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40 YEARS OF WONDER
6th and 20th September
Presented by Peter White
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| The programmes will be available to hear again for seven days after transmission via the BBC Radio Player. |
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Forty years since his first Number One, Fingertips (Part 2), Stevie Wonder is revered as one of the towering figures of 20th century popular music. His voice has been imitated by countless others and his catalogue of songs and best-selling albums rivals Elvis and The Beatles.
Earlier this summer, Peter White visited him at his purpose-built studio in Los Angeles, Wonderland, to talk about his life in music. The result is to be one of the most revealing and enthralling interviews Stevie has ever given.
If you want to know what the fuss is about, browse through our feature on Stevie's Essential Albums.
Programme One
Stevie, sitting at his piano, looks back on his early days at Motown with the help of old friends such as Dionne Warwick and Smokey Robinson, his personal tutor Ted Hull and Esther Gordy Edwards, who now runs the Motown Museum in Detroit.
He reveals how his songwriting talent began to emerge under the influence of Motown producer Clarence Paul, and how he was influenced by artists such as The Beatles and Sly Stone. Throughout, he turns to the piano to illustrate his musical development. He also explains the desire for musical independence that overtook him as the Sixties progressed.
Programme Two
Stevie looks back on what many consider to be his 'golden period' - the early 70s albums in which he explored the new possibilities offered by synthesizers and on which he collaborated with Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil. Herbie Hancock and Dionne Warwick reflect on his commitment to the memory of Martin Luther King, while Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, rapper Coolio and jazz singer Diane Schuur discuss his musical legacy and bring the Wonder story up to date, culminating in his award at the Kennedy Center Honors at the end of the century.
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LINKS
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Official Site
Some bits still under construction but otherwise an exhaustive overview of Stevie's career, with some great photos.
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Top of the Pops Starsite
Featuring video clips of Stevie in action through the years.
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| The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
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