Little Stevie Wonder LIVE in Vancouver, Canada, August 22, 1963

[R. Mark Desjardins]

The Vancouver Sun has been reprinting fabulous stories and reviews in a series entitled "This Day In History," and today's feature is a recap of Little Stevie Wonder's appearance in this city at the Pacific National Exhibition Dance Party in the Garden Auditorium. He was 12 years old. Scroll down for a fun read presented by reporter John Mackie.


"Stephen Judkins is a 12-year old Negro boy from Detroit who lives in a world apart," wrote Jack Richards in The Sun. "His world is a world of sound and rhythm. He makes good marks in Grade VI arithmetic and want to be a ham radio operator. He plays the piano, organ, bongo drums and harmonica, but likes the harmonica best.

"And this is remarkable, because Stephen was born blind and at this tender age is making more money a year than an average man can make in a life time. Under the name of Stevie Wonder, he is one of the top recording stars in the popular music field. He has four hit records and three albums on the market, with another album ready for release."

Richards was being a little over the top about Wonder's popularity at the time - he had only one big hit, Fingertips Part 1&2. But it had gone to No 1, prompting Motown Records to release a live album, The 12 Year Old Genius, Recorded Live.

The Sun dispatched a photograph to Richard's interview. The prints from the session are long gone, but three negatives were recently discovered in The Sun files. Wonder seems impossibly young and small - his white cardigan sweater seems way too big for his slender frame. Wearing the familiar dark shades he sported in his early days, he flashes a thousand-watt smile.

Richards found the interview with Wonder a bit "strange," because Wonder blended "the bop talk of the professional entertainer and the happy naivete of a child."

"Stevie is constantly in motion," Richards wrote. "He taps out rhythms with his fingertips. Often in conversation he seems to go off into his special world and listen to sounds which escapes the rest of us. He often breaks into little snatches of hummed melody, ending sometimes in a delighted chuckle."

Wonder had strong opinions about where music was headed [["rock 'n' roll is dead man") and the place where he most wanted to visit , Israel.

"I'd like to see all those things, those places," Wonder said. "You know, the Holy Land."

Richards ended the story noting that "his type of music may be strange and upsetting to a lot of people who do not care for the popular trends in songs. But to this one blind child, it is a thing of beauty. It has given him a chance for fame and he would never had.

[motony]

thanks for posting, I really enjoyed reading this. It was amazing how fast "Fingertips Pt. 2" became such a huge smash hit record.Then when Stevie appeared in the 2nd Beach Party Frankie & Annette movie, I think it was called Bikini Beach , you would have thought he was LIVE at the theater I saw it at in S. Florida everyone was screamin & clappin along.

[marv2]

This is the kind of material that makes this forum worth dealing with all the other garbage. Thanks Mark!!!

[motony]

you can tell its definetly pre-Beatles "rock N roll is dead, man"LOL!

[thomas96]

This is the kind of material that makes this forum worth dealing with all the other garbage. Thanks Mark!!!

Agree 100%.

Thanks as well Mark!

[R. Mark Desjardins]

Thanks for the encouraging comments. This makes me really want to look up the three part article written by music writer, Sandy Gardiner of The Ottawa Journal, circa 1965. He travelled to Detroit and as I recall, had quality interview time with Diana and Mary [[Florence's sister was expecting a baby that day and wasn't in attendance), Berry Gordy and Holland-Dozier-Holland.

Sandy was a brilliant music critic back in the day, and I remember his quote endorsing The Beatles, graced the front cover of their first album released in Canada. Maybe someone on this site has a copy of that. Of course to find this series of articles, I will have to dig through microfilm in Ottawa, and hopefully that will be in the not too distant future.


I just goggled Sandy Gardiner's name and was very surprised to see that he may well be the first person to coin the expression, "Beatleamania." Here is the link. This deserves another post on a more appropriate thread on this site!

http://beatles.ncf.ca/sandyg.html

[midnight johnny]

Mark....what a wonderful archival thing to share with us. And on the 50th anniversary too!
A major thank you!!!!
John