Stevie Wonder Performs "Sketches of a Life"

from the Library of Congress in Washington DC ladies and gentlemen the librarian of Congress dr. James H billington members of the United States Congress at least those who aren't voting as they may have to at any moment members of the Gershwin family's madison council members wife and family of tonight's honoree and all of us devoted fans of Stevie Wonder welcome to the Library of Congress we are here to honor a beloved and revered American musician who has given the world the gift of his imagination in lyrics melodies and innovative harmonies they'll all come together in ever fresh and new ways that are always distinctively Stevie Wonder's for his unique contributions to the music of our time Stevie Wonder is eminently deserving of the second Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for popular song the library service occurs when prized as a way to recognize nationally and connect more directly with prominent artists and composers of popular music whose works are an enormous part of the nation's cultural patrimony and are largely collected and preserved here in the Library of Congress prizes named after George and Ira Gershwin whose collections are housed here and whose legacy is enshrined in the Gershwin room right across the hall from the auditorium where you can see Gershwin manuscripts film clips of their songs and George's own desk and piano the inaugural Gershwin Prize went to Paul Simon last year another American musical icon as librarian of Congress I had the privilege of presenting him with a special medal for this prize adapted from the design of the Congressional Gold Medal which was awarded posthumously to the Gershwins in 1985 this this is its image this time however the prize presentation will be very different President Barack Obama and Harden Stevie Wonder fan will present the medal at the White House on Wednesday of this week in a ceremony and star-studded concert that will be hosted by the President and mrs. Obama for which we're very the program will be filmed by WIDA whose distinguished leader Sharon Rockefellers with us here tonight and it will be broadcast the next day on Thursday February 26 so this really will be Wonder Week and Washington is this has the support of William and Buffy kayfetz at the Annenberg foundation of American Airlines EMI ASCAP and Pepsi Cola we're honored that the president the the the concert in the White House and the broadcast we're honored that the president so early in his administration is joining with the Library of Congress in this tribute to American creativity and to this special figure who we honor tonight as an added distinction this year and on a separate track the Library Commission Stevie Wonder to write a new piece of music which will be performed here tonight for the first time I and Suzanne Hogan from the library together with Bob Kaminsky visited with Stevie last summer and heard him play part of this Commission case that he was working on then I was really moved by the music not just by the music but by the energy and passion and generosity of his playing even for a small group gathered in his own home as he led us later the mr. Chow's for dinner heads turned towards him to see not just another famous entertainer but as I heard one person say in a kind of reverent whisper this is someone who touched my life he is a humanitarian as well as an artist I would like to acknowledge with gratitude the four executive producers who've worked with su Vida and others on our great library staff to make this week possible here in Washington the brothers Kaminsky Bob and Peter played a key role in creating this new national prize and I had the privilege of teaching Peter and of admiring on a number of subsequent occasions both his imaginative horizons and persistence with creative projects but also to recognize and thank abundantly the other two fully engaged executive producers Mark Krantz and Cappy magar all of whom are here with us tonight and last but not least the producer for this evening's event Rickey minor whom you will all recognize is also the producer of American Idol and with this new composition sketches of a life that we are about to hear Stevie Wonder will join a pantheon of composers whose works have been specially commissioned by the library over the last 80 years nearly 500 of them including the world's premieres on this stage of important works by Aaron Copland bela bartok Samuel Barber Igor Stravinsky and also jazz composers the evening this evening all of us will become part of what I truly believe in anticipate will be another great moment in musical history as we hear the world premiere of stevie wonder's latest creation 22 musicians will play together in this chamber ensemble that we will hear tonight here on this historic stage using a variety of instruments including two pianos a harp and a harmonica we might just be witnessing the emergence of yet another new outlet for the musical eloquence and prodigious creativity of this great American so please join me in welcoming the immeasurably gifted and universally beloved Stevie Wonder you you you you you you you you you you you you thank you so much well - very well thank you so much and like to thank these incredible classical musicians for making this all happen the power lies are the key I want to tell you a little bit about the piece started in 1976 and finished it on the day that Nelson Mandela became president stopped Africa this really is a I feel really messed with the ending I like I was in dreamland but you know I'll get a second chance next time but I just want to say the piece really represents a lot of what I've heard different musics in my life you know that the radio