Stevie Wonder plays small Portland Benefit

PORTLAND – The legendary Stevie Wonder was in Portland Friday performing at a benefit at Quartet restaurant in Southwest Portland.
Getting to see the iconic Motown artist, however, wasn’t easy. There were only 200 tickets for the performance, which were going for a handsome $500 a pop and sold out quickly.

It’s also just before Wonder’s 63rd birthday, and if you think that sounds young for the 22-time Grammy winner, just remember, Wonder was signed to Motown records at age 11 where he recorded his first major hit at 13 years old and helped put Barry Gordy’s Hitsville U.S.A on the map.

Proceeds from Friday’s performance went to Project Clean Slate, a Portland non-profit designed to help people clean up their criminal histories. The program was started by Portland entrepreneur Roy Jay to help people get a second chance in life by removing traffic tickets and other minor criminal convictions preventing them from getting jobs, housing, and other opportunities.

by Evan Sernoffsky, kgw.com staff

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