The Wonder Timeline
A timeline of the life of Stevie Wonder is outlined below. Hover over 'Info' button for more details.
| 1950 | 13th May Stevie is born |
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| 1954 | Stevie receives his first instrument a 6-hole Harmonica | | |
| 1961 | Stevie signs recording contract with Motown | | |
| 1963 | Fingertips single reached #1 on Billboard Pop Charts | | |
| 1965 | Uptight album released. Uptight single hit #1 R&B and #3 Pop | | |
| 1966 | Down To Earth album #8R&B #72Pop | | |
| 1967 | I Was Made To Love Her album #7R&B #45Pop | | |
| 1968 | Graduated with honours from the Michigan School for
the Blind Stevie releases four albums: Someday At Christmas, Greatest Hits, Eivets Rednow, For Once In My Life |
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| 1969 | Received the Distinguished Service Award from President Nixon My Cherie Amour album peaked #3 R&B 34 Pop |
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| 1970 | Marriage to Syreeta Produced & Arranged the album Signed, Sealed, Delivered, #7R&B, 25Pop |
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| 1971 | Groundbreaking album Where I'm Comin' From,
deviates from the Motown standard Second five year contract with Motown expires, Stevie does not renew immediately Stevie meets synthesizer engineers Robert Margoulef and Malcolm Cecil in New York |
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| 1972 | Music of My Mind and Talking Book albums released Stevie tours US with The Rolling Stones ones Produced and arranged album 'Syreeta' for Syreeta Stevie's marriage to Syreeta ends in Divorce |
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| 1973 | August 6th car accident puts Stevie in Coma for 10
days Innervisions album release |
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| 1974 | Stevie picks up 5 Grammies Fulfillingness' First Finale album released Produced albums for Syreeta and Minnie Riperton 18th Nov declared Stevie Wonder Day in LA |
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| 1975 | Stevie picks up 5 Grammies April 1975 Yolanda Simmons gives birth to Stevie's first child, Aisha Stevie signs $13M contract the then largest in music industry history |
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| 1976 | Songs in the Key of Life debuts at #1 on Pop and R&B charts | | |
| 1977 | Stevie picks up 4 Grammies. Starts work on soundtrack to movie | | |
| 1979 | Secret Life of Plants is released peaking at #4 on Pop and R&B charts | | |
| 1980 | Hotter Than July released peaking at #1 R&B #3 pop
and #2 UK Stevie embarks on campaign to make Martin Luther King's birthday a National Holiday in the UShe US |
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| 1982 | Work with Paul McCartney (Ebony & Ivory) and Third World (Try Jah Love) | ||
| 1983 | Stevie buys LA radio station KHLH. Release Original
Musiquarium greatest hits Bill passed declaring MLK birthday a holidayliday |
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| 1984 | Soundtrack to The Woman In Red movie released I Just To Say I Love You gives Stevie his first UK #1 single |
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| 1985 | Release of In Square Circle reaching #1 R&B #5 Pop Receives an Oscar for I Just Called to Say I love You Stevie is arrested for demonstrating against apartheid outside the South African Embassy |
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| 1986 | Wins Grammy for That's What Friends Are For with
Dionne, Elton and Gladys Celebrates the first observance of MLK Day in televised event |
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| 1987 | Release of Characters album peaking at #1 R&B and #17 Pop | | |
| 1989 | Inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | ||
| 1991 | Release of Jungle Fever Motion Picture Soundtrack charting at #1 R&B, 24 Pop | | |
| 1995 | Conversation Peace release peaking at #2 R&B, #16 Pop | | |
| 1996 | Picks up 2 Grammys for For Your Love Awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award |
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| 1998 | Performs a specially penned song at Pavrotti's War Child charity concert | | |
| 1999 | Boxset At The Close Of A Century released Receives 2 Grammys for work on Hancock's album Received the Polar Music Prize in Sweden and honoured by the Kennedy Center |
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| 2001 | Stevie performs at Detroit's 300th anniversary
celebration Receives Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award |
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| 2002 | Awarded the Songwriters Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award | ||
| 2003 | Honoured with BET Walk Of Fame Award | ||
| 2004 | July, Syreeta dies at age 58 Stevie receives Billboard Century Award - Lifetime Achievement |
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| 2005 | Release of A Time To Love album peaking at #2 R&B, #5 Pop | | |
| 2006 | Stevie's mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, passes away age 74 Honoured with the National Artistic Achievement Award |
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| 2007 | Honoured at the 4th Annual Alfred Mann Foundation Gala | ||
| 2008 | Receives The NAACP Hall of Fame Award | ||
| 2009 | Awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize and
commissioned to write a classical piece for the Library Designated a UN Messenger of Peace |
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| 2010 | Receives France's highest honour for Arts & Literature Receives the first Image Award presented by the American Association of People with Disabilities Headlines Bonnaroo and Glastonbury festivals on either side of the Atlantic |