It was hard not to get excited when I saw that the first real biography of Stevie Wonder was being released (“Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Soulful Journey Of Stevie Wonder” by Mark Ribowsky; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; ISBN: 0470481501). Ribowsky is no rookie; having released bios on— among others— Phil Spector, Satchel Paige and the Supremes. His effort this time is a mixed bag.
The first test of any book about oldies is to catch the easy errors. If the writing and editing is that poor, it doesn’t bode well for the rest of the book. So it was with some trepidation that I read Ribowsky write that Motown’s Berry Gordy co-wrote songs for “Detroit homeboy Jackie Wilson after the flashy singer quit the Drifters to go solo.”
Of course he meant the Dominoes. But anyone who confuses Jackie Wilson with Clyde McPhatter— who sang with both groups— is probably not the best choice to write a Motown artist’s biography. The blurb on the back of the book says “Ribowsky
spends time on details other writers have taken for granted.” Those “other writers” however, probably never confused the release date of Stevie’s “Fingertips” with the day it was recorded (live in Chicago). And those “other writers” are probably aware that the Angels— not Lesley Gore— sang “My Boyfriend’s Back.”
Its dust jacket tries to sell the book with sensationalism, pointing to Stevie’s “long struggle with sexual addiction and suicidal depression.” But the actual book never really supports these assertions. In fact, Stevie is quoted as saying he’s “[n]ever gonna take my life.”
Like his book on the Supremes, which ends with Diana Ross’ departure, Ribowsky relegates Stevie’s life from 1984 on (26 years!) to the epilogue.
Heavy on detailing each of Stevie’s early albums with the major cuts on each, the book still manages to fill in the details of his life, many of which have gone buried over the years. But even more details— like where his mother came up with the last name of Morris for the pre-teen singer when her surname was Hardway and his father’s was Judkins— remain buried. With Stevie turning 60 and reluctant to open up about his life himself, a more definitive bio may never be written. Which is all the more frustrating.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0470481501/ref=nosim/oldiesmusicA/
Submitted by Ron Smith
http://www.oldiesmusic.com/
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