Is Matthew Whitaker the Next Stevie Wonder? 16-Year-Old Blind Musical Prodigy Wows the World

The odds were almost hopelessly stacked against Matthew Whitaker at birth. He was premature, weighing just over 20 oz., able to fit in the palm of his father’s hand. His mother still sheds tears at the memory.

Matthew, now 16, was born blind, and had to struggle harder than most to mark even the simplest of milestones. But as he grew up, a great talent for music was discovered: He plays the piano, organ and drums beyond expertly. What’s more, he’s self-taught; one of those enigmas with an “ear for music.”

Since Matthew is a Black pianist who’s blind and wears dark sunglasses, he’s been widely compared to Stevie Wonder—who began his own career as an 11-year-old prodigy billed as “Little Stevie Wonder.” When Whitaker won the “Showtime at the Apollo” competition, the host, Steve Harvey, called him “Matthew ‘Stevie Wonder’ Whitaker!”

Matthew takes it all in stride. So does his family. His mother May Whitaker says, “I think it’s normal for people to see the similarities between two people who are blind, and who started playing music very young, and who have a passion for music.”

Matthew makes his own mark. He was recently profiled on TODAY’s new series, Boys Changing the World. Once again, the teen was compared to the legend. “It’s an honor to be compared to him, but there’s really only one Stevie,” Matthew told host Savannah Guthrie. Then he proceeded to play some Steve Wonder tunes—beautifully, but with his own style.

“Stevie is Stevie,” the teen said in an interview with NorthJersey.com. “There’s no one who can copy Stevie. People try their best to imitate him, but they just can’t. And I have met Stevie. I know. When I was 10, I opened for him at the Apollo Theater. He was being inducted into the Hall of Fame. We met backstage before I went on. He said, ‘How you doing, Matt?’ He gave me one of his harmonicas.”

Since he was 14, Matthew’s been organist at the New Hope Baptist Church in hometown Hackensack. He’s toured Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He has his own publishing company with ASCAP. He’s got endorsement deals with Hammond and Yamaha. He was the subject of a 2015 documentary short, “Thrive.”

He’s not only unique in the world, Matthew is the only musician in his family. “Matthew is the only one who has the gift,” his dad, Moses Whitaker, says. Both he and May work as IT specialists. “Some of us have dabbled in music. My brother sings a little bit. I took trombone lessons in high school, like other kids taking music class. But Matthew really has the gift. He’s a natural. Basically, all I do is carry his equipment.”

Matthew put out his first album in 2017. It was produced by Ray Chew (“American Idol,” “Showtime at the Apollo”). “He’s extraordinary,” Chew says of the prodigy. “And you don’t want to put an asterisk next to it. He’s not extraordinary because he’s blind. He’s extraordinary because he’s extraordinary.”

He really is—and a great inspiration to us all.