orig. Steveland Judkins later Steveland Morris
born May 13, 1950, Saginaw, Mich., U.S.
U.S.
Blind virtually from birth, he was a skillful performer on the piano and other instruments by age eight. The family moved to Detroit, and at 10 he signed with the fledgling {{link=Motown">Motown label. His first hit, "Fingertips, Part 2" (1963), was followed by many top-selling singles, including "Up-Tight" and "I Was Made to Love Her." After studying composition at USC, he continued to enjoy enormous success in the 1970s and '80s with such albums as Talking Book (1972) and Songs in the Key of Life (1976) and such hits as "Superstition," "Ebony and Ivory," and "I Just Called to Say I Love You." He has spoken out against nuclear war, worked to end apartheid in South Africa, and raised funds for his eye-disease facility, Wonderland.