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The Wonder Of The World
11/26/1999 4:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Roger Len Smith
"Most every musician has a Stevie Wonder story," says Michael Greene, president of NARAS (National Assn. Of Recording Arts And Sciences, a.k.a. the Recording Academy), "because he has been so available. That's a word you can't say of a lot of music people."
If there has ever been a musician who truly crossed over to nearly every type of genre, and who has affected literally countless millions of people, it would have to be Wonder. From the image of Little Stevie Wonder blasting away on drums or harmonica at the age of 12 to the true funky genius of the sprawling, affirmative Songs In The Key Of Life, Wonder has grown up to be one of the most influential, original, and beloved musicians on the planet. But Stevland Morris is also a major mover in departments more philanthropic and socio-political, as in his successful crusade (along with Coretta Scott King) for a national holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., sweetly documented in Wonder's song for Dr. King, "Happy Birthday."
Since he first surfaced on Motown Records, Wonder has been a giant musical force, selling over 100 million albums worldwide, and collecting 21 Grammys (with a total of 62 nominations), 49 top 40 hits, and a staggering 25 No. 1 singles. When he's not collaborating or producing (this year Wonder won two more Grammys for work with Herbie Hancock), he's raising money for his Charge Against Hunger campaign, the SAP/ Stevie Wonder Vision Awards (which fights blindness), and countless other causes.
In February, Wonder was picked as NARAS's 1999 MusiCares Person Of The Year--an annual award recognizing the humanitarian in the musician. The event was highlighted by a black-tie dinner, a silent auction, and a star-studded concert, where he was feted by the likes of Quincy Jones, Tony Bennett, BeBe Winans, Mariah Carey, Babyface, Gloria Estefan, Take 6, Luciano Pavarotti, Trudie Styler and Sting, and, via video clips, President Clinton, Elton John, and Curtis Mayfield.
As he releases his first-ever (and long-overdue) boxed set, At The Close Of A Century, Wonder grants LAUNCH an exclusive interview, in which he shares his plans to start a national promotion for non-denominational prayer and healing called In Prayer Circle, and speaks generously about quite a few things, including awards, advice, James Dean, and when he might release another, much-anticipated new album.
LAUNCH:
How did it feel being honored by--and also jamming with--so many notable peers and great artists at the MusiCares event?
STEVIE:
It was incredible, truly incredible. I will never ever forget it, being honored was incredible. I wish it could go on forever and ever and ever--not because I was honored, but just for the energy and spirit of the night--and I will be inspired again forever to do more of what I have been doing forever and ever, for as long as I live.
LAUNCH:
What exactly is In Prayer Circle?
STEVIE:
The one thing I admire about the Islamic faith is that they pray three times a day. And I think there's something in prayer that Americans need. That people of various ethnicities could come together...whatever you are is what you are, but if you can come together in prayer and say the same thing with the same kind of spirit, then so many of the things--the ills that we have with us every day, that we should have been rid of by now--they would go away because we would be of the same spirit. I do believe that, I truly, truly do.
LAUNCH:
How do you plan to make it happen?
STEVIE:
What I'm planning to do is go throughout the country and get various places designated, like in the center of the city. The idea really came from an album I did called In Square Circle. I was just thinking about it one time, and I said that it would be incredible to have a place that would be in the center of a city, or wherever, that people could meet and pray at certain times and calling it "In Prayer Circle." People of various denominations coming together.
LAUNCH:
Very Unitarian, then.
STEVIE:
Exactly. And maybe each day they could have a particular thing that is the focus to pray on, whether it be a lost child, whether it be a murderer, or whether it be for better communication. Because we spend only one small bit of time--whether it be Saturday or Sunday, it's just not enough--and if we could just come together and designate that place for prayer, it would be incredible. I truly believe that if we do that, mysteries of crimes or gangs or whatever it might be--all those things will be eliminated because we will be of a spirit that we want to be a better people, that we want everyone to have the very best [we] can have. And we want to inspire our children. What are we going to leave our children with? Are we going to leave our children with a place where we have no sense of value or spirituality? Is that what we're going to leave the next generation? We are the bridge.
