Stevie Wonder is a beloved American icon and an indisputable genius not only with R&B but popular music in general. Blind virtually since birth, Wonder's heightened awareness of sound helped him create vibrant, colourful music teeming with life and ambition. Nearly everything he recorded bore the stamp of his sunny, joyous positivity; even when he addressed serious racial, social, and spiritual issues (which he did quite often in his prime), or sang about heartbreak and romantic uncertainty, an underlying sense of optimism and hope always seemed to emerge.