How did Stevie Wonder lose his eyesight? Legendary musician shuts down longtime rumors that he's not really blind during Wales show 

On Wednesday, July 9, Stevie Wonder performed at Cardiff's Blackweir Fields as a headlining act in the Blackweir Festival.

After the 75-year-old artist brought his Love, Light, & Song show to the audience, Wonder addressed a rumor about his sight that has been circulating for a long time - the rumor that he is not really blind.

Speaking to the crowd, the Ebony and Ivory singer said:

"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. You know there have been rumors about me seeing and all that? But seriously, you know the truth."

Then, revealing that he suffered blindness soon after his birth, Stevie Wonder continued:

"Truth is, shortly after my birth, I became blind. 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?"

According to Smooth Radio, Wonder turned blind when he was six weeks old after suffering from a condition called Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). It is a condition where too much oxygen in an incubator interferes with the growth of a newborn's eyes, causing the retinas to detach and leading to blindness.

---

Stevie Wonder signed his first music contract at 12

Stevie Wonder had an early inclination towards music and signed his first music contract at the age of 12.

After Berry Gordy Jr. (from Motown Records) joined the Fingertips singer, he released his debut studio album, Recorded Live: The 12-Year-Old Genius. The album dominated both the pop and R&B charts as number one.

The media outlet also reports that Wonder received constant support and guidance from teachers, who helped him hone his songwriting and piano-playing skills.

In August 2012, Stevie Wonder was interviewed by The Guardian, where the Skeleton singer was questioned if being blind and Black was a disadvantage to him. In his response, Wonder said:

"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. I am what I am. I love me! And I don't mean that egotistically – I love that God has allowed me to take whatever it was that I had and to make something out of it."

Elsewhere in the interview, Wonder was also asked about the temptation of drugs. While the singer admitted to trying marijuana at the age of 21, it wasn't a successful experiment for him. He also never felt "a desire" to try other drugs.

---

In his over 6-decade-long music career, Stevie Wonder has produced over 23 studio albums and won 25 Grammys. Wonder has also earned multiple awards recognizing his work in civil rights and was named the United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2009.

Edited by Divya Singh