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Happy 59th Birthday Stevie!!

Thembi Ford 13 May 2009 7 Comments

NAACP 2 150208

Five Reasons I Love Stevie Wonder

1. His music and influence has changed the world socially and politically through such songs as “Happy Birthday,” in support of Martin Luther King Day. That song also pretty much replaced the original version in my house growing up, by the way.

2. He’s an amazing performer and always bring something special to the stage. This clip from the 1985 Motown special is my favorite of his since I know it by heart from childhood and have never been lucky enough to see him live.

3. He looks a lot like my dad and always has, except for the blindness part. Since my father is one of my personal heroes I’ve always known that Stevie was on to something.

4. Some of his music got me through really emotional times. “Overjoyed,” got me through heartache, “All I Do,” makes me happy when I’m lonely and traveling, and “Blame It On The Sun,” which may be my favorite, makes me tear up every time I hear it and I can’t put my finger on why. Ever since I first discovered Stevie’s music I keep one or two of his albums around, unopened, so that I can experience new music by him just in case I need that special something new.

5. During the “We Are One” concert celebrating Obama’s inauguration, I had to notice that Barack and Michelle made sure that Malia and Sasha stood up for Stevie’s performance in a way that the likes of Shakira just didn’t merit. Stevie’s 1986 guest appearance on The Cosby Show remains the best black sitcom special celebrity guest star turn of all time because in the episode Huxtables of all ages, from Claire to Theo to Rudy, were equally hype about meeting and singing with this legend. His music brings black families together like church. Watch the music and hypeness unfold in this clip:

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7 Comments »

  • Malcolm said:

    Excellent post! If someone ever said to me that they don’t like one single Stevie song, I’d have to seriously question whether they know anything about music.

    # 13 May 2009 at 7:49 pm
  • pjazzypar said:

    Hey Thembi,Stevie is the best. Malcolm know I take issue with “I Just Called to Say I Love You” because of the great, incredible, music in the Stevie Wonder catalog, this is probably the most popular song and it should not be. I digress, great tribute to Steveland.

    # 15 May 2009 at 10:14 am
  • tracy said:

    I absolutely love Stevie. These 3 words and All is Fair in Love are two of my most favorite songs. Last April I took my daughter to see him in concert, she never sat down. LOL…Thank you so much!

    # 16 May 2009 at 1:29 pm
  • blackink said:

    Great post. And an even better line: “His music brings black families together like church.”

    Can’t tell you how many times I’ve been at family gatherings or picnics when a Stevie song comes on over the stereo, and everyone – even some of us youngsters – know all the words.

    As for my favorite, I think “Superwoman” might be the one. Just a beautiful song.

    # 17 May 2009 at 2:43 pm
  • jazzfan360 said:

    “All’s Fair in Love” is pretty friggin awesome. That’s a towering song…the lyrics are just cut straight through. …But then there’s “Superstition,” which gave us like the NASTIEST thirty seconds in all of funk. …But then there’s “Part-Time Lover,” which is just a real damn fine jam. …But then there’s “Golden Lady,” which is just so, so beautiful. …But then there’s “Fingertips,” which captures raw, unvarnished, incubating brilliance like lightning in a bottle. …But then there’s……oh hell.

    # 22 May 2009 at 2:25 am
  • Dara said:

    And “I Never Dreamed You Leave in Summer” always makes me think of Powetic Justice and burning the ends of braids and eating popcorn with hot sauce.

    # 22 May 2009 at 10:47 am
  • Dara said:

    thats…Poetic.

    although, poWETic would be a fly name for some hair gel, wouldnt it?

    # 22 May 2009 at 10:48 am

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