You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who would be willing to debate the fact that Stevie Wonder is one of the most talented musicians of our time. But while many fans appreciate his musical genius even more because he is visually impaired, some are “convinced” it may all be an act.
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Although it has long been confirmed that Stevie Wonder lost his sight as an infant, social media is full of clips of entertainers and conspiracy theorists alike telling stories of times they doubted the singer-songwriter’s disability.
We definitely aren’t here to doubt the man who gave us decades of classic hits and we know Stevie is in on the gag. So here are some of the stars who “swear” Stevie Wonder has had us all fooled for years.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the stars who is convinced that Stevie Wonder isn’t blind at all. During an appearance on “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon,” the sports commentator told a hilarious story about an encounter he had with the music legend on an elevator in a Los Angeles building they both lived in.
“What Up, Big Diesel?”
“Stevie got in. I’m standing in the corner. I didn’t say nothing, and he looked over like, ‘What up, Big Diesel?’ and he turned his head, hit his button and got off,” the former NBA star said.
But social media isn’t exactly convinced that Shaq’s story is proof enough. After all, there probably weren’t too many 7-footers in the building.
“Nobody breathe from 7 feet high like Shaq,” wrote someone on TikTok.
Ray Parker Jr.
Singer Ray Parker Jr. never questioned whether or not Stevie Wonder could see, but he is here to let everyone know that the “Ribbons in the Sky” artist is not the one you want to challenge in a fight. In an interview with singer Tank, he told a story about Stevie Wonder getting into an argument with a drummer in his band who wanted to settle the disagreement with his fists.
“He said, ‘Man, I’m tired of Stevie. Put a blindfold on me, I’m gonna fight Stevie,’” the “Ghostbusters” singer recalled.
Stevie Was Beating Him Down
In the end, Parker Jr. said the drummer’s idea to try to mix it up with Stevie Wonder didn’t work out so well for him.
“Stevie was beating him down,” he said. “I don’t think he got one punch on Stevie. He was hitting the guy every time. And he was hitting him so fast, I’m like this isn’t a fair fight.”
Snoop Dogg
Rapper Snoop Dogg considers himself among Stevie Wonder’s besties…or at least someone he keeps on speed dial. In an interview he swore the two were frequent FaceTime buddies.
“On everything I love, Stevie Wonder does FaceTime me,” he said. “I can’t make this sh*t up
“I’ve Been Looking For You”
The “Gin and Juice” rapper went on to tell a story about getting a call from Wonder while he was getting his hair done and giving a hilarious response when Snoop picked up the phone.
“He was like, n*, I been looking for you,” Snoop said.
James Corden
Stevie Wonder joined former host of “The Late Show,” James Corden for an episode of “Carpool Karaoke.” But the gag was, Stevie was in the driver’s seat for this ride.
“This is making me feel a bit uneasy,” the comedian told Wonder before they hit the road.
I’m Ready to Roll
While Wonder joked that he had his hands on the steering wheel and was “ready to roll,” fortunately, he said he forgot his license at home and let Corden do the driving after all.
Lionel Richie
Singer, songwriter and “American Idol” host Lionel Richie joked that he’s thought Stevie Wonder has been pulling a fast one on us for years.
“I’ve been spending my whole life with him, thinking ‘He can see. I know he can see,” he told Kelly Clarkson during an appearance on her show.
“Where Are We Going?”
Richie went on to tell Clarkson a story about getting into the car with Stevie to listen to a new song.
“He says, ‘You sit on the passenger’s side. I’ll sit on the driver’s side,’” Richie recalled. “He puts the tape in, he cranks the car up, and then he does this (imitating him driving the car in reverse) and starts driving back down the driveway.”
But when Richie asked Stevie what he was doing, he said Wonder admitted he was joking the entire time.
“He said, ‘Gotcha, didn’t I?” Richie said.
Blind From Birth
Stevie Wonder has been blind since he was a baby. Born six months prematurely, he had a condition called retinopathy of prematurity, which is caused by irregular blood vessels in the retina.
Musical Genius
But Wonder never let his disability stop him. In fact, it only fueled his passion to pursue his love of music. Wonder taught himself to play several musical instruments, including the piano, drums and the harmonica before he was 10 years old. He’s said that not being able to see also helps with the creative song writing process.
“It’s played a part in that I’m able to use my imagination to go places, to write words about things I’ve heard people talk about. In music and in being blind, I’m able to associate what people say with what’s inside me,” he told The New York Times in a 1975 interview.
If He’s Not Blind, Does He Wonder?
Whether or not you believe the conspiracies around Stevie Wonder’s vision. We’ll leave you with this hilarious clip, in which a group of friends debate whether or not Wonder would have to find a new last name if he was visually able.
“If Stevie wasn’t blind, would he even wonder? ‘Cause he could see,” they said.
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