Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke (Live @Apollo Theatre 1985)

On May 5th, 1985 the Apollo’s renovation is celebrated with a 50th Anniversary grand reopening and television special, “Motown Salutes the Apollo.“ and was hosted by Bill Cosby. “Sir Duke“ is a song composed and performed by Stevie Wonder, from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. Released as a single in 1977, the track topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Black Singles charts, and reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart, his joint biggest hit there at the time. The song was written in tribute to Duke Ellington, the influential jazz legend who had died in 1974. The lyrics also refer to Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. The artists, apart from Stevie Wonder, who perform on the original version were: Raymond Pounds (drums), Nathan Watts (bass), Mike Sembello (lead guitar), Ben Bridges (rhythm guitar), Hank Redd (alto saxophone), Trevor Laurence (tenor saxophone), Raymond Maldonado (trumpet), and Steve Madaio (trumpet). Wonder r