Stevie Wonder's Quotes & Sayings

Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love. — Stevie Wonder

I can't say that I'm always writing in my head but I do spend a lot of time in my head writing or coming up with ideas. And what I do usually is write the music and melody and then, you know, maybe the basic idea. But when I feel that I don't have a song or just say, God, please give me another song. And I just am quiet and it happens. — Stevie Wonder

My mother told me, if you call yourself 'Little' Stevie Wonder, you'd better be as good as Little Willie John. — Stevie Wonder

I mostly listen to very popular songs. But I'm a huge fan of Stevie Wonder, and I love jazz - Glenn Fredly, Diah Lestari - so 80% jazz, 20% mixed with everything - disco, hip hop. — Joe Taslim

A couple of months ago I hauled my white ass on stage alongside Chaka Khan and Stevie Wonder for Divas Las Vegas, singing in front of a celebrity audience. If I can hold my own there, I can hold my own at Top of the Pops, trust me. — Lisa Marie Presley

I knew about AIDS. My friends were dying right, left, and center. I did a record with Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, and Gladys Knight. I did a couple of benefits. — Elton John

There's no place in the world you can go and not hear rock-and-roll, from Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder to Phil Collins. — Ahmet Ertegun

Who's driving this car, Stevie Wonder? — Bruce Willis

In all honesty, I'm not really familiar with Stevie Wonder's music, since country is more of my style. I really have no idea what I am doing. — Kellie Pickler

I love Aretha [Franklin] and I've loved her all my life. I think she's an incredible songstress, obviously. She consistently has had this incredible voice. I remember when she was singing gospel in her father's church. — Stevie Wonder

When you feel your life's too hard, just go have a talk with God. Well, he's the only free psychiatrist that's known throughout the world. — Stevie Wonder

Unfortunately, we have warring in the world, so the youngest minds, the brilliant minds, are sent off to war. I think that, you know, you have brilliant people with great possibilities and that's why I really am not really for war. I really am not. — Stevie Wonder

I am in love with old school funk and soul music. That's what I grew up listening to, and I want to bring that style back with my music. I love artists like Stevie Wonder, Donna Summer, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, and more! — Raini Rodriguez

For as long as there's life, for as long as we have things happening in the world, for as long as people haven't been able to work it, for as long as people are not trying to work it out, for as long as there's crime, destruction, hate, bigotry, for as long as there is a spirit that does not have love in it, I will always have something to say. — Stevie Wonder

You knew the difference between Barbra Streisand and Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles, straight away. Now everyone sounds like each other, and I don't think that's right. — Bobby Womack

I never imagined I'd meet Berry Gordy who told me when he first heard me sing, "You know, your singing's okay, but I like your harmonica playing better." — Stevie Wonder

Different artists are talking about the laws that exist and how they need to be fixed so that compensation does happen to a far fairer level. And I agree with that. — Stevie Wonder

You always draw from your roots. I'm influenced by everything I hear and see, and that includes music today, but obviously I go back to my early influences: Stevie Wonder, Parliament, Earth, Wind & Fire, Ohio Players, Average White Band. Those kind of artists are what I look to. When I hear that stuff on the radio, I turn it up! — Donny Osmond

I'm a work in progress, but if I know in my heart that I'm doing my best, that my heart's in the right place, that I have unconditional love, I feel okay. — Stevie Wonder

When I was a child, kids used to make fun of me because I was blind. But I just became more curious, 'How can I climb this tree and get an apple for this girl?' That's what mattered to me. — Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder used to come the ball games and they would have a guy sitting with him. And the guy would be holding on to his arm, telling him what's going on, and he would say, "Hey, the big chocolate guy just put down a thunder dunk. The chocolate guy with another monster dunk." And Stevie Wonder actually gave me the nickname Chocolate Thunder. — Darryl Dawkins

I figure that if there's a heaven, then there's a room in heaven where you can look over all of history and be anyone you want to be, at a peak moment in their lives. For example, I always say I would choose to be one of Stevie Wonder's backup singers on the "Innervisions" album. — Cintra Wilson

Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross and the Jackson 5, that's what I grew up on. — Madonna Ciccone

