WONDERful Motown May (Stevie Wonder) Top Ten: For Once in My Life (#9)

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Happy 71st birthday to Stevie Wonder!!!!! (And thanks to @BarBaraPrz for pointing that out.) That’s not why I started this countdown, though: I was commissioned by @Dena91 to do a Motown countdown, and how can you just pick ONE Stevie Wonder song? So I decided he’s worthy of his own countdown....and indeed he is! Here’s today’s song. #9: For Once in My Life I am genuinely surprised I can listen to this. I’ll tell you a horror story that’ll make you shudder. One night, as a teenager, I was watching The Tonight Show, and McLean Stevenson (best-known for playing Henry Blake on M*A*S*H, then leaving the show) guest hosted. He came out and, instead of doing a monologue, sang this song. OUCH. Thankfully, there’s no You Tube video of that fiasco, but Stevie’s jumpy, upbeat cover of this song that had been recorded as a ballad by others, including Tony Bennett, IS there. Enjoy this great tune...and happy birthday, Stevie! For Once in My Life Written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden From For Once in My Life, 1968 This is mine, you can’t take it: