This story was originally published in the Oct. 10, 1974, issue of Rolling Stone.

Along with many of the stars and hopefuls at Chicago’s 1971 Black Expo, Minnie Riperton waited patiently backstage to approach the blind musician rocking characteristically in his chair. His latest album, Where I’m Coming From, was moving up the charts.

“Everybody was trying to meet Stevie,” she recalled over lunch recently, leaning back to adjust a large, foppish white hat that rested lightly on a natural of moderate length. Occasionally the hat concealed her bright eyes, but...