The surprise guests made up for the show’s lengthy runtime.
Laetitia Rumford/VIBE
Stevie Wonder concluded his 2024 “Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart” tour in Los Angeles on Saturday (Dec. 14).
Despite the 45-minute delay, the three-hour, sold-out, benefit concert began with the legendary singer-songwriter addressing the audience with two of his children, Aisha and Kailand, while acknowledging his foundation House Full Of Toys’ 25th anniversary and apologizing for the late start. “I want to apologize for the delay and all that, but I had to make sure I looked good,” Stevie joked.
The KJLH Radio Free Performance Choir kicked off the show by reminding the audience that Jesus is the reason for the season with a medley of gospel tunes. Upon his return to the stage, Stevie shouted out Berry Gordy — in honor of his 95th birthday and of course, their storied relationship — as well as Mayor Karen Bass for her efforts to combat the homelessness crisis plaguing Los Angeles. Gordy is also featured on Stevie’s upcoming album, Through The Eyes Of Wonder as a “hype man.”
After starting with the tour’s titular single, “Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart,” Stevie went into a somber rendition of “Ave Maria.” He cascaded through his incomparable discography with records including “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” “Sir Duke,” “Higher Ground,” “You’ve Got It Bad, Girl,” and “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” while sharing comical anecdotes about the song’s conception or relatable moments from his youth. Stevie spoke on the girlfriend he had when he was 13 and how he transformed “For Once In My Life” into the classic jam it is today.
When performing “My Cherie Amour,” the audience took over, causing Stevie to become emotional. He shared, “Our tomorrow has no ending. For the love that’s in our hearts and our souls, if we feel it, it will go on beyond time and space. I thank you for everything. I thank God for the gift and that I’m able to share it with you ’cause it’s just the beginning of the best parts of our lives.” It was the perfect segue into his 1985 ballad, “Overjoyed.”
Laetitia Rumford
Sheléa, who’d joined Stevie on other tour stops, popped up and made a slew of new fans through her renditions of Aretha Franklin’s “Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do),” Roberta Flack’s “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” and Carole King’s “You’ve Got A Friend.” She teased her own new music before she and Stevie performed “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing.”
Jon Batiste was the first true surprise guest of the evening. He and Stevie had a bit of a jam session, performing “Knocks Me Off My Feet,” The Dixie Cups’ “Chapel Of Love,” and “They Won’t Go When I Go” in honor of “those we lost this year” as he specifically mentioned the late Quincy Jones. “The way we keep people alive is [by] talking about them and by telling people about them, sharing your stories,” Stevie expressed.
Lucky Daye swapped places with Batiste, first performing his own hit, “That’s You,” before he and Stevie sang “That Girl” and “I Just Called To Say I Love You.” It was then the biggest and final surprise guest of the night came out: El DeBarge. He performed his family’s timeless records, “Love Me In A Special Way” and “I Like It.”
However, Stevie wasn’t wrapping up the night without singing “Superstition” and “Do I Do.” Even though we didn’t get “As,” “Isn’t She Lovely,” or any Christmas songs, he did tease that he may run this all back next year as stated, “I love you. Thanks for coming out tonight and I hope to see you next year.”
The L.A. stop of his tour was presented by AEG and Free Lunch. Check out highlights above.
