“We cannot let love be taken away by negativity, we can’t do it,” Wonder said during the speech for Four Tops’ Fakir.
Stevie Wonder urged everyone to focus on love (also gave a nod to the Vice President) at Duke Fakir’s funeral. On Friday, during the farewell to the Four Tops member, he sang two gospel songs and mentioned Kamala Harris.
After performing “The Lord’s Prayer†and saying a quick “Amen†with everyone at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, Wonder simply said, “Kamala Harris.†He waited as people clapped and then said it again: “Kamala Harris. There, I said it.â€
Before singing, Wonder talked about Fakir’s legacy and stressed love over hate. “We Michiganders can not allow hate to permeate our state or country,†he said, getting applause. “It’s the sound of young America. Listen. We have to again understand that we are being challenged again with things we cannot let happen again.”
“We cannot let love be taken away by negativity, we can’t do it,†he repeated.
Harris and Wonder met the day before Fakir’s funeral when they both spoke at Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s funeral in Arizona. Harris has always loved Wonder’s music, sharing in 2019 that her all-time favorite album is his Songs in the Key of Life. In 2020, she called him a “living legend and longtime hero of mine†on his birthday.
I think it’s cool how celebrities show respect for each other.
A rep for Wonder didn’t confirm if he was endorsing Harris or not and didn’t respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
Wonder has been politically active before. Besides local endorsements, he supported Biden for president in 2020 and sang “Happy Birthday†to Hillary Clinton after backing her in 2016. “Truth be told, I think we as men have had our chance to work it out. It’s time to let a woman do it,†he said back then.
People who attended Fakir’s funeral included Martha Reeves and Claudette Robinson. Written statements from President Joe Biden and former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton were read aloud, as reported by the Detroit Free Press.
Fakir passed away on July 22 at age 88 due to heart failure. He was the last surviving member of the “Reach Out I’ll Be There†Motown group.
