Stevie Wonder, and a lesson in being a decent human.
June 28th, 2009As most people know, I’m a huge lover of music - Jazz, R&B Soul, Rock, World Music…I love just about all of it. As I’m writing this blog, I’m still completely amped up, as it’s been only a couple hours since I’ve had the incredible pleasure of seeing one of the most remarkable, passionate performances I’ve seen in the last 5, 10 years - Stevie Wonder, accompanied by opening act John Legend. (It’s Day 4 of Milwaukee’s Summerfest, an 11-day event that is the world’s largest music festival.)
What made the show remarkable, and unforgettable was the theme of the entire night - a tribute to Stevie’s longtime friend, Michael Jackson. Now, we’ve all probably gotten (and forwarded) an email or text this week, rehashing, or developing a new joke on Jackson’s behalf. (Heck, I thought I wrote an original one, and when I tested it out, one of my friends showed me a text message proving that someone else was just as offensive as me.)
Personally, in the wake of Michael Jackson’s death, I was extra motivated to see Wonder do his thing at least one more time. I always regretted not seeing “the great ones” Sinatra, Elvis, and others because I was either too young, or didn’t have disposable income. With Jackson, I’m particularly mad at myself for not seeing him, as the opportunities were there. Say whatever you want about Michael, he was one of if not the, most brilliant performer of all modern time. So, when I got a call from one of my oldest friends to see Wonder, knowing he would likely tribute Jackson, I jumped at her extra ticket.
The night started out with opening act Legend proving he had the chops to share the stage with a true “legend” as Stevie Wonder arguably is one of the most prolific, and ground paving artists to ever make their way to Motown. While the crowd was truly appreciative of John’s brilliant performance, it was still obvious that everyone was there to see Stevie.
Stevie was escorted on stage by his daughter, and before his most talented fingers made contact with keys or his beloved harmonica, he had a couple things he needed to get off his chest. (When you’re Stevie Wonder, you get to do those kind of things.)
He began to describe Jackson in one of the most loving ways a person could ever describe a friend…as only a close friend or family member could. He then took a few minutes to defend Jackson against all of the claims that brought Michael in a negative light, and reminding us of all of the positive ways he contributed to the world through music, his performances, and his contributions to global causes. What moved me most about the introduction, was the way this man delivered it - with complete, unapologetic conviction.
For someone who’s visually blind, Wonder’s been seeing things that many of us haven’t.
As the night progressed, in addition to Wonder’s amazing performance, and the frequent invitation to Legend to join him on stage for a duet, Wonder did something I’ve not seen before. Every so often, he’d break from the performance, and have the production crew play a snippet, of one of Michael’s recordings…as if we were all at a party, and he wanted us to listen to one of his favorite records. The crowd embraced it, and got off their feet more than once to share in showing respect to the King of Pop. In one instance, Stevie was so overcome with sorrow, and emotion - REAL grief - that he nearly collapsed right on stage…sobbing deeply with his hands covering his mouth. And while I was merely one of the thousands of people who were in Marcus Amphitheater tonight, I felt his pain, and related it to the sorrow I’ve suffered in losing two of the closest people in my life last year. As Wonder’s daughter (who tours with him as a backup singer) walked over to comfort her dad, the reality of what Jackson meant to Wonder was apparent.
So what does this posting have to do about sales? Probably nothing. I think it does have a lot to do about life, though. I got two life lessons/Reality checks from this evening.
Reality #1 - A lot of people profited from exploiting Michael Jackson - newspapers, websites, magazines, tabloid television, and even credible news sources. And still, a man as loved and revered as Wonder, who had nothing to gain tonight (he had been booked for months), defended him, and paid public tribute to him. What’s more credible, and more honorable? It’s really easy to kick someone when they’re down, or when they’re gone, especially when you never really knew them. What harm could possibly come from just showing people respect, though?
Reality #2 - As you reach the twilight hours of your existence, will you have contributed to others in such a manner to evoke this kind of love and respect from the people around you? If you’re reading this, there’s still time to start, but do it soon. As the show was ending, Wonder asked the crowd to find room in their heart to love someone…and if there’s still room to do so, love everyone. It might not be possible, but it’s certainly not the worst goal to strive for.
I hope that each and every one of you reading my blog develops the friendships, and mutual respect from your peers, that was displayed tonight. The first step in doing so, is by demonstrating it yourself.


Cory -