Pop music legend Stevie Wonder told a crowd at a show on his UK tour earlier this month that he is blind. You probably already knew that. It’s been common knowledge since his first #1 hit in 1963.
In a video taken by a concert attendee, Wonder addressed a recently popular rumor that he’s been faking his blindness for his entire life.
“I was thinking, ‘When do I want to let the world know this?’ but I wanted to say it right now,” Wonder said while playing in Cardiff, Wales.“You know there have been rumors about me seeing and all that? But seriously, you know the truth. Truth is, shortly after my birth, I became blind.”
Born premature, the music legend developed a condition as a baby that caused him to go blind. If you know anything about Wonder, it’s probably that fact. But, the rumor mill forced the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer to spill the obvious anyway.
in his message to concertgoers, Wonder said his blindness is a “blessing.”
“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,” he said. “Not what color they are, but what color is their spirit?”
Wonder has been the butt of many jokes and conspiracies from fans and celebrities alike who allege that the “Isn’t She Lovely” singer fakes his condition.
Shaquille O’Neal famously made the claim that Wonder could see. In a oft-shared clip from “Inside the NBA,” O’Neal recalled a story about Wonder entering an elevator with him and saying “What’s up, Shaq?” before the 15-time NBA All-Star said “Hello.”
“I went and called every person I knew and told them the story,” O’Neal said. “He got on the elevator and was like, ‘What’s up, Shaq? How you doing, big dog?’”
Retired NBA star Carmelo Anthony recently claimed that, upon meeting Wonder for the first time, the 25-time Grammy Award winner said, “I love watching you play.”
