Stevland Hardaway Morris, known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an African-American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. As a child, he was a singing sensation. Stevie is one of the most gifted and beloved musical artists of the late 20th century. Wonder signed with Motown Records under the Tamla label at the age of eleven in 2009. He is one of the youngest singers to sign a major record deal. In 2008, Billboard magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, intended to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the US singles chart, featured Stevie Wonder at number five. Stevie Wonder was born in Saginaw, Michigan on May 13, 1950, the third of six children to his father Calvin Judkins and his mother Lula Mae Hardaway. He was born six weeks premature. His premature birth resulted in retinopathy of prematurity, a medical condition in which eye growth is arrested and causes the retinas to detach; then he became blind. When Stevie Wonder was four years old, his mother left his father due to family conflicts and moved to Detroit, Michigan with her six children. She later changed her name to Lula Hardaway and, shortly after, changed her son's last name to Morris, mainly because of relatives. Wonder started playing instruments at a young age, he played piano, harmonica, drums and bass. He formed a partnership with a friend, their names were Stevie and John, they played on street corners and sometimes at parties and dances. In 1961, when he was 11 years old, Wonder sang his own song called "Lonely Boy." under the care of producer and songwriter Clarence Paul. They worked together on two albums in two years. Tribute to Uncle Ray was his first recorded song. When Stevie was still 11, he mainly sang......middle of paper......this is talent and therefore a strength in his ongoing negotiations with Gordy over creative autonomy.During this period , Wonder independently recorded two albums and signed a contract with Motown Records. The 120 pages gave Wonder a much higher royalty rate. In conclusion, Stevie has overcome a lot in his life to become the great singer he is today. He overcame his blindness. His disability did not stop him from realizing his dream. He even learned to play an instrument despite his disability. He played instruments such as harmonica, piano, synthesizer, congas, drums, bass guitar, bongos, organ, melodica and clavinet. Wonder has dedicated his life to music and that's what makes him so talented, even from a young age. His first album was released when he was only twelve years old. He was and still is one of the best African-American jazz and soul singers..