Stevie Wonder was banned from South African radio stations today (March 26, 1985), after he won an Oscar Award the night before, for his hit single”I Just Called To Say I Love You.”
Stevie’s song, which hit #1 on both the Pop and R&B charts, was featured in the movie “The Woman In Red,” a romantic comedy starring Gene Wilder.
Stevie dedicated his Oscar to imprisoned South African leader, Nelson Mandela, prompting the ban on his music in South Africa.
“If my being banned means people will be free, ban me megatimes,” Stevie Wonder said in published reports.
Later that year, Stevie Wonder released his album In A Square Circle, which included the tune “It’s Wrong (Apartheid)”as well as the #1 Pop song, “Part-Time Lovers.”
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