The 1980s

In 1983, Motown records turned twenty-five. The company produced a television special for the event. Stevie received standing ovations for “I Wish,” “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” and “My Cherie Amour.” Although Stevie had not released an album in years, the public had not forgotten him.

Stevie had possibly his best time in 1983 when he hosted Saturday Night Live. Few people knew that Stevie was a great comedian. He had been keeping his family in stitches almost his whole life. The cast of Saturday Night Live (including Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo) discovered his talents quickly. Stevie parodied his musical style, his blindness, and racial prejudice. He had a ball doing it, too. Some critics didn't think Stevie should have made fun of his handicap or played a slave plantation owner. Stevie disagreed. He said, “My own feeling was that the whole show is such an obvious joke in the first place, that if you are going to participate, you have to be that way. And it was fun.”