throughout my life has been my eyes and ears to the world and as a little boy I used to mock you know the classical singers opposite you know and I never ever really imagined them that I have this opportunity to be here and to receive such an honor I remember when Paul Simon received Lee Diana you know the prizes very good new prism but you know yeah when I could no prize I was gonna prize no but I never imagined that I would receive this wonderful honor and wow it just been so wonderful and I remember when they all came to my place and we kind of ran it up for a minute because you know it was like gotta get the piano right and everything's trying to live in here this thing I was working on for years I said you know we can we can really make this happen for you I said no come on I said this has been this somebody's been messing around with for years just you know but obviously you can hear you know in there there's some things that you know melodies and I've always loved the classical music for for how the melodies were very haunting and they they made you think and go places there was a woman that I knew was enough in there our neighborhood we lived in Detroit and we live in a ghetto yes we're good of the good of jump room dum doo and this woman would listen to opera music different different operas every single Saturday and Friday and Sunday and if he's a kid I got that mother what do you do turn that music down girl and but he that one doesn't do a no song like BB King to me yeah you know but but she would um you know dress up and go to the various operas that came to Detroit and even then at eight years old I just remembered so much of how she was and how excited she was to go to the various artists and all that even though she lived in an area that's what he did it really had nothing to do with what that was about at that time but the thing about it is I never imagined that that would be the beginning of me thinking of those things and then revisiting those things to then be a part of writing a song called village ghetto land from some of the key of life and all of those things really are reflections of just things that have happened in my life and musicals I've listened to and the various influences that I've had throughout the years most of all all of you have influenced me throughout the years even fluence to me by through the things that we've experienced as Americans from various ethnicities and cultures throughout the world you've encouraged me by when living in Detroit Michigan and understanding that there was this melting pot and from it came Motown and so many other things that really reflected in that music those influences that we all had and so today as we celebrate to me a new America and when I say a new America it really is a new chance for Americans of all there is ethnicity to come together and say we can stand strong as a United people of the United States and being influenced to the positive for not just us in this country for people throughout the world yes we most definitely can and though we have now first african-american president of the United States that is very exciting but what's really exciting is that you will have now allowed me to see that you're able to see beyond color and see the soul in the heart and so if you can see that then look at each of those heart and look inside that heart and encourage those even those who are haters and can't believe encourage them to say listen we must come together today because tomorrow is not promised to any of us so I want to thank you all so much my family and all of my loved ones that are here tonight I thank you all for my friends that are here you cannot imagine how good I feel of course I got to fix that ending that idea I got to do it again better next time I was so embarrassed King but I thank you so much today you have made such a great contribution to making this the beginning of the best part of the rest of my life thank you thank you very much half of dr. Billington in Library of Congress thank you so much have a good evening you I've been building my castle of love just for to know you never do you were my reason I've gone much too far for you not a say that I've got to throw my castle way I am picked on a verb true no you never knew it wasn't you been dreaming The Sandman has gone too far away for you to say come back some mama day and though you don't believe that they do they do come true hold in my dreams control all of you and maybe too if you would believe you two might be home a joint over love all over me I painfully turn every stone just to fine I had found what I've searched to discuss one might you want on me now to find love that I saw can never be mine and though you don't believe that they do they do come true warden my dreams come true and I listen you may be to appear would be you two might be Oh what's your over love me me now drew up knees in the chin hey love to my last breath I'll be yeah you okay if you're seeing this part lalalala in the melodies speaker please the my speaker over here the mo voice are you ready alright this is the steveland Morris Stevie Wonder class of voice the Library of Congress you can't mess up it's recording you all the time meaning you do becomes a permanent records somebody's here we go hit it sing it you in the or sometimes on the ground I've been me but you never notice me don't you tell me how Oh ah see my me I wish you I ah thank you god bless you this has been a presentation of the Library of Congress visit us at loc.gov

Channel: Library of Congress

Views: 184,218

Rating: 4.7899475 out of 5

Keywords: library, congress, music

Id: rXutqNAX00Y

Length: 55min 8sec (3308 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 07 2011