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Dennis Love

Stacy Brown

Blind Faith: The Miraculous Journey of Lula Hardaway, Stevie Wonder's Mother Hardcover – 26 Nov. 2002

by Love (Author)

4.6 49 ratings

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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.
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.

Print length

288 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Simon & Schuster
Publication date

26 Nov. 2002
Dimensions

16.51 x 2.54 x 24.13 cm
ISBN-10

0684869799
ISBN-13

978-0684869797
See all details

Product description

About the Author

Dennis Love (right) is a freelance journalist who has worked for The Arizona Republic, UPI, the Los Angeles Daily News, and The Orange County Register. He lives in Sacramento, California. Stacy Brown (left) is also a journalist who has worked for the Los Angeles Daily News and the Los Angeles Times Community News, and he currently works for The Journal News in Westchester, New York. This is the first book for each of them.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster (26 Nov. 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0684869799
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0684869797
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16.51 x 2.54 x 24.13 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 1,828,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 449 in Soul Musician Biographies
- 1,422 in Blues Musician Biographies
- 2,457 in TV Communication Studies

Customer reviews:
4.6 49 ratings

About the authors

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Dennis Love
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Stacy Brown
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Stacy Brown covers Carlisle and Dickinson College for The Sentinel. He has worked for the community news division of the Los Angeles Times, The Los Angeles Daily News, The Times-Tribune and MSNBC.
Stacy has appeared on numerous television and radio programs including AC 360, Good Morning America, Today, Dateline NBC, Nightline, The Howard Stern Show, The Wendy Williams Experience, Nancy Grace, Jane Velez-Mitchell, Dr. Drew, Joy Behar Show, Fox & Friends, MSNBC News, NBC Nightly News, MTV, BET and The Biography Channel.
As a journalist, Stacy has covered, interviewed, and even collaborated with celebrities including Diane Sawyer, Al Roker, Denzel Washington, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Al Green, Elton John, Steven Tyler, Howard Stern, Justin Timberlake, and Spike Lee.
Stacy is the author of several books including the Essence Magazine nominated best biography, "Blind Faith: The Miraculous Journey of Lula Hardaway and her son, Stevie Wonder," and "Michael Jackson: The Man Behind The Mask, An Insider's Account of the King of Pop."
Follow Stacy's Entertainment Blog at: http://cumberlink.com/news/opinion/blogs/thats_entertainment/
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AnitafromBoro

Biography of Stevie Wonder's Mum

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 June 2020

Verified Purchase

Although this book states on the front cover that it is 'approved', I'm not sure by whom. Other sources state that Stevie Wonder wasnt happy with the way his mother was portrayed.
At the beginning, the prose is very 'flowery' and the time sequence is played around, but it soon settles down to an enjoyable read.
The first 1/3 of the book is about his mother and the rest is more about Stevie, with occasional references to his Mum and other newer siblings in a later marriage.

2 people found this helpful

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Susan Preston

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 October 2015

Verified Purchase

This is a brilliant book, well written, I am enjoying reading it