Stevie Wonder Sees Everything

But I Hesitated to Let Him Drive the Car, 1974

Stevie Wonder and I are about the same age: he's six months younger than I am. He'll be 72 on May 13, a proud Taurus. The second time we met, for an interview in 1985 when he was promoting "In Square Circle," we exchanged pleasantries and he said, "I remember you. Sagittarius, right?"

He was right. My vocal intonation reminded him of one of his horn players, who was also a Sagittarius. So naturally, putting one and seven together and coming up with eight, he knew my sign.

We had last met 11 years earlier, in 1974, when I interviewed him at the (24) Fifth Avenue Hotel in Greenwich Village. The restaurant there, I think, was then known as Flowers. We were to meet at the restaurant for a short interview for Melody Maker, the English music newsweekly. It was a direct assignment for the British music paper. My work regular appeared in their riva…