Stevie Wonder granted Freedom of Newcastle
Stevie Wonder has finally been awarded the Freedom of Newcastle, over two years after the honour was granted.
The renowned musician has now officially had the Freedom of Newcastle bestowed upon him in an official ceremony. This honour refers to one bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary.
Wonder was granted the honour over two years ago, in March 2023, by Karen Robinson, the Mayor at that time. Now, the ‘Sir Duke’ singer has received the honour in London, some 300 miles from the city.
According to the Chronicle Live, Wonder was awarded the honour “as a memento of his efforts to establish Martin Luther King Day in the United States, in addition to his ongoing activism for social and political causes.”
Malcolm Gerrie, the Newcastle-born music producer, was granted a meeting with the legend after his recent headline show at London’s BST Hyde Park. His UK manager, Keith Harris, who was born in Newcastle, also helped arrange the meeting on behalf of his city.
The interview with Gerrie and Wonder lasted an hour at 2:30am at Wonder’s hotel. He expanded on his views on social justice, after which he was handed a framed scroll and a braille letter explaining why he was awarded Newcastle’s highest honour.
Singer Georgia May presented the honour to Wonder. She reflected on the moment, stating, “He gave a lot of profound and insightful advice and reiterated his humanitarianism. It was just really touching because he was so moved as well.”
She added, “It was an honour to represent Northern Roots and the city council in handing over the award, and to be in the presence of such greatness was humbling and inspirational. For me, it was a huge opportunity to connect with an idol and inspiration to so many people.”
In more recent years, Wonder has been faced with a number of health issues – most notably undergoing a kidney transplant in September 2019, which he announced was going to happen at his last show at BST Hyde Park that summer.
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