Female Announcer: From the Library of Congress, in Washington, D.C.
Matt Raymond: Ladies and gentlemen,
the Librarian of Congress Dr. James H. Billington.
[ Applause ]
Dr. James 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 families, 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.
[ Applause ]
We are here to honor a beloved and revered American musician
who has given the world the gift of his imagination and lyrics, melodies
and innovative harmonies that all come together in ever fresh
and new ways, be it 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 established the Gershwin Prize 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.
The prize is 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's 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 special medal for this prize, adapted from the design
of the Congressional Gold Medal, which was awarded posthumously
to the Gershwins in 1985.   This is its image.
This time, however, the prize presentation will be very different.
President Barack Obama, an ardent 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 grateful.
[ Applause ]
The program will be filmed by WETA whose distinguished leader,
Sharon Rockefeller, is here with us tonight.
[ Applause ]
And it will be broadcast the next day on Thursday, Feb.
26. So this really will be Wonder week in Washington.
[ laughter ]
This has the support of William and Buffy Cafritz,
of the Annenberg Foundation, of American Airlines,
EMI, ASCAP, and Pepsi Cola.
We are honored that the president -- the concert at 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 commissioned 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 Kaminksy,
visited with Stevie last summer and heard him play part
of this commissioned piece 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 into Mr. Chow's for dinner,
heads turned towards him, to see not just another famous entertainer,
but as I heard one person say in kind of a 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 have worked
with Sue Vita 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 admiring on a number of subsequent occasions both
as imaginative horizons and persistence with creative projects.
I want to also to recognize
and thank abundantly the other two fully engaged executive producers,
Mark Krantz and Cappy McGarr, all of whom are with us tonight.
And last but not least, the producer for this evening's event,
Rickey Minor, whom you will all recognize
as also the producer of "American Idol."
[ Applause ]
With his 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 Copeland, Bella Bartok,
Samuel Barber, Igor Stravinsky and also jazz composers.
The evening, this evening, all of us will become part
of what I truly believe
and anticipate will be another great moment in musical history
as we hear the world premiere of Stevie Wonder's latest creation.
Twenty-two 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.
[ Applause and cheering ]   [ Instruments Tuning Up ]
[ music ]   [ Applause ]
Stevie Wonder: Thank you so much.   [ Taps mic ]
- one,-two, three, four.   [ laughter ]
Thank you so much, and I'd
like to thank these incredible classical musicians
for making this all happen, Mr. Paul Riser, Mr. Ricky Minor.
[ Applause ]
I want to tell you a little bit about the piece.
I started it in 1976 and finished it on the day
that Nelson Mandela became president of South Africa.
This really is -- I really messed up the ending.
I was in dreamland.   [ laughter ]
But, you know, I'll get a second chance next time.
[ laughter ]
But I just want to say the piece really represents a lot
of what I've heard, different music in my life.
You know, 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, opera singers.
[ sings "Na" operatically ]   [ laughter ]
[ Laughs ]
And I never ever really imagined that I'd have this opportunity
to be here and to receive such an honor.
I remember when Paul Simon received the honor, you know, the prize -
I didn't get no prize, I didn't get no prize!
[in a whining voice]   [ laughter ]
-- but you know   [ laughs ]
[ laughter ]
-- you know, why didn't I get no prize [in a whining voice]?
[ laughter ]   I should get a prize!
[ in a wining voice-laughs ]
But I never imagined that I would receive this wonderful honor and,
wow, it's just been so wonderful.
And I remember when they all came to my place, and we kind of
[ unintelligible ]
for a minute because, you know, I was like, got to get the piano right
and everything, trying to let them hear this thing I was working
on for years.
They said, you know, "We can, we can really make this happen for you."
I said, "No, come on."
I said, "This has been just something I've been messing
around with for years," just, you know,
[ sings "ne, ne, ne, ne, ne, ne" ]   [ laughter ]
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 how the melodies were very haunting,
and they made you think and go places.
There was a woman that I knew who was in our neighborhood
when we lived in Detroit, and we lived in the ghetto,
yes, the ghetto, the ghetto   [ sings ]
And this woman would listen to opera music, different operas,
every single Saturday and Friday and Sunday.
And people say, "Can you get her to cut that
[ unintelligible ]   out?
[ laughter ]   "Turn that music down, girl."
[ laughter ]   But really
[ laughs ]   "What you listening to?
That don't sound like B.B. King to me."
[ laughter ]
But she would, 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 operas and all of that, even though she lived
in an area, as we did, that 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 about those things
and then revisiting those things to then be a part
of writing a song called "Village Ghetto Land" from "Songs in the Key
of Life," and all of those things really are reflections
of just things that have happened in my life and music that 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.
You've influenced me 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, Mich.,
and understanding that there was this melting pot
and from it came Motown and so many other things that really reflected
in the 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 various ethnicities to come together and say,
"We can stand strong as a united people of the United States
and be an influence to the positive for not just us in this country,
but for people throughout the world."
Yes, we most definitely can.
And though we have now the first African American president
of these United States -- that is very exciting,
but what's really exciting is that you all have now allowed me to see
that you're able to see beyond color and see the soul and the heart.
And so if you can see that, then look at each other's 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.   [ Applause ]
For my family and all of my loved ones
that are here tonight, I thank you all.
For all my friends that are here, you cannot imagine how good I feel.
Of course, I got to fix that ending that I did.
I got to do it again better next time.
[ laughter ]   That would so embarrassing.
[ laughter ]   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.   [ Applause ]
Rickey Minor: Thank you very much.
On behalf of Dr. Billington and the Library
of Congress, thank you so much.   Have a good evening.
[ Applause & Cheering ]   [ music ]
[ Applause ]   [ Music ]
Over time, I've been building my castle of love Just for two,
though you never knew you were my reason I've gone much too far
for you now to say That I've got to throw my castle away Over dreams,
I have picked out a perfect come true Though you never knew it was
of you I've been dreaming The sandman has come from too far away
For you to say come back some other day And though you don't believe
that they do They do come true For did my dreams Come true
when I looked at you And maybe, too,
if you would believe You too might be Overjoyed, over loved,
over me Over hearts, I have painfully turned every stone Just
to find, I had found what I've searched
to discover I've come much too far for me now to find The love
that I've sought can never be mine And though you don't believe
that they do They do come true For did my dreams Come true
when I looked at you And maybe, too,
if you would believe You too might be Overjoyed, over loved, over me
And though the odds say improbable What do they know
For in romance All true love needs is a chance And maybe
with a chance you will find You too like I Overjoyed,
darling over loved, over you, To my last breath I'll be over you
[ Applause and cheering ]   [ music ]
Okay, if you all sing this part when we can sing the song, --
you just say, "La la la la la la la la," and the melody's
[ plays piano ]   [ Applause and cheering ]
Can I have a little more speaker, please,
a little more speak over here?   Are you ready?
Audience:   [ Cheers ]
Stevie Wonder: All right,
this is the Stevland Morris Stevie Wonder class of voice.
[ laughter ]   The Library of Congress.
You can't mess up because we're recording you all the time.
[ laughter ]
Everything you do becomes a permanent record.
[ laughter ]   [ Applause ]
[ Sings ]   Somebody's watching me.
Here we go.   Hit it.
Stevie Wonder and Audience: La la la la la la La la la la la la La la la
la la la La la la la la la   My Cherie Amour, lovely
as a summer's day My Cherie Amour, distant as the Milky Way
My Cherie Amour, pretty little one
that I adore You're the only girl my heart beats for How I wish
that you were mine In a cafe or sometimes
on a crowded street I've been near you, but you never notice me
My Cherie Amour, won't you tell me how could you ignore That behind
that little smile I wore How I wish
that you were mine La la la la la la La la la la la la La la la la la la
La la la la la la
Maybe someday you'll see my face among the crowd Maybe someday I'll
share your little distant cloud Oh, Cherie Amour, pretty little one
that I adore You're the only girl my heart beats
Sing la la la la la la La la la la la la La la la la la la La la la la
la la La la la la la la La la la I love you
Thank you.   [ Applause and cheering ]
God bless you.   Library of Congress, thank you.
[ Applause & Music ]   [ Music ]
[ Applause ]
Female Announcer: This has been a presentation
of the Library of Congress.   Visit us at loc.gov.