LAUNCH:
When are you going to kick it off?
STEVIE:
As soon as I can get everyone together. It's the most important thing to me right now, to do, since me doing the [Martin Luther] King holiday.
LAUNCH:
That must have made you very proud.
STEVIE:
Again, I'm proud, I'm very happy that God gave me the spirit to come up with a song ["Happy Birthday"] that was really the rallying call for everyone, and it broke all the barriers of race and again, ethnicities, and all that, because everyone was into the celebration of it. During the time of the first [MLK Day] march--within that year, we had lost two very great people, we had lost Bob Marley and we lost John Lennon. I think people have to understand that it is not an African-American holiday. It is a day for everyone.
LAUNCH:
Again, universal.
STEVIE:
I think me and various people such as yourself and such as myself, we really are communicators, but we all have people we are responsible to. We have bosses or whatever, but the point is there is a place where we can really make a difference in what we put out there. I watched the last movie Tupac did--it's really amazing, it's really sad that he died the way he did, because he had so much talent, so much to give, really so much. And he was just a baby. Just discovering the world, I can hear, like in the last album that he did, that he was really reaching out to discover and to kind of put together something, because it is so difficult for most kids when they're without a father, boys, you know that. You don't have someone around you who says, "Hey, that's not right," or "Hey, here's a way to do it," or "Hey, here's a book to read" or "Here's another way of looking at that or this."
LAUNCH:
Some guidance.
STEVIE:
Exactly. Even though I was too little to really know, the same thing with James Dean. The reality is that when people don't have someone to give them a sense of guidance, and say, "Hey, man, that's not happening"--it's really hard. For me, everyone who was over 13 was my parent. With Motown, I grew up with people that would not let me do certain things. Now I sneaked and did a few things, you know what I'm saying? But let's not talk about those! But for the most part, there were people who took a position and said, "No, you can't do that." Or if I thought I was so good doing something--playing a note or a piano solo--they'd say, "Hey, you so bad, now do this!" And I'd say, "Aw, sh-t!" You know? My mother gave me an understanding that..."as good as you think you are, you're not so great." There's always room for improvement.
LAUNCH:
What could you say to encourage young, aspiring musicians, especially in the highly competitive and bottom-line nature of the business?
STEVIE:
I think that there's nothing wrong with competitiveness. What is wrong is if you take it too serious. If you take it like, "If this person's record is bigger than mine, I don't like that person anymore," or "That person thinks he's a better rapper than me, then I don't like him," or "That group thinks they look better"--it's crazy because the reality is there is enough for ever-y-body. And when people get to a place where they really think that "this is so serious, it's so deep," they have to remember that, "listen, this stuff was here long before you were born, long before I was born, and it's gonna go on long after we're gone. So enjoy it, have fun with it." I mean, to me, like with Babyface--I really like his work, I really do, and he said he likes my work. And the truth is, I said, "Hey, I need to work on my stuff a little more, this guy's good!" But the point is, I felt those things with love and appreciation because, hey, it is an honor that I have been someone who has inspired other people. But they inspire me too. Lauryn Hill, incredible. Shania Twain, I mean, she's got a great voice and in her I can hear Karen Carpenter a little bit and different people.
LAUNCH:
You just have to love it.
STEVIE:
You gotta love it and appreciate it, you know? When I hear the different composers that have done orchestrations for films, I say, "This is incredible. I want to do that." There is so much in music to do. It's so big.
LAUNCH:
Which leads me to my next question--when are we going to hear a new album?
STEVIE:
I hope this year, I'm going to do one. I would like to do one by the next millennium.
LAUNCH:
Looking forward to it, thank you very much.
STEVIE:
Thank you. God bless you. You be safe.
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