The DC Traveler

At least that’s what Stevie Wonder was called as a young performer starting out on the Motown scene in the 1960s. One hundred million albums later, he’s one of the most popular and prolific songwriters, producers, and R&B and pop music performers, as well as a huge influence on popular music.

His first hit, at the age of 12, “Fingertips (Pt. 2)” in 1963 included another Motown soon-to-be superstar, Marvin Gaye playing drums, with Stevie on vocals and harmonica.

Over the next 20 years (1965-85), he scored thirty top ten hits ands was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. It’s no wonder with 25 Grammy’s and an Academy Award for best song (“I Just Called to Say I Love You” from The Woman in Red).

I’m sure there’s at least a couple tunes from his list of hits below that you probably know the words to:

• “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)”
• “For Once in My Life”
• “My Cherie Amour”
• “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”
• “Superstition”
• “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”
• “Higher Ground”
• “Living for the City”
• “Boogie On Reggae Woman”
• “Ebony and Ivory” (with Paul McCartney)

He doesn’t tour often, and his last performance in DC was in 2006, when he preformed at the “A Capitol Fourth” celebration on the National Mall. But you can catch this R&B icon live at the end of this month at the Verizon Center.

Can you beat this clip of one of the best R&B tunes of all time.

Here’s a bit of Stevie trivia:

• His real name was Stevland Hardaway Judkins, but Stevie Wonder does sound cooler.
• Besides being blind from birth, he also lost his sense of smell after a serious head injury in a car accident just days after releasing Innervisions, in 1973.
• Wonder was one of the first artists to get full creative control and the rights to his songs at the Motown label.
• Last year on American Idol, the contestants had to sing one of Stevie’s songs. He performed on the show and gave the contestants some advice.
• He learned to play the piano at the age of seven, and mastered the drums and harmonica two years later.
• He co-wrote the classic “Tears of a Clown” made famous by Smokey Robinson And The Miracles.

Stevie Wonder
Verizon Center
601 F Street, NW, between 6th and 7th Streets, NE
Washington, DC 20004 (map it)

Date and Time - Tuesday, Oct. 30th, 8:00 p.m.

Tickets - $68, $98 and $128 and are available online.

Nearest Metro subway station - Gallery Place / Chinatown (the Metro station is part of the Verizon Center) - Red, Yellow and Green lines.

Parking - limited street parking in the area, but various paid lots and garages are within a short walk.

Images - photo 2 copyright Chris Walter

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