it is too different, from aretha franklin, ray charles, ll, duke. there is no panicle. -- there is no pinnacle. i would say the most influential people in the last 50 years of american music. that is something, i don't know how it happened, because you cannot plan that. you cannot make that happen. you have to just do what you know what to do and hope that somebody says dewitt with me. it -- and hope that somebody says do it with me. it is like with fright, and paris, i was the musical director for their records. somebody called and said mr. sinatra wrote once you to bring the whole house down, 55 musicians, to monaco for a sporting club for a fund-raiser for sinatra. i did not even know him. it was like a dream for an arranger. we went down, i got a call one day. the first guy to call me q -- q, i heard that phrase in that you did for count basie. it was a waltz. he said i like the one that you did. in 4-4. would you consider doing an album with me and count basie? i said, man, are you kidding? you better believe it. i worked with him from 1964 unt

and then we did "tribute to uncle ray," tribute to ray charles. then we were on the motown review, and in chicago, "fingertips" was done again. a live version of it. my music director at the time came one an idea for everybody say yeah and all that stuff. and that was put on the album that was called "the little stevie wonder live at the apollo." >> larry: you ain't so little anymore. you were once little stevie wonder. right? >> never little. big in spirit, small in size. grew match my spirit. >> larry: did the harmonica come naturally to you, too? >> harmonica was something that obviously growing up in detroit you'd hear the different harmonica players playing the blues, walking down the streets. when i was off the christmas holiday season, an uncle gave me achromatic harmonica, and obviously i didn't know what to do with the button. what is this for? so i was like -- ♪ >> then i figured for me, playing the harmonica after a while was like the saxophone to me. and so it was like -- ♪ >> larry: you take to music, you're called a genius. did t

and than we did a tribute to uncle ray, to ray charles. and then we were on the motown menu and in chicago the fingertips was done again. we came up with a live version of it. my musical director at the time came up with an idea. and that was put on the album that was called little stevie wonder live at the apollo. >> you're not so little anymore. you were once little stevie wonder, right? >> never little. big in spirit. small in size. growed to kind of match my spirit. >> larry: did the harmonica come naturally to you, too? >> it was -- it was something that obviously growing up in detroit here in the different harmonicas, playing the blues and walking on the streets, when i was off for the christmas holiday season, an uncle gave me a harmonica and obviously i didn't know what to do with the button. i said, what is this for? ♪ >> but then i figured for me it was like playing the saxophone for me. ♪ >> larry: you take to music, you're called a genius. did that bother you being called a genius so young? >> the amazing thing about being

tavis: he ended up being ray charles' doctor. does that say something about the folks who stayed behind, but those who did not go? >> there is a way of looking at them that is also a beautiful. there were the keepers of the culture. they were the keepers. some would say we need to stay here so you have a place to come back to when you need to. i thought that was beautiful. together, this migration was the precursor to the civil rights movement in many respects. one way because it showed this underpaid, lower level of the caste system of the south. the underpaid workers of the south had an option and were willing to take it. they were willing to act on that option which was to leave. when this began, 90% of african- americans living in the south. by the time it was over, nearly half were living outside the south. there were living from washington, d.c. up to boston and to cleveland and chicago, detroit, all the way to los angeles. anywhere but the south. tavis: the period you're talking about happens to be america in the king year

you are a ray of sunshine on this cold day. we will see snow