Motown legend Stevie Wonder was sued for millions after he signed a controversial lawyer contract, here’s what happened.
Highlights
- Stevie Wonder’s ex-attorney’s wife sued him for a controversial contract he was allegedly deceived into signing.
- Besides this, Wonder faced financial exploitation from his cousin who threatened to blackmail him for $5 million.
- Despite challenges, Wonder has had a successful music career and remains a celebrated artist advocating for social causes.
Music legend Stevie Wonder, one of Motown’s greatest stars, has been in the spotlight since he was a child. Joining the Motown family at only eleven years old, Wonder wowed music executives and the public with his diverse musicality. Not only could the young Wonder sing well, but he was also proficient at playing multiple instruments, including the piano and the harmonica.
Even more impressive, Wonder pursued his musical passions while having an undeniable disability. Since he was an infant, Wonder has been blind. Unfortunately for the iconic artist, his journey of fame has been far from easy. According to Wonder, he has been taken advantage of. Surprisingly, he was even sued by his former attorney’s wife after he signed a bizarre and shocking contract. In this article, we will highlight why Stevie Wonder was sued , how the contract was controversial, and what other challenges Wonder has faced personally and professionally.
Why Was Stevie Wonder Sued By His Ex-Attorney’s Wife?
Stevie Wonder was one of the most famous artists to ever come out of Motown Records. At thirteen years old, Wonder became the youngest person to earn a No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Fingertips” in 1963, according to Radio Fidelity. Wonder’s artistic style evolved as he grew up and, as a result, he introduced some of the most recognizable R&B, soul, and pop tracks of the 20th century:
- Superstition
- My Cherie Amour
- Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours
- For Once In My Life
- Uptight (Everything’s Alright)
- Isn’t She Lovely
- Sir Duke
Wonder escreveu ou co-escreveu muitas de suas canções de sucesso. No entanto, a Motown pagou-lhe muito pouco no início. Em 1971, Wonder decidiu contratar um advogado chamado Johanan Vigoda, segundo Grunge. Vigoda lutou por Wonder e conseguiu ajudá-lo a ganhar os royalties que merecia. Wonder conseguiu até ganhar 95% dos royalties de uma música que ele não escreveu! Conhecido por sua personalidade colorida, Vigoda usou a cegueira de Wonder a seu favor.
Wonder trabalhou com Vigoda por quatro décadas e confiou em seu advogado. No entanto, Vigoda não era um indivíduo confiável e sabia que poderia fazer com que seu cliente assinasse um contrato tendencioso .
De acordo com o contrato, Vigoda receberia uma taxa de royalties de 6% com base em todos os royalties da carreira de Wonder em troca de seus serviços. O problema do contrato era que Wonder teria que continuar pagando os bens de Vigoda depois que o advogado falecesse. Além disso, a família de Wonder teria que continuar pagando a família de Vigoda indefinidamente, mesmo após a morte de ambos.
Segundo Wonder, ele não tinha conhecimento desse aspecto do contrato quando a esposa de Vigoda o processou por royalties não pagos em 2015, segundo Grunge. Vigoda leu o contrato para Wonder devido à sua deficiência e propositalmente não foi transparente com seu cliente. Depois que Vigoda morreu, os parceiros de negócios de Wonder continuaram a pagar seus bens por aproximadamente dois anos, de acordo com o TMZ. Wonder supostamente não sabia que ainda estava pagando Vigoda e, assim que soube, exigiu que seus associados parassem de pagar à família Vigoda. Assim que ele parou de enviar royalties, a esposa de Vigoda o processou em impressionantes sete milhões .
Em 2017, a viúva de Wonder e Vigoda chegou a um acordo não revelado , de acordo com o Hollywood Reporter. De acordo com um documento apresentado ao Tribunal, “após negociações longas e complicadas, e a muito apreciada paciência do Tribunal,… [as] Partes celebraram um Acordo de Compensação totalmente executado com data efetiva de 31 de julho, 2017.”
Que outros desafios financeiros Stevie Wonder enfrentou?
O contrato de Stevie Wonder com Johanan Vigoda não foi a única vez que ele foi aproveitado financeiramente. Infelizmente, outro acontecimento difícil na vida de Wonder foi quando seu primo, Alpha Walker, o colocou na lista negra.
According to Grunge, Walker was in possession of a controversial video about Wonder and threatened to share it publicly if Wonder did not pay him $5 million. Fortunately, Wonder never paid a dime. Wonder’s cousin, who had a previous criminal background, was sentenced to 292 days in jail, among other penalties, for blacklisting the iconic entertainer.
In 1973, Wonder shared with Rolling Stone that he felt his death was near and did not understand why he felt this way. ” I don’t have any reason to kill myself and I don’t know anyone who would want to kill me”, he elaborated. On August 6th, 1973, the legendary performer was involved in a serious car accident that left him in a coma, according to Grunge.
In critical condition, Wonder could have easily passed away. Fortunately, a friend used music to help get Wonder out of his coma and on the road to recovery.
Rod Stewart’s Flop Was Gold For Elton John, Dionne Warwick And Stevie Wonder
Rod Stewart’s version of a song fell flat, but Elton John, Dionne Warwick, and Stevie Wonder later revived it — to the tune of millions of dollars.
Wonder also filed for divorce from his now ex-wife, Kai Morris, in August 2012, which proved to be very expensive for the entertainer. They were able to have a private divorce.
Stevie Wonder has been through a lot personally and professionally. However, he has used his craft to bring joy to millions of people all around the world. For a person who has experienced tragedy and hardship since he was a child, Wonder’s immeasurable career is nothing short of remarkable. His timeless catalog is the soundtrack of multiple generations.
Furthermore, he has had an active role in raising awareness for social causes, including being a soloist in USA For Africa’s We Are The World in 1985. Still relevant and celebrated in the 2020s, Stevie Wonder is a living legend who has stood the test of time.
