This Musician Calls for ‘Joy Over Anger’ Ahead of Election

Published: September 23, 2024

This Musician Calls for ‘Joy Over Anger’ Ahead of Election

Movieguide® Contributor

Stevie Wonder wants everyone to have “joy over anger” ahead of the elections as he embarks on a 10-date tour this fall.

“Wonder announced the 10-show run on Thursday. The tour officially kicks off Oct. 8 in Pittsburgh and concludes in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Oct. 30,” GOOD MORNING AMERICA reported Sept. 19.

A press release said the tour is “a call for ‘joy over anger, kindness over recrimination, peace over war.'”

Wonder will give a certain number of free tickets to “those in our communities who are already working tirelessly to fix our nation’s broken heart.”

Last month, Wonder released, “Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart,” which embodies his sentiments about the election and the state of America.

Some of the lyrics are:

Children marching on the boulevard / Tears are streaming down their face / Tension in the air is so bizarre / Love has gone without a trace.

People pushing and shouting and fighting through the haze / And all this sadness, madness, help me take away the pain, it’s gotta change. This can’t stay the same, so tell me please / Can we fix our nation’s broken heart?

Variety reported, “The performances, titled ‘Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart,’ are produced by Wonder Productions and promoted by AEG Presents in partnership with Free Lunch, begin Tuesday, October 8 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA, with stops in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Greensboro, Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis before concluding Wednesday, October 30 at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI.”

Mlive notes an appearance in Michigan is pretty rare for Wonder, who hasn’t performed in the state since 2015, nine years ago, and has never performed in Grand Rapids in his life.

Wonder previously performed at the 23rd Annual Movieguide® Awards in a tribute to Andrae Crouch. Movieguide® reported ahead of the event:

Andraé Crouch, who died Jan. 8, paved the way for American contemporary Christian music and worked with musical legends such as Elton John, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, earning seven Grammy awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame along the way.

Besides Stevie Wonder, the moving tribute to Crouch on the REELZChannel will feature performances from fellow Grammy winners and nominees Donnie McClurkin, Jonathan Butler, Ledisi, and the a cappella Gospel music group Take 6.