Stevie Wonder is Moving to Ghana and Says It’s Because of Turmoil in the United States

Soul legend Stevie Wonder has announced that he is moving to Ghana during a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, which was widely shared across social media. According to Wonder, he is moving to the country due to political turmoil in the United States.

“I wanna see this nation smile again. And I want to see it before I leave to travel to move to Ghana because I’m going to do that,” Wonder told Winfrey. When asked if he was moving permanently to Ghana he added “I am,” before elaborating that he doesn’t “want to see my children’s children’s children have to say, ‘Oh please like me. Please respect me, please know that I am important, please value me.’ What is that?”

Why I Will Be Relocating To Ghana Permanently – Stevie Wonder pic.twitter.com/XLu7u3dvrc

— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) February 19, 2021

While this clip has gained traction online, the Detroit Free Press notes that the performer has spoken about these plans for decades, going as far back as the 1970s. The publication also noted that the story was even picked up by African outlets such as the Punch, a newspaper based out of Nigeria.

As a 25-time Grammy Award-winner, Wonder has lived up to his stage name since the age of nine, when he captured the heart of America as a talented multi-instrumentalist playing piano, drums and harmonica. At the age of 11 he was signed to the Motown label Tamla and released his first number-one hit at age 13 with “Fingertips.” His classics include the likes of “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “I Just Called to Say I Love You.”