A Celebration of Motown at the White House

Smokey Robinson, Sheryl Crow, Jamie Foxx, Ledisi, John Legend, Seal and other musicians performed at the White House last night for a special evening titled "The Motown Sound: In Performance at the White House". The event was given in celebration of Black History Month and the legacy of Motown, the distinctive soul-infused pop music sound, style and presentation that was born in Detroit and embodied by the Motown Records label. 

John Legend performed Stevie Wonder's "Love's in Need of Love". During his set, he shared some of his Motown childhood memories, and how his father and uncle inspired his love for music.

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Smokey Robinson took the stage with Sheryl Crow for a duet on his hit, "You Really Got a Hold on Me,' and then Stevie Wonder followed with his classic, "You Are the Sunshine of My Life."

Stevie Wonder also thanked Motown's very own Berry Gordy: "Berry, thank you for this incredible Motown ride". 

"The Motown Sound: In Performance at the White House" will air on PBS Tuesday, March 1st. Check for local listings here.

Watch the full episode. See more In Performance at The White House.

Stevie Wonder - To Be Inducted into Apollo Theater Hall of Fame

Stevie Wonder performed for the first time at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in 1962, when he was only 12 years old. It was announced today that this incredibly talented singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer will be inducted into the Apollo Theater Hall of Fame on June 13th during the Apollo’s annual spring gala.

Since Stevie first performed at the Apollo Theater, he returned many times to perform at the place where he started. In the 1980s, he took part of the "Save the Apollo" concert, and in 2005 he performed several solo shows.

Other artists who have been inducted in the Apollo Theater Hall of Fame include Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Smokey Robinson, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Congratulations to Stevie Wonder, an artist like no other, who doesn't seize to amaze the world with his musical talent! 

Here's one of my favorite Stevie Wonder songs "Higher Ground", what's yours?

Stevie Wonder Kicks Off European Tour - Prince and Sheila E. Join Him!

Stevie Wonder started his European tour in Paris at the Palais omnisports by celebrating his 50 year long career in the music industry!

This music genius released his first album "The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie" when he was only 11 years old and since then has continued to impress people worldwide.

Accompanied with his orchestra, he managed the voe the crowed to popular songs such as "My Cherie Amour", "Free", "You are the sunshine of my life", and there also was another special surprise... Prince and Sheila E. accompanied Stevie Wonder while he was singing "Superstition". What a great way to start off his European tour and celebrating his 50 year anniversary of music! Congrats Stevie, you're awesome!

BET 2010 Honors – Whitney Houston, Sean Diddy Combs, Queen Latifah

 
BET celebrated Whitney Houston, Sean Diddy Combs, and Queen Latifah last night at the 3rd annual BET Honors.

Jennifer Hudson sang “I will Always Love You”, and had Whitney Houston standing full of admiration while she was singing.

Mary J. Blige sang a medley of “Love No Limit”, “I Love You”, and “Be Happy” for Diddy in appreciation for having helped launch her career.

Jazmine Sullivan performed “Unforgettable” and “Rock Steady” for Queen Latifah.

Stevie Wonder and Trey Songz surprisingly sang “I Invented Sex” together. They also sang a tribute to the late Teddy Pendergrass with India.Arie.

Soul singer Maxwell finished the show by singing two songs from his  Grammy nominated album BLACKsummers’night: “Fistful of Tears” and “Bad Habits”.

The show will air on February 1st on BET.

Mandela Day Line Up

Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Queen Latifah have all signed up for the 'Mandela Day'.

According to organizers, each artist will participate in a July 18 concert to raise awareness and funds with the intention of creating an official Mandela Day to be held annually on his birthday, July 18.

Tickets for the event, taking place at Radio City Music Hall, are currently on sale through Ticketmaster, Live Nation and thegarden.com.

Other artists and actors lined up for this event include Will.I.Am, Wyclef Jean, Dave Stewart, Lil Kim, Jesse McCartney, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Gaynor, Emmanuael Jal, Suzanna Owiyo, Whoppi Goldberg, Forest Whitaker, and Morgan Freeman.

Read more about Mandela Day here.

Stevie Wonder on Ellen Today!

Motown icon and multiple Grammy winner Stevie Wonder will be making a very special appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show tomorrow! In addition to an interview, Stevie will be performing two of his greatest hits... live! Set your alarms or program your TiVos right now because this is an event that can not be missed!!! Check your local television listings for times and channels.

