Stevie Wonder took some time on stage during his “Love, Light and Song” U.K. tour stop in Cardiff, Wales to address the uncontrollable rumor that he is not actually blind.
In footage captured by concert-goers on July 9, Wonder is heard speaking in a light-hearted tone. He addresses the crowd directly, stating, “I must say to all of you, something that I was thinking, ‘When did I want to let the world know this?’ But I wanted to say it right now.”
After explaining there were “rumors about me seeing and all that” (earning scattered laughs from the crowd), he emphasized, “but seriously, you know the truth.”
And for those looking for a more direct answer, Wonder delivered: “Truth is, shortly after my birth, I became blind. Now, that was a blessing because 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. Not what color they are, but what color is their spirit?”
The ongoing rumor that Wonder can actually see has been repeated for decades by other celebrities. Lionel Richie joked in a 2019 interview on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” that he was convinced Wonder could see; “I’ve been spending my whole life with him thinking he can see. I know he can see,” he said. “I went to his house. He says, ‘Wanna hear a new song? I’ve got it in the car. C’mon, go with me.’”
Richie says Wonder sat in the driver’s side and started unexpectedly driving back down the driveway — “And I screamed, ‘Stevie! What are you doing?’ And he said, ‘Ah, got you, didn’t I?’”
Wonder has always upheld a strong sense of humor in regards to these rumors, making his poignant speech in Wales all the more intriguing.