Hardship, sacrifice, determination, and ultimate triumph are the
elements that make up "Blind Faith, " the frank and compelling
biography of Lula Hardaway, mother of superstar musician and singer
Stevie Wonder. Written with her full cooperation and participation,
this is the first ever authorized look into the life of the woman
who gave birth to and nurtured one of America's greatest
musicians/songwriters -- and the struggles that preceded his rise
to fame and fortune.
To say that Lula Hardaway did not have an easy life is an
understatement. It was a constant struggle for self-esteem and
emotional survival. Yet survive she did -- a motherless child born
in a sharecropper's shack in Alabama, she was passed from relative
to relative, unwanted and, for the most part, unloved. As a
teenager she was sent to Chicago, where she met a much older man
whom she eventually married. Unfortunately, her life then took an
even darker turn as he abused her and forced her to work as a
prostitute. Determined to build a better life for her children, she
started hiding money away, and one day successfully made her escape
to Detroit.
One of her sons, Stevland Judkins, was blind from infancy.
Although he presented special challenges, Lula noticed from the
outset that this little boy impressed everyone he met with his
outgoing personality, his intelligence, charm, and resourcefulness
-- and his incredible musical talent. By age ten, he was playing
and singing gospel tunes in church, and then joining adults singing
rhythm and blues on the street corners of Detroit.
Eventually, word of this young phenomenon reached Berry Gordy,
who was just beginning to establish himself as a creative force in
Detroit's thriving music scene. Gordy dubbed the boy Little Stevie
Wonder, and launched him into musical history when he signed him to
his Motown label.
Stardom didn't come that easily -- there was the question of
what material was best for Stevie, and then the question of what
would happen to the twelve-year-old boy's voice when he reached
puberty. Fortunately, the voice that emerged was even more musical
and more captivating than it had been. Great care was taken in
choosing his next projects and the result was a succession of top
10 -- and several number 1 -- hits.
By age twenty-one, Stevie had attained greater control of his
career and finances by negotiating a new contract with Motown,
which gave him complete control over the songs he recorded. What
followed was a string of chart-topping albums and some of the most
memorable popular music to come from the second half of the last
century.
Through it all, Stevie Wonder never failed to credit his mother.
When "Innervisions" won a Grammy award for Album of the Year in
1973, he refused to accept the award unless Lula would walk with
him to the podium. He clutched his mother in front of the
auditorium and in front of the millions of people watching on
television, proclaiming, "Her strength has led us to this
place."
Indeed, it was her strength and her belief in herself and in her
sons that brought them to that place, to the very heights of
success. It was her drive and her willingness to sacrifice the now
for the future -- plus her abiding belief in God -- that saw them
through. "Blind Faith" is not only the story of the birth of a
superstar but also a stirring testament to a mother's love and
determination and a frank and uncompromising look at how one
woman's attempt to better her children's lives led to a lasting
gift to the world.
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