Leave it to the internet to turn one of music’s most beloved legends into the subject of a conspiracy theory. For years, people have whispered, theorized, and flat-out speculated about whether Stevie Wonder is actually blind.
The rumors have persisted with an almost ridiculous tenacity. From internet trolls to stars like Shaquille O’Neal claiming Wonder recognized him in an elevator to comedian Anthony Anderson telling Stephen Colbert in 2016, “What y’all don’t know is, Stevie can see…It’s just an act,” the theories have left some people actually raising a brow at the singer.
Well, Wonder finally decided to address the elephant in the room during a recent stop in Cardiff, Wales, on his Love, Light & Song U.K. tour. And his response was as graceful and profound as you’d expect from the man who gave us “Superstition” and “Living for the City.”
“I must say to all of you, something that I was thinking, ‘When did I want to let the world know this?’ But I wanted to say it right now,” Wonder told the crowd. “You know, there have been rumors about me seeing and all that? But seriously, you know the truth.”
“Truth is, shortly after my birth, I became blind,” he continued. “Now, that was a blessing because it’s allowed me to see the world in the vision of truth, of sight. See people in the spirit of them, not how they look. Not what color they are, but what color is their spirit?”
Only Stevie Wonder could turn addressing conspiracy theorists into a masterclass on human connection and spiritual sight. The man who’s been creating music since he was 11 and scored his first Hot 100 chart-topper with “Fingertips” at just 13 has spent over six decades proving that vision comes in many forms.
Wonder lost his vision weeks after birth, but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming one of the most influential artists of all time. His 64-year career speaks for itself: 25 Grammy wins, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a catalog of songs that have soundtracked generations of communities around the world.
While Wonder hasn’t released a new studio album since 2005’s “A Time to Love,” he’s been reportedly working on his first full album in nearly 20 years, “Through the Eyes of Wonder,” since 2008, which he says will showcase his experience as a blind man.
