R&B-soul legend Stevie Wonder has sustained a music career for more than six decades… but he went newly viral just this month.
Wonder gave a speech during his 1989 induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he took off his glasses in front of the audience.
More than 30 years after that speech, Motown’s “Little Stevie” started appearing in screenshots circulating throughout Twitter.
One account posted stills from the speech, and it saw its tweet amass almost 16 million views in 16 hours. For reference, Wonder’s 1989 speech has amassed only 1.1 million views on YouTube.
Take a look —
Pictures of Stevie Wonder without glasses are going viral online 👀 pic.twitter.com/0tCY6O6EWQ
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) March 14, 2023
Having gone blind as an infant, Wonder has removed his glasses only rarely throughout his career.
But, across six decades, those moments add up.
For example, Wonder attracted attention in 1979 for showing his eyes in the movie The Secret Life of Plants.
To this day, Wonder remains the best-known part of this pseudoscientific nature documentary. He composed the movie’s New Age soundtrack, a sharp left turn from the pop music of his previous album. For this, he’s been credited as an influence on the more leftfield R&B artists of the 21st century.
Take a look at this clip —
The Horn editorial team