She's not impressed by your fancy car.
She got a body so she's snotty and she don't care who you are.
So don't get mad and dis her reputation
Callin' her a floozy, any conversation.
Mad grammar, backstabber, girls they wanna be her.
But like Stevie Wonder, none of y'all can see her! — Positive K

I was the first artist, I think, to ever do an all-keyboard album. There were things that resembled it, like Stevie Wonder. A lot of his stuff was on keyboards, but he used brass and he used other things as well. I was the first artist, also, to use drum machines. I was really the one who kind of started that whole thing. — Gary Wright

He knows I rip him off every day. He's the godfather for me. Nobody can say they aren't influenced by what Stevie Wonder has done. — Brian McKnight

I was a huge Beatles fan. The Stones, Dylan. Later on, I got into Stevie Wonder, and Bill Withers - he's one of my heroes. Al Green, too. — Adam Levine

My mother gave me an understanding that as good as you think you are, you're not so great. There's always room for improvement. The reality is when people don't have someone to give them a sense of guidance, and say, "Hey, man, that's not happening," it's really hard. — Stevie Wonder

We know the things that are not good and are right. Those things that we know are wrong, we've got to fix them. — Stevie Wonder

I like Stevie Wonder as my favorite non-pianist pianist. I mean, I shouldn't call him a non-pianist, because he's really a great pianist, but he doesn't feature it that much - he uses his keyboards and his piano technique to support his great songs and so forth, but he can really blow. — Chick Corea

Gods induction, life's construction, these instruct will save every living thing. Can't you see that life's connected? — Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder doing [carpool karaoke] it was a massive turning point because he's Stevie Wonder. Like, there's no one else in the world who can go, I don't really want to do it. And you go oh, so it's good enough for Stevie Wonder but it's not good enough for you? — James Corden

Meeting Stevie Wonder was a massive, lifetime achievement for me. He's one of the sweetest people. I sense a kindred spirit in him, and I hope he'd say the same. Actually, he did. — Hunter Hayes

There's a lot of people I'd like to write with, like Keith Urban or even as far out as Stevie Wonder. — Hunter Hayes

There's only one true king of rock 'n' roll. His name is Chuck Berry. — Stevie Wonder

I really do seek to create music that is timeless, ... Each project takes on its own life, and the songs from "A Time To Love" are the most appropriate for the statement I wanted to make ... The most important thing is, when I do give the music, I'm satisfied with it, that it speaks for what I want to do ... It is a different kind of lyric; it's very picturesque. I can see everything that I'm writing, I can visualize all those things happening. — Stevie Wonder

I listen to older music a lot more than new singers. I listen to whatever's on the radio, but when I want to listen to something that moves me I put on a Stevie Wonder record. — Mariah Carey

People have always wondered what my opinion on Stevie Wonder is. I say if he's so great how come he can't see? I mean, God doesn't make mistakes, just look at me for example. — Zach Braff

Stevie Wonder is just one of those guys that completely delivers everything that you want to be true about Stevie Wonder. He's an amazing human being, and the fairytale exists with that man. — Adam Levine

My love lives outside my window
Clouds burst to give water
So her love can grow
My love smiles to me each morning
Says she'll never leave me
And I know it's so — Stevie Wonder

You know, I always when people ask me, like, what is my most favorite song, I quote Duke Ellington, when they would ask him, what's his favorite composition? And I say, I haven't written it yet. Because, you know, there are different songs for different occasions. — Stevie Wonder

What's important is that people realize that I can't be put into a box musically. I've studied all forms of music; I know probably more Jay-Z songs than the biggest Jay-Z fan. I've studied R. Kelly to the Isley Brothers to Stevie Wonder to Sting and Sade. You don't have one personality every day. You don't have one mood. — Trey Songz

Stevie Wonder's records introduced me to '70s soul when I was 12 or 13. — Alicia Keys

I am grateful I got the chance to meet Stevie Wonder! He's like royalty to me and is one of my biggest inspirations. — Hunter Hayes

Probably my favorite artists to listen to James Taylor, Stevie Wonder - I haven't gone back in a really long time and really listened to them - my first guitar influences. It's been awhile since I revisited that. — Jonny Lang

