His lyrics have helped bring couples together, stoked the fire of struggling relationships, and provided the first dance at weddings.Yet last night, as Stevie Wonder picked up an honour for his outstanding music at the White House, he discovered that he had also knitted together the relationship of the most powerful couple in the world.
Presenting the soul star with the second annual Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, Barack and Michelle Obama disclosed the crucial part that Wonder's music had played in their courtship - including adding that they had chosen You and I for their first dance.
“I think it is fair to say that, had I not been a Stevie Wonder fan, Michelle might not have dated me, we might not have married," the President said. “The fact that we agreed on Stevie was part of the essence of our courtship.”