His contacts included jazz-R&B vocalist Joan Belgrave, a close friend of Wonder who accompanied the Motown star Saturday at Wayne State. Through a network of Motown and jazz connections, Duncan got word to Wonder that he was up for the honor. The university nominated Wonder for the honorary degree in late 2021, and his participation was arranged in part by WSU professor Norah Duncan, chair of the music school. “The world is calling you not to watch what happens, but to make something happen,” he told graduates.
Anthony pointed out that his 91-year-old mother was in attendance. Wendell Anthony, pastor of Detroit’s Fellowship Chapel, and a longtime community activist known for his work with the NAACP. Wilson introduced Wonder - formally addressing the Saginaw native as Stevland Hardaway Morris - by citing his civil rights advocacy, including his successful campaign for a federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr., and “more than 50 years of soulful art and artistry.”Īfter his speech, Wonder started to leave the stage, but quickly returned to the podium, performing a cappella renditions of “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “I Just Called to Say I Love You.”Īlso conferred an honorary doctorate Saturday was the Rev.
STEVIE WONDER I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU DRIVER
Wonder’s onstage moment was delayed for several minutes because his driver had gotten lost en route to the ceremony, Wilson told the audience. They’re the first to be staged in the new $25 million Wayne State Fieldhouse, completed in October, and are WSU’s first in-person graduation gatherings since the onset of the pandemic. Saturday afternoon’s event was one of seven commencement celebrations being held this weekend for 3,800-plus Wayne State graduates. Wonder has previously received honorary degrees from Yale University (2017) and Rutgers University (1999). Jack White accepted an honorary doctorate in 2019. Wonder is the latest celebrity musician to receive an honorary degree from the Detroit university. Related: Where Michigan stands on abortion if Roe v. He drew loud whoops from some in the crowd when he said that included “fighting for the rights of women to choose what to do with their lives and bodies.”
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Roy Wilson, Wonder spoke about his commitment to social justice. “Even though I’ve been in this profession for a few minutes, it is not impossible for me to feel a little shy about now,” he joked.įlanked by WSU President M. Wonder, blind since infancy, improvised his speech after he was unable to call up his prewritten notes on an electronic Braille tablet. “But most of all, it belongs to you, Detroit, because you allowed me, by embracing me, to really have the opportunity of discovery.”
View Gallery: Stevie Wonder gets honorary doctorate at Wayne State University commencementĪnd “it belongs to Motown, (where) so many people allowed me to discover and learn music and express my feelings,” Wonder said. Wonder emphasized that “this really doesn’t just belong to me,” rattling off his own youthful education institutions, including Detroit’s Fitzgerald Elementary and Lansing’s School for the Blind. More: Motown Museum lands $1 million expansion gift from Bank of AmericaĪfter receiving his diploma and ceremonial hood, he addressed the graduates of WSU’s college of liberal arts and sciences, who gathered for the afternoon commencement ceremony. Two miles south of Motown’s Hitsville, U.S.A., where Wonder recorded many of his iconic hits, the 71-year-old star took the stage at the Wayne State Fieldhouse to be presented his doctor of humane letters by the WSU Board of Governors.įor subscribers: Restoring Hitsville house is a little-known part of Motown Museum expansion Watch Video: Stevie Wonder gets honorary degree from Wayne State Universityĭonning a green cap and gown and treating a crowd of graduates to a pair of off-the-cuff song performances, Stevie Wonder accepted an honorary degree Saturday from Wayne State University.
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