The song was an immediate hit, reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and staying there for three weeks. So, he wrote “Happy Birthday” as a way to raise awareness about the importance of establishing a national holiday to honor Dr. Wonder, who had been a strong supporter of the civil rights movement throughout his career, wanted to do something to help the campaign. Even though many states and cities had already established a holiday to honor King, the campaign for a national holiday was facing significant opposition. and a campaign for the establishment of a national holiday in honor of the civil rights icon.Īt the time, there was a growing movement to have a federal holiday to commemorate the birthday of Dr. In 1981, Stevie Wonder wrote the song “Happy Birthday” as a tