Legend...

STEVIE WONDER – BRISBANE ENT CENTRE – 25/10/08

Listening to: A time 2 Love – Stevie Wonder


Stevie wonder born Stevland Hardaway Judkins, (later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris) born May, 1950 in Michigan is a LEGEND in his own lifetime.

Apparently, Stevie toured Australia and New Zealand in the 80’s. I can’t find out the exact year so if anyone can tell me, I’d actually like to know how I could’ve missed it. I’ve no idea since I’ve been into this guy since his first #1 hit Fingertips, aka Little Stevie Wonder at just 12 years old! I can only think that I was either between countries (i.e. in the process of relocating to OZ) or I was living in Wellington and he only toured Auckland or I was travelling through Asia, or I have no f**kin idea! But the good newz is – I got to see him now! Admittedly 45 years since he entered my life – but I got to see the man - the legend on his final leg of his Australian tour!

He performed a wonderful medley of some of the faves: Superstition, Living for the City, Higher Ground, My Cherie Amour, Master Blaster, and of course Isn’t she lovely, dedicated and written for his daughter Aisha Morris who accompanies him and performs on stage. She is absolutely beautiful with a voice to die for. To be watching her perform a gorgeous jazz ballad, now aged 33, made me realise just how long I’ve been on this planet as I remember the day she was born!

He performed for almost two hours of absolute toe tapping, hand clapping, cheering entertainment. Stevie’s opening line after the first song: ‘We’re only just getting started’ really set the tone. He interacted with the audience a lot! And even had us singing way too much at one point. The guyz had to sing lines that went something like: ‘a man’s gotta do, what a man’s gotta do’ while the gals had to sing something like: ‘no, no, not on my time, you must be out of your friggin mind’ while Stevie sang Part-time lover. When he gave the song over to us, he thought we were quite hilarious since we were hopeless :)

He has been described as Blind, Black and beyond Soul. He is still singing the message of love and hope and hasn’t become jaded by life, fame or the music industry or anything else. He expresses pure joy in living through his music – music that lights up the world for us and makes the joy in life easier to see. He truly is a person with remarkable vision. When he speaks about freedom, love, war, Obama, Martin Luther King, God – he doesn’t sound as though he’s preaching, he tells it how he sees it and he genuinely believes we can all be better people. We can save our planet. We can live better, laugh louder, and most of all, love so much more than we are.

I can’t begin to explain the impact Stevie had on my life as a teenager. A man and his lyrics encouraged me to be strong, to be a survivor, and grow to be a better person, no matter what your hardship.

I don't remember the defining song that hooked me, but I do remember the defining album. While there were many great albums since his beginning in 1963 - Songs in the Key of Life, would have to be the album that reached into my heart, grabbed me and told me to sit up and take notice. Stevie summed it up on his album sleeve: 'Songs in the Key of Life is only a conglomerate of thoughts in my subconscious that my Maker decided to give me the strength, the love + love - hate = love energy, making it possible for me to bring to my conscious an idea'.

It was during those years of growing up with his music that gave me hope, and love, and made me see things differently – taught me to find positivity through adversity. I was certainly overwhelmed with tears when he eventually came out on stage (there was no support band so we amused ourselves by doing the Mexican wave, over and over, and over) the crowd were great and the energy was electric.

Yes, it’s taken a mega amount of years before I was able to rejoice in the magick - the legend that is Stevie Wonder - but it was well worth the wait!!!

Each life has its own beat, moving through space at its own pace, standing still for no one, and yet you, as if not caring, though knowing how precious it was to you. Gave to me selflessly, life’s most priceless possession, your time. It is only my wish that you feel your time not to have been given in vain. For waiting is not what I meant for you, but to share with me the images of life that God has sent me through, and if this life affords me again the chance to share with you the new and hidden knowledge, through song, I will move as swiftly as life demands, but never so fast as not to give you my very best. Stevland Morris