Watch a preview of the show here!

Stevie Wonder Updates!

Stevie Wonder is currently on tour and working on three recording projects!

Stevie told reporters on a teleconference that he's continuing work on The Gospel Inspired by Lula, which he started following the death of his mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, in May 2006.

"Some of it is going to be traditional gospel but some of it is going to be ... I'm trying to do some [different] stuff," Wonder explained. "I might do something in Arabic. I might do something in Hebrew. My whole thing of the title is just saying 'Spreading the good word, the message' I've written a few things on the road and ... I've had songs throughout the years that I never recorded and so a combination of those songs and some traditional things will make up for the project. And I'm excited about it."

The Gospel should come out on January 11th to commemorate what would have been his mother's 77th birthday, but conceded "if it's not good enough, I might not put it out. You know how we roll."

His second project is called "Through the Eyes of Wonder", which will be a performance piece that will reflect his experience as a blind man. "What I want to do with our live performances is to create visuals that [give] my take on how I see the world and how most various things affected me," he explained.

Lastly, Stevie will possibly work with Tony Bennett for a set of Marvin Gaye covers (produced by Quincy Jones), however nothing has been confirmed yet.

Lots of exciting news coming from Stevie Wonder, can't wait to hear more!

Stevie Wonder Coming to London's O2!

Music fans get ready to party as Stevie Wonder tickets are now available for the soul star’s gig at the O2 Arena in September. Anyone who’s into music can’t help but love Stevie Wonder and by picking up your very own Stevie Wonder tickets and heading down to the O2 Arena, you’ll be able to see a living legend live in London.

Since he burst onto the scene in the early 60s, Stevie Wonder has taken the music world by storm, winning 25 Grammy Awards, being inducted into the Rock and Roll and the Songwriters Halls of Fame and of course selling millions of hit records. It’s not often he plays in London either, so pick up your Stevie Wonder tickets and see just what a star he is.

Stevie Wonder tickets will enable you to see the soul legend live at the impressive O2 Arena, wowing the audience with famous hits such as Superstition, My Cherie Armour, Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours and You Are The Sunshine of My Life. Now one of the best music venues in the world, the O2 Arena is the perfect place to see Stevie Wonder up on stage, live in London".

Stevie Wonder will be performing at the O2 on September 11th and 12th.

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

Stevie Wonder - European Tour Announced!

Stevie Wonder will tour Europe for the first time in more than a decade!

The Motown icon will start on September 8 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England. The tour is due to end on September 28 at Bercy in Paris, with stops in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy on the way.

"I am looking forward to performing in these venues in Europe," Wonder, said in a statement. "We are going to have some wonderful nights of intimate excitement."

The dates are:

Birmingham NIA (September 8)

Manchester MEN (9)

London O2 Arena (11)

Rotterdam Ahoy (14)

Aalborg Gigantium (17)

Stockholm Globe (19)

Hamar Vikingskipet (20)

Cologne Arena (22)

Mannheim Sap Arena (23)

Munich Olympiahalle (25)

Milan Datchforum (26)

Paris Bercy (28)

Click here to check the availability of Stevie Wonder tickets.

Stevie Wonder On Tour!

Stevie Wonder will tour again this summer with over twelve new dates announced in North America. He will play four dates on the east coast next month kicking off June 18th in Wantagh, NY after which he will head west for the remaining dates including a stop at Vancouver’s General Motors Place.

Last year, Stevie wonder started touring again for the first time in ten years. This is what Stevie had to say about the tour: "I am looking forward to performing in these venues under the stars. We are going to have some wonderful nights of intimate excitement." That sounds really exciting!

In addition, Stevie Wonder has been added to Chicago’s 28th Annual Taste of Chicago Festival line up where he joins Chaka Khan, Fantasia, Estelle, and Ryan Shaw June 27th - July 6th.

Tour dates:

June 2008
18 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
19 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
21 - Atlantic City, NJ - Trump Taj Mahal
22 - Mansfield, MA - Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
24 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
26 - Milwaukee, WI - Marcus Amphitheater/Summerfest
28 - Chicago, IL - Grant Park

July 2008
1 - Englewood, CO - Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre
4 - Reno, NV - Reno Events Center
5 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
8 - Concord, CA - Sleep Train Pavilion
11 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre
12 - Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place