Little Stevie Wonder: At 12 there was already something special about him....

Flautist, commenting on Buddy Holly's first recording — made in 1949 when he was 12 years old — wrote, "Couldn't be anybody else. The greats always have their signature sound even early on. Just born to do it. Here's another 12-year-old, high-voiced but already singing with distinctive phrasing (I love how at 0:56 he strings out 'strange tooooo you'), enormous range, and an absolute mastery of time. The Hammond organ really juices it up, too, but the wonderful bonus is the Temptations singing doo-wop background. 'Contract on Love' — wonderful, bouncy little tune."