I have been known to play a few rounds in my time. I'm not obsessive; I don't play in the dark, but even that's not out of the question because Stevie Wonder is also a golfer. — Jasper Carrott

When I think of musical geniuses, I think of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and Prince. That's who comes to mind. — R. Kelly

I used to say that if something happened to my mother, I wanted to die with her. That's because I loved her so much. I want to live so I can carry out the essence of what she has shown me: kindness and goodness. — Stevie Wonder

You are the sunshine of my life That's why I'll always be around, You are the apple of my eye, Forever you'll stay in my heart — Stevie Wonder

The right to bear arms? What about the right to live? — Stevie Wonder

It's up to to you to perfect that gift that you've been given. Put your spirit into that song. Focus on the words that you are singing. Get into the experience that you are singing about and sing your heart out. — Stevie Wonder

If this were a courageous country,
it would ask Gloria to lead it
since she is sane and funny and beautiful and smart
and the National Leaders we've always had
are not.
When I listen to her talk about women's rights
children's rights
men's rights
I think of the long line of Americans
who should have been president, but weren't.
Imagine Crazy Horse as president. Sojourner Truth.
John Brown. Harriet Tubman. Black Elk or Geronimo.
Imagine President Martin Luther King confronting
the youthful "Oppie" Oppenheimer. Imagine President
Malcolm X going after the Klan. Imagine President Stevie
Wonder dealing with the "Truly Needy."
Imagine President Shirley Chisholm, Ron Dellums, or
Sweet Honey in the Rock
dealing with Anything.
It is imagining to make us weep with frustration,
as we languish under real estate dealers, killers,
and bad actors. — Alice Walker

With a voice like Ella ringing out there's no way a band can lose. — Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder's 'Songs in the Key of Life' was on constant shuffle throughout my childhood. I remember my dad playing some stellar Max Roach albums as well. — Daniel Breaker

Hold onto your dreams 'cause they're always worth havin'. Hold on to your dreams til the day your life is said and done. — Stevie Wonder

Some people have a desire to be with the same sex. But that's them. — Stevie Wonder

Brother says he's telling about you playing Doctor with that girl. — Stevie Wonder

It's my new single - please buy it so we can get Christmas gifts for the kids this year. — Stevie Wonder

Among all the wonderful things we have, we don't seem to have a time to love. And to me that's the fuel, that's the fuel we need to make the engine go. — Stevie Wonder

It could have been worse. I could have been born black. — Stevie Wonder

Love's in need of love today ... don't delay ... send yours in right away — Stevie Wonder

I remember the beginnings of the Kurzweil reading machine. I was one of the first to meet Ray Kurzweil and purchase the reading machine in Boston. To think that the machine was at least two and a half large suitcases at the time, and now you have a camera and it takes a picture and you have sound. — Stevie Wonder

I grew in the inner city, listening to Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, James Brown, The Commodores - lots of soul music. — Stefon Harris

Nobody put the camera on the background singers who were singing. It was on Stevie Wonder. It was on Elton John. It was on whoever was the lead singer out front. We were 20 feet from stardom. — Darlene Love

When I wrote the words and I have the music, I felt, wow, you know, this has got to be right. I got to sing it right. — Stevie Wonder

The exciting thing about a songwriter is that, you know, particularly if you're a songwriter and an artist and you play the parts and you're producing it and all that, you have various times you have to critique what you do. — Stevie Wonder

I wrote poetry, which got me into lyrics. Stevie Wonder, Carole King, Elton John pulled me into pop. I started singing with a band - just for fun - when I was 17. And pretty soon, I was thinking I could sing pop in English as well as Spanish. — Gloria Estefan

'Master Blaster,' by Stevie Wonder, is up-tempo and fun, like Stevie himself. Stevie's always making jokes; he really knows how to put people at ease. He's one of my inspirations, as a musician and a person. — Ziggy Marley

Let us come together before we're annihilated. — Stevie Wonder

All I ever wanted to do was music, and all I've ever asked, as I've gotten to know and discover the world more, is that God would use me in any way to encourage and inspire love and inspire people to bring and give love to each other. — Stevie Wonder

Sometimes we listen to too many commentators about things that don't affect their lives because they're in a different tax bracket. Or to the so-called clergymen giving their interpretation of God's word, and yet they're not rolling the same way in their own lives. — Stevie Wonder

