Happy Birthday (Stevie Wonder song)

This song has no relation to the song traditionally sung on people's birthdays.
"Happy Birthday"
UK single picture sleeve
Single by Stevie Wonder
from the album Hotter than July
B-side
ReleasedJune 26, 1981 (1981-06-26)[1]
Recorded1980
Genre
Length5:53
LabelMotown
Songwriter(s)Stevie Wonder
Producer(s)Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder singles chronology
"Lately"
(1981)
"Happy Birthday"
(1981)
"Did I Hear You Say You Love Me"
(1981)

"Happy Birthday" is a song written, produced and performed by Stevie Wonder for the Motown label. Wonder, a social activist, was one of the main figures in the campaign to have the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. become a national holiday, and created this single to promulgate the cause.[2] The song has since become a standard for use during birthdays in general, particularly among African Americans.

"Happy Birthday" was released as the fourth single of Wonder's Hotter than July (1980) album in June 1981. It was one of his most popular entries in the UK Singles Chart.[3] It was not released in the United States, but is still regarded as one of his signature songs.

  1. ^ "Stevie Wonder - Happy Birthday".
  2. ^ Bowerman, Mary. "MLK Day: Why on Monday and what was Stevie Wonder's role?". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference OCC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).