How does this sound for a movie?
A unique, show-business oriented, coming-of-age-story that’s also a 1960’s period piece–that combustible era of racial riots, Jim Crow, Freedom Riders, anti-war protests and blind-siding assassinations.
Then add the phenomenon of a dominant, black-owned recording business that shrewdly dared to market to both black and white listeners while jump-starting the careers of some of America’s most iconic recording artists. Yes, we’re talking about Motown, its savvy, egotistical, flamboyant founder Berry Gordy and all those “Hitsville” stars–from Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross to The Temptations, The Four Tops and Martha and the Vandellas. Can you say sound track for the ages!
And then include–no, feature–“Little Stevie Wonder,” a truly gifted talent and Motown meal ticket whose career faced early sidetracking because of truancy scenarios. And it might very well have had it not been for the legally-blind, white tutor that Motown hired to help Stevie navigate adolescence, avoid bad role models and hit the books–both talking and braille–on the high-octane, highly-distracting, show-biz road.
That tutor, Tampa’s own Ted Hull, stayed with Stevie through his teen years–and through the constant loop of Motown touring that included off-the-charts talent, over-the-top personalities and variations on a racism theme. It came from whites because he was with blacks in the South and from blacks because he was a white buffer between fans and Stevie up North. He once considered dating the “flirtatious” Diana Ross, but backed off out of deference to the societal taboo on interracial dating.
A few years back, Hull, 75, formally chronicled these recollections in a book: The Wonder Years: My Life and Times With Stevie Wonder.” He’s now looking for a movie collaborator. Ted’s a genuinely nice guy and deserves one last shot at the limelight, but this is also about us. For purely selfish reasons I hope this compelling story makes it to the big screen.