A child prodigy, a steadfast commitment to music (Created February 27, 2013)

A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is a description that only begins to scratch the surface of the artist that is Stevie Wonder. A child prodigy who made his recording debut at age 12 would grow into a man whose work would eventually land him in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. From "Sir Duke" to "I Wish" and "I Just Called to Say I Love You," Stevie Wonder is a musical legend, through and through.

Though it's difficult not to notice Stevie Wonder's perceived disability, the black glasses he wears to perform are the only indication that something is amiss. The blindness he suffered as the result of a premature birth has done nothing to hinder and in any way derail his musical ambitions. Instead, he was self-taught on a number of instruments, including the harmonica, piano, and drums, all of which he mastered before the age of ten.

For many child stars, it would be hard to escape a debut album called "Little Stevie Wonder the 12 Year Old Genius." But the man born Stevland Hardaway Morris maintained a steadfast commitment to his craft, churning out hits like "Fingertips" and "Uptight (Everything's Alright)." Eventually, he negotiated a new contract with his label that gave him total control over his records and greatly increased his royalty rate. It led to a creative boom in the 1970s that was unrivaled in terms of overall production.

From 1972 through 1976, Stevie Wonder released four acclaimed albums: "Talking Book" (1972), "Innervisions" (1973), "Fulfillingness' First Finale" (1974) and "Songs in the Key of Life" (1976). Those projects contained a number of hit singles such as "Living in the City," "Boogie on a Reggae Woman" and "Isn't She Lovely." With it, he captured 15 Grammy awards in the decade, forever solidifying himself as one of the most creative musical figures of the late 20th century.

Coming in at number five on Billboard's Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, and holding the distinction of being named a United Nations Messenger of Peace, Stevie Wonder is a man who has seen and done it all in his career. Most recently he was inducted into The SoulMusic Hall of Fame, performed at the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics World Summer Games and sang at the Jubilee Concert for HM Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee celebrations at Buckingham Palace.