How old was Stevie Wonder when Motown signed him?
Answer
11 years old
Stevie Wonder was 11 years old when Motown signed him.
Ronnie White of the Miracles discovered the young musician after hearing him perform, and White helped arrange an audition with Berry Gordy’s Motown label. Wonder signed with Tamla, a Motown subsidiary, in 1961.
The label initially marketed him as Little Stevie Wonder. His first major success came with “Fingertips,” recorded live at the Regal Theater in Chicago and released in 1963. The performance made him one of the youngest artists to top the Billboard Hot 100.
His age led to another practical issue: Motown placed his early earnings in a trust and employed an adult guardian-manager. Wonder gradually gained greater creative control as he matured, eventually writing and producing much of his own landmark work.