Soul legend Stevie Wonder, the voice behind songs like I Just Called To Say I Love You and Superstition turns 60 on Thursday, marking a glittering career spanning five decades.
Blind from birth, Wonder, real name Stevland Morris, overcame all the odds to become a multi-instrumentalist at an early age, and went from early Motown hits as 'Little Stevie' to one of the most successful recording artists of all time, reported Contactmusic.
The proud winner of 22 Grammy Awards, the most ever awarded to a male solo artist, Wonder was named the United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2009.
He won the Academy Award for Best Song in 1985 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
US President Barack Obama has cited Wonder as an inspiration in his political career. His song Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours was used regularly during Obama's campaign.
On March 6 this year, Wonder was awarded the Commander of the Arts and Letters by French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand who referred to him as "music's familiar genius".
In addition to his blindness, he also lost his sense of smell after he was involved in a car crash in 1973.
Join us in wishing Stevie Wonder a happy birthday!
Photograph: Lee Celano/Reuters
