Happy Birthday Mr Wonder-ful!
- Cheryl Alterman | The Music Soup Editor
- Apr 21, 2023
- 7 min read
Updated: May 13
Little Stevie turns 76!
Today I am re-posting this article from NAMM 2023 (below), because it's his birthday today and NAMM '23 was my Stevie experience that I'm sharing in honor of this special day. It was the NAMM that I got to sit on the piano bench with the most 'godly' figure, that is Stevie Wonder. Today is his 76th birthday and I wanted to mark the day and honor this music god we have all known and loved for a lifetime.
On this particular day at NAMM 2023 he was roaming round the halls of the Anaheim Convention Center when I saw "the entourage"...us regulars at NAMM know - when you see "the entourage" ...in the center is none other than the man himself. He was trying out keys at a keyboard manufacturer space. When I got closer I saw Stevie Wonder or as he's called by Smokey Robinson, Mr Wonder-ful. As I approached through the crowd, one of the security guys noticed my badge said, Media and he said I can sit with Mr Wonder on his tiny piano bench!!! WTF??? So I put down my huge lens and sat shoulder to shoulder with Stevie. It felt to me, a lifelong music lover, like I was sitting next to god. I'm not a religious person and I mean no offense to those who are, but music is my religion and sharing Stevie's piano bench was as close to the most intense religious experience as I've ever had in my lifetime. Memorable YES! The word godliness is how it felt. Stevie is at NAMM every year. Most years I see him. But being told I can share his piano bench was a step above anything I'd ever experienced. It was indeed my very own religious experience.
Last year at NAMM I was with a few friends (from the band Wreckless Strangers). Mick (the drummer) and I stayed upstairs watching a drum demo when Dana and Amber split and went downstairs. Minutes after they left us - they had their own Stevie experience. The excitment I heard in Amber's voice when she called me to tell me what happened was exhilerating indeed and reminded me of my own Stevie siting in 2023. I wonder if he knows how deeply influencial he is to so many of us music lovers. Today I honor him in The Music Soup and am hoping he has had a beautiful day filled with love and music. 💜🎵🎹
Repost from NAMM 2023: To many people in the music industry, the end of January represents NAMM, (National Association of Music Merchants). Basically NAMM is a gathering of approximately 100,000 music industry people under one roof at the Anaheim Convention Center in Southern California. NAMM showcases all the new music, and engineering gear, as well as plenty of merch and live music is in the air everywhere. It's an annual pilgrimage to many around the globe. When I attend it's the place where I get to see my NAMM people, once a year. And as it's not been the same for a few years due to the pandemic, many of those that haven't attended from Australia and the UK will be there this year and we are looking forward to the reunion! NAMM is crowded, chaotic and very very busy. If you have an aversion to crowds and/or noise, NAMM is definitley not for you. And you cannot buy a ticket for it unless you are in the music business which allows A-list musicians such as Stevie Wonder and many others to be walking around the halls of NAMM, trying out new gear. This week, The Music Soup will be sharing past NAMM Shows to commemorate the start of NAMM week! This year NAMM is back to the normal schedule and runs from Wednesday January 24 to Sunday January 28, 2024.
NAMM 2023...
NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) is like the music industrys' Disneyland (for me). Some may think of it as a yearly chore and merely a work thing. However, I look forward to it every year!
This year NAMM took place April 13-15 at the normal location, Anaheim Convention Center. It usually happens in January but with the pandemic, NAMM got a tad displaced - last year it happened in June. It's rumored to go back to the normal January dates in 2024. I've been attending NAMM for many years now, and every NAMM presents different and unexpected joys. Whether it's seeing a new musical act that blows me away or seeing giants like Stevie Wonder roam the halls checking out new gear. This NAMM had bits of it all.
