For three years Wonder put his life on hold and dedicated tours, rallies and marches to bring his vision to life – a quest that would establish the first holiday in the US that honoured a black American. The 1980 song had represented the start of Wonder's campaign to make the birthday of renowned peace activist, Martin Luther King Jr, into a federal holiday.
'I just never understood/ How a man who died for good/ Could not have a day that would/ Be set aside for his recognition,' they sang, electrifying the crowd. The 50,000-strong audience chanted: 'Martin Luther King Day, we took a holiday,' according to Scott-Heron’s 2012 memoir, The Last Holiday, as the stars began to sing Wonder's hit song, Happy Birthday, a tribute to the murdered civil rights leader. On 15 January 1981, music legends Diana Ross and Gladys Knight, along with the 'godfather of rap', Gil Scott-Heron, joined renowned musician Stevie Wonder on stage at the National Mall in Washington, DC.
