"And your father does what exactly?"

Born blind on May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Michigan, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and crusader for justice, civil rights and causes too numerous to place here (for fear of adverse comments regarding length) Stevie Wonder made his professional recording debut at age 12.

(You were expecting Ray Charles, weren't you) it's okay if you go get a pot of PG Tips I'll wait . . . )

Okay then, ready, or not, here goes . . .

Blind as a result of receiving too much oxygen in the incubator as a premature baby, Stevie showed an early gift for music, first singing with the church choir in Detroit, Michigan, where his family had moved when he was 4 years old. At a very early age Stevie displayed an innate musical talent on a bevy of instruments, including the harmonica, the piano and drums, all of which, by the way, he taught himself to play before reaching the age of 10.

Clever little bugger, wasn't he! Bet his mother considered him a pain in the as-pect!

Moving - slowly - on, Stevie was "discovered" by Ronnie White of the Motown band the Miracles when he was just 11 years old. An audition was arranged with Motown head honcho and founder Berry Gordy Jr., who - nobody ever called "fool" -

(well later they did, amongst other unprintable names, but that's a story/tale for another day)

Anyway, Mr. Gordy didn't hesitate, after hearing the precocious tyke, to sign the youngster to a record deal, then and there. Not long afterwards, In 1962, newly renamed as "Little" Stevie Wonder, Stevie released his debut album: Little Stevie Wonder the 12 Year Old Genius.

- Okay then, listen, it should be noted here, for clarity and such, that the aforementioned record deal was a 'sweet' one for Mr. Gordy, such was his wont, it was not so good for "poor" Stevie, but again, I digress -

Where was I? Oh yeah, Stevie's debut album included the hit "Fingertips," and was like an immediate hit. The young fella was indeed on his way to the big-time. Becoming the second hardest working man in show business (James Brown in case you're wondering) Stevie over the ensuing years, pushed himself to improve his musicianship and songwriting capabilities, as well as taking time to study classical piano.

Dropping the - childish - "Little" from his stage name in 1964, Stevie again hit it big with the single "Uptight (Everything's Alright)." - man my older sister Carol LOVED the hell out of this song!!! - (ridiculously so in my childish opinion)

Due in part to his (previously noted) innate talent, as well as a deep commitment to his craft, Stevie at times faced the difficulty of staying relevant as he transitioned from boy to man. In 1971 Stevie, who had begun writing his own music, negotiated a new contract with Motown that gave him almost total control over his records and greatly increased his royalty rate. This was an unprecedented concession by Mr. "Greedy", I mean, Gordy, but, artistically, it was just what Stevie needed.

(Hello, that you Marvin Gaye?)

As the decade of the 70's unfolded, Stevie went through an unrivaled period of production. Over the course of four outstanding albums, Talking Book (1972), Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974) and Songs in the Key of Life (1976), Stevie really was a "Wonder" creating some of the most indelible songs in popular music history. In this one decade alone, Stevie captured 15 Grammy Awards.

- personal note (and why we're talking about Stevie at this moment) I met and enjoyed traveling with Stevie during this time - 1976 - and served once (awfully it must be said) as his "bodyguard" but I'm definitely in digression mode now -

Back to our story, so judging by the 70's high-as-a-kite standards, the 80's weren't nearly as successful. Still, Stevie proved to be a huge and powerfully influential musical force, with a number of hits including "I Just Called to Say I Love You" (or as I call it - sorry folks - "gag me with a spoon")

So yeah, like proving why nobody ever called me a musical expert, the song became Motown's biggest international hit of all time. Winning for Stevie, an Academy Award. - "Who knew" -

In 1982, Stevie teamed up with Paul McCartney (this guy again?) for the No. 1 single "Ebony and Ivory." The 80's also saw Stevie successfully spearhead a movement to create a national holiday in America, recognising Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.

Over the course of his long career, Stevie has been honored with numerous awards. In 1989, Stevie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he has 25 Grammys, including the Lifetime Achievement Award he received in 1996. And in 2009, he was recognized with the Second Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

By the way, Stevie who has been married twice, has seven children.

And so ends today's "sermon" you can thank Darryl-Elizabeth's wedding biographer for the "snore-fest" it became! Speaking of which, Sinatra stays, the Tango goes, replaced by a "traditional" slow dance - really??? -