On this day in 1963, an R&B and soul song climbed to the top of the charts in the US. It was also the first of its kind. Before this song came out, no other live recording of a performance had charted so well. The coveted No. 1 spot was typically reserved for formally studio-recorded songs. Not only did this tune change US music history, but it stayed at that No. 1 spot for three entire weeks.
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The hitmaker behind the song was none other than soul icon Stevie Wonder, and he was only 13 years old when he did it. And “Fingertips (Part 2)” helped catapult the young talent to a massively successful career.
“Fingertips (Part 2)” by Stevie Wonder Changed Music and Chart History in the United States
Back in the early 1960s, a young Stevie Wonder performed under the moniker Little Stevie Wonder. He was the star of the Motortown Revue. He was a multi-instrumental prodigy who had the ability to play the drums, harmonica, and piano with ease, and did it all while living with a disability. And we just can’t not mention how crazy good his stage presence was. He was only 12 years old when he started opening for everyone from The Temptations to The Supremes.
On March 10, 1963, Stevie Wonder and the Motortown Revue arrived at the famed Regal Theatre in Chicago for their scheduled performance. The whole thing was recorded, including Wonder’s final song of the night, a very improvised version of “Fingertips”. The song famously included a call-and-response moment with the audience. Wonder would say, “Everybody say yeah!” and the crowd would respond accordingly. The new version of the song also includes Wonder playing “Mary Had A Little Lamb” on the harmonica.
The song went on to be titled “Fingertips (Part 2)”, and the final three minutes of the performance were released by Motown. It was only a B-side to another performance of “Fingertips”, but it quickly became way more popular among listeners.
By August 10, “Fingertips (Part 2)” would reach No. 1 in the United States, boosting Wonder’s album Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius to the top of the Billboard 200. Wonder would be the youngest artist in history to have a No. 1 album and No. 1 single at the same time.
Photo by Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
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