.