Just ask Andrea Bocelli, who was one of many stars who popped up at the Nokia Theater on Tuesday night to pay tribute to Wonder in a two-hour special taped for CBS.
With Wonder in the front row surrounded by family, Bocelli took the stage to sing I Just Called To Say I Love You. "I thought it was a very simple song when I decided to sing (it)," he said afterward. "Jesus – it's so difficult!"
Beyonce opened the Grammy salute, and hit a high note jamming with Ed Sheeran on Master Blaster. Lady Gaga, clad in a short silver caftan, sang a rousing rendition of I Wish, while Tony Bennett put a tender, jazzy spin on For Once In My Life.
"Nobody writes and sings love songs like Stevie Wonder. Nobody," said John Legend, before launching into I Believe (When I Fall In Love), followed by a duet from Ariana Grande and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds on Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours.
LL Cool J hosted the evening, and warned attendees inside Nokia that "it's not a live show. So if we want to do something over, we'll do it over."
Curious what you won't see on the broadcast? Jennifer Hudson had to redo her intro when her microphone stopped working. India Arie, Jill Scott and Janelle Monáe blew the roof off with their gorgeous take on As, but had to re-tape the ending. And Monáe got so into the performance her hat fell clear off her head.
Wonder took the stage at the close of the show. After delivering a show-stopping set of hits from Superstition to You Are the Sunshine of My Life, he had one message for his cheering audience: "Find a way of committing yourself to love."
Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life — An All-Star GRAMMY Salute airs Feb. 16 at 9 pm. ET/PT on CBS.
Showing some skin: Gaga and Ariana posed together backstage
Workin' it: Recording artists Jill Scott, Janelle Monae and India Arie perform onstage
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