Honestly, if you've ever spent time in a barber shop or a dive bar, you've heard them. Jokes about Stevie Wonder are basically their own sub-genre of American comedy. Most of them are pretty hacky—stuff about him playing tennis or driving a bus. But there is a weird, fascinating layer to this that most people totally miss.
Stevie Wonder is often the one telling the jokes.
It’s not just fans being edgy. The man himself has spent over fifty years leaning into the "Stevie can actually see" conspiracy theories. He trolls people. He does it with a straight face, and he’s been doing it since he was a kid at Motown.
The Night Stevie "Saw" Shaq in an Elevator
One of the best stories out there comes from Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq used to live in the same apartment building as Stevie on Wilshire Boulevard in L.A.
One afternoon, Shaq is standing in the elevator. He’s being quiet, just minding his own business. The doors slide open. Stevie Wonder walks in. He doesn't have a cane. He doesn't have an assistant. He just strolls in, looks toward the seven-foot-one giant in the corner, and says, "What's up, Big Diesel?"
Then he hits his own floor button and walks out.
Shaq was floored. He spent years telling everyone who would listen that Stevie has a secret set of working eyeballs. But that's the thing about Stevie—he has a freakishly good sense of hearing and spatial awareness. Or maybe he just knew Shaq’s scent. Either way, he knew exactly who was in that corner and exactly how to mess with him.
Trolling the World Since the 80s
If you look back at his 1983 stint on Saturday Night Live, you can see just how much he loves the bit. He did a fake commercial for a "Kannon AE-1" camera. The pitch? It was so simple even Stevie Wonder could use it.
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He spent the whole sketch fumbling with the lens and snapping blurry photos of the floor while grinning like he’d just won the lottery. It was hilarious because it was self-deprecating. He wasn't the victim of the joke; he was the architect of it.
He even did a sketch where he played an impersonator who was "better" than the real Stevie because you could actually understand the lyrics.
The Lionel Richie "Driving" Incident
Lionel Richie has a similar story that sounds like a fever dream. Apparently, Stevie once invited Lionel over to hear a new track. They went out to the car. Stevie hopped into the driver's seat.
He didn't just sit there. He cranked the engine, put it in reverse, and started backing down the driveway. Lionel was reportedly terrified, screaming for his life, while Stevie just laughed.
Was he actually driving? Probably not in the way we think. He likely knew the driveway like the back of his hand and wanted to see how long it took for Lionel to lose his mind. That’s the "Stevie Magic." He uses people’s discomfort with his blindness to create these absurd, legendary moments.
Why Do These Jokes Keep Hanging Around?
We live in an era of "Stevie Wonder Truthers." You’ve probably seen the viral clips. There’s the one where Paul McCartney accidentally knocks over a microphone stand during a live performance, and Stevie reaches out and catches it mid-air.
The internet went nuts. "Look! He saw it!"
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In reality, if you’re blind from birth like Stevie (due to retinopathy of prematurity), your other senses don't just get "better"—your brain literally rewires itself to process sound and touch in the areas usually reserved for vision. He probably heard the air displacement or the click of the stand tilting.
But Stevie doesn't try to debunk the rumors too hard. Why would he? It’s much more fun to keep everyone guessing.
He once presented an award at the Grammys and taunted the audience because they couldn't read the winner's name in Braille. "You can't read it! Nya-nya-nya-nya-nya!"
It was a power move. For a second, he was the one with the "vision" and everyone else was in the dark.
The Fine Line of Celebrity Humor
Not every joke lands well, though. In 2025, during a show in Cardiff, Stevie actually had to get a bit serious. He mentioned that he knows people think it’s all a long-running prank.
He told the crowd, "You know the truth. Shortly after my birth, I became blind."
He called it a blessing. He said it allowed him to "see" the world through people’s spirits rather than their physical appearance. It was a rare moment where he dropped the "troll" persona and reminded everyone that, jokes aside, this is his actual life.
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Even then, he couldn't help himself. He recently ribbed Jamie Foxx, telling him that just because Jamie played Ray Charles in a movie, it didn't mean they were "besties."
How to Appreciate the Wit of a Legend
If you're going to dive into the world of Stevie Wonder humor, keep these things in mind:
- Context is everything. The funniest jokes are the ones Stevie starts himself.
- Respect the talent. The reason the jokes work is that his genius is so undeniable that we look for "human" flaws or secrets.
- Listen to the stories. Guys like Shaq, Lionel Richie, and Anthony Anderson have firsthand accounts of Stevie being a world-class prankster.
Stevie Wonder isn't just a musical icon. He's a guy who realized early on that if the world was going to stare at him, he might as well give them something to look at—even if he can’t see them doing it.
If you want to see this humor in action, go back and watch his "Carpool Karaoke" with James Corden. He starts the segment in the driver's seat, telling Corden he forgot his license. It’s classic Stevie. It’s disarming, it’s a little bit "wrong," and it’s exactly why we’re still talking about it sixty years into his career.
Next time you hear a joke about him, remember: he's probably already heard it. And he's probably got a better one ready to go.
Next Steps for You
If you want to dig deeper into the "Stevie Truth" rabbit hole, your best bet is to look up the 1983 SNL archives. Watching him navigate those sketches gives you a much better sense of his comedic timing than any written transcript ever could. You might also want to check out the "The Wonder of Stevie" podcast, where he discusses his childhood and how his mother handled his blindness in the early days of Motown. It’s a lot more grounded, but just as soulful as his music.