Stevie Wonder was born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Michigan. He was raised in Detroit, where he developed his musical talents, signing with Motown Records at age 11. Wonder attended Fitzgerald Elementary School in Detroit. After his first album was released, The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie (1962), he enrolled in Michigan School for the Blind in Lansing, Michigan.
Detroit’s vibrant music scene and Motown’s influence shaped his early career, leading to his rise as a global icon. Wonder has often credited Michigan’s cultural and musical heritage for his development. He also founded WJZZ, a radio station in Detroit, in the 1970s, further tying him to the state.