As I've gotten old I've really listened to a wide spectrum of music, whether it's The Carpenters, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z or Lauryn Hill. I've kinda' run the gamut, and in listening to so many different styles, you come to take bits and pieces from all of it. — Brooklyn Sudano

I'm concerned about how accessible guns are. — Stevie Wonder

Why has there never been a holiday where peace is celebrated all throughout the world? — Stevie Wonder

Change your words into truths and then change that truth into LOVE ... — Stevie Wonder

Ray Charles, who said to Stevie Wonder, Maybe we're white. Never got a dinner! — Red Buttons

My thing was always trying to do as much as I possibly could do. I wanted to do all the things the other kids did in the neighborhood. — Stevie Wonder

There's a Place in the Sun, where there's hope for everyone. — Stevie Wonder

When I was a kid, I remember trying to emulate Stevie Wonder's sound, and Donny Hathaway's sound. It's just part of who I am - I'm just a soulful kind of dude. — Elliott Yamin

No one has been a greater advocate for the power of love in this world than I; both in my life and in my music. — Stevie Wonder

My inspirations include the Beatles - love, love, love them - Elton John, Carole King, and Stevie Wonder. — Gloria Estefan

Do you know, it's funny, but I never thought of being blind as a disadvantage, and I never thought of being black as a disadvantage. — Stevie Wonder

For me, the highlight was meeting all the Motown acts, as I adore black soul music. I met Stevie Wonder who I love, and Diana Ross And The Supremes. I also met The Carpenters. I was actually there in the studio when they recorded We've Only Just Begun. — Tony Blackburn

In my eyes, there's no one better than Stevie Wonder. He's a top dude. — Ed Sheeran

I might do something in Arabic. I might do something in Hebrew. — Stevie Wonder

You can't base your life on other people's expectations. — Stevie Wonder

Sometimes I'm very disappointed at some of the people in our family of communicators, whether it be a songwriter or a rapper that's always talking about negativity or a singer or a columnist or a network that basically gets off on just trying to create the negative. — Stevie Wonder

Smoking cigarettes and writing something nasty on the wall, teacher sends you to the Principal's office down the hall. — Stevie Wonder

I always loved LeAnn Rimes and especially Clint Black for his soulfulness. As I've gotten older, my influences have broadened - John Mayer, Michael Buble, Stevie Wonder, Keith Urban, Stevie Ray Vaughn, the Beatles - all of these artists have somehow been a part of my development as a songwriter. — Hunter Hayes

I've had some incredibly triumphal things happen in my life. — Stevie Wonder

You've got to remember that 25 is a great time because, you know, you're passed that 21 thing and it's a high point, a high peak, in life where you're old enough to say what you have discovered, but you're still open to discovering more. — Stevie Wonder

I love Radiohead, which most people don't expect, and I listen to everything from Stevie Wonder to Steely Dan, Carole King, The Beach Boys, The Kinks, Beyonce Knowles, Vampire Weekend, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Burt Bacharach, and Paul Simon. — Eliza Doolittle

My father really was not the dominant person who raised the family, it was my mother who raised the family. — Stevie Wonder

Many years ago, but not so long ago, there were those who said, 'Well, you have three strikes against you: You're black, you're blind and you're poor,' But God said to me, 'I will make you rich in the spirit of inspiration, to inspire others as well as create music to encourage the world to a place of oneness and hope, and positivity.' I believed Him and not them. — Stevie Wonder

Hate knows that love is the cure. — Stevie Wonder

There are people who have let the problems of today lead them to conclude that for them life is not the way. — Stevie Wonder

I've always asked to be able to speak and write about injustice and to do it in a way that would encourage people to make things better for everyone. — Stevie Wonder

It feels better to love than to hate. — Stevie Wonder

God gave me life to continue to do things that I would never have done. — Stevie Wonder

If you think of every single continent there is, on every continent, there is something, a natural resource that every continent has, or sources, that they can really survive with that, or they can trade with that. But a lot of the developed nations have taken those things from those places and have claimed it and, therefore, they're dependent on those other nations. — Stevie Wonder