On Thursday the first treat I got was seeing Ron Artis play with his lovely 7 year old daughter Ida. They were simply adorable together. They sang a tune together onstage and Ida was positively beautiful! Afterwards I chatted with Rons wife Julia, and mother of his five children - Ida being the eldest. The baby, and newest member of the Artis clan is Ron Artis the 3rd. Their only boy in the five, (pictured below). Ron is one of my favourite contemporary artists. The first time I saw him play was on a NAMM stage a few years ago, and I've seen him perform several times since. He's always good, and he and daughter Ida helped begin my NAMM 2023 weekend with a smile and brought joy to my heart.
NAMM is usually Thursday through Sunday but this year the final day was Saturday. What that did is it kinda made everything be pushed up a day. The nights of live music at both the Marriott and Hilton lobbies happened on Thursday and Friday nights and by Saturday night the stages were dismantled and the lobbies were uncharacteristically quiet.
This year I got to witness and capture Stevie Wonder trying out a new keyboards....
It was about fifteen minutes of what I can only term as a vibe of 'godliness'. Stevie Wonder has been at every NAMM I've attended. One can always see Stevie coming because he travels with an entourage surrounding him. Add to his personal security all the people following him to get a glimpse of the musical genius and Stevie can always be noticed when he appears in the halls at NAMM. Last year he was at the Roland booth trying out a drum kit. This year I saw him mostly at the keyboard booths. He attended both Friday and Saturday. On Friday I was permitted by his security to stand next to him at the keyboard to capture him thru my lens. Saturday was even crazier than the Friday entourage and after a few minutes I opted out of the chaotic Stevie Wonder cluster fuck.
Roaming the aisles this year I noticed there were more young kids playing the drums than I had ever seen at previous shows. Also some of the biggest vendors were absent. I didn't see Fender, Gibson or Orange. Perhaps they'll be back in January. Also there are several NAMM friends I see every year from Australia and the UK that also didn't come in because they were expecting the turnout to be much lower than normal. So I made lots of new friends this year. NAMM even has its very own twelve step meeting on campus. As you can imagine life in the music biz can be a challenge for recovering addicts, so these meetings can provide a real sense of comfort to those who may be needing a meeting. The NAMM show has it all!
My favorite annual NAMM event is the drum circle. Sponsored by REMO, the drum circle is held outside, between the Convention Center and The Hilton. The drum circle is usually one hour in duration but this year it was two whole hours! Sooooo much fun! In fact I would drive down to LA simply for the Drum circle! The annual NAMM drum circle is an event that attracts between 300-500 people all drumming together lead by Arthur Hull. (Shown below). All hand drums, djembes, bongos, cowbells and any hand percussion instrument you can think of are provided to all who desire to participate. Every year for the last 30 years, Arthur Hull has lead the drum circle and it's sponsored by Remo. Ami Belli, the owner and CEO of Remo was a participant this year. Shown here with Arthur Hull:
All three nights had live music on the Hilton, Sheraton and Marriott stages. I usually walk back and forth throughout the evening to catch as much live music as possible. I noticed more classic rock cover tunes than other years, for some reason. There were a few nice surprises such as a duo from France called, Rosaway. Vocals, flute, and drums...an unusual Pop-Jazz sound hailing from Paris, and distinctly French. They played on the Marriott stage. Many others played on all the stages over the three nights. Also the outdoor stages in the center of it all. In true NAMM style. Music was everywhere. Chaotic and loud as it may seem to some, it feels like home away from home to me. One of my highlights of the weekend was being introduced and chatting for quite a while to fellow Brightonian, and Heartbreaker drummer, Steve Ferrone.
Then I had a chat with Will Gretsch (grandson of Fred Gretsch - pictured below). In the halls of the convention center I saw Albert Lee, Gretchen Menn, Jules Leyhe, Doug Wimbish, Victor Wooten, and countless more. There was even an identical double of Bono roaming the halls of NAMM too, causing quite a stir. So many familiar faces and many new people too. Attorney and old friend, Michael Saltz lead a couple discussions about your legal rights as a songwriter. Discussing contracts and copyright laws for artists. So much good info and education goes on at NAMM. From how to market your music, to new advances in technology, to getting more hits on social media. Its all there! Below are my photos from the event. The audio you will have to leave to your imagination!
©Cheryl Alterman Photography
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