USA-STEVIE WONDER Stevie Wonder performs in Central Park, discusses presidential candidates

Record ID: 143564

  • Title: USA-STEVIE WONDER Stevie Wonder performs in Central Park, discusses presidential candidates
  • Date: 18th August 2015
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) STEVIE WONDER, MUSICIAN, SAYING: "I am very biased but I think from knowing the person, the spirit of this candidate, I would vote for Hillary Clinton. Because we had conversations and because I just believe in anything that is moving towards making a difference in the world for good. I think that you can't have people insulting people or making a per
  • Embargoed: 2nd September 2015 13:00
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  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAGHJPW7BR34Q4N7UXC2VWPKNA
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Legendary musician Stevie Wonder wrapped up his day of promotional surprise concerts in Central Park in New York on Monday (August 17).
    Wonder announced that 20 more concerts have been added to his "Songs in the Key of Life Performance" tour, and to promote the new dates he staged three free pop-up concerts through the East Coast on Monday, starting in Washington D.C. in the morning, Philadelphia in the afternoon and ending the run in New York in the evening.
    In Central Park Wonder performed hits from his critically acclaimed 1976 album "Songs in the Key of Life", such as "As", "Sir Duke" and "I Wish."
    Wonder, now 65, holds the distinction of having won 25 Grammy awards, more than any other artist.
    When asked what kind of music he listens to for inspiration, Wonder said "everybody."
    "I am always open to hearing suggestions," Wonder told Reuters.
    "My daughter Aisha is a music lover as her father. And so she tunes me on to a lot of music and I listen to all - go up and down the internet, radio, or whatever that is. I try to hear as much as I can. I am encouraged by the new, I am inspired," he added.
    He also shared that he is worried about gun violence in the United States.
    "Any person that has a gun has to be registered and has definitely let be known when they are shooting that gun. I have a thing in my mind, imagining us a place called 'Claim the bullet.' If you have a gun and you shoot it, you claim it, your name, the fact that you did it. You have to certain thing to own a car, so why not for something that can terminate a person's life and death."
    Wonder also discussed politics and the 2016 presidential election. When asked what he thought of the current presidential candidates and who he would vote for, he immediately showed his support for Hillary Clinton.
    "Because we had conversations and because I just believe in anything that is moving towards making a difference in the world for good. I think that you can't have people insulting people or making a person feel inferior, or whatever. You know those days are gone, the days of the Wild Wild West and those people versus us. That stuff is dead, and stinking," he said.
    Wonder added: "I really believe honestly at this point that men have been kind of getting it wrong. That ego has been out of control. And so maybe we really need a woman to run this thing."
    Globally Wonder has sold more than 100 million albums and has won an Oscar, a Golden Globe and is the youngest recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors. He has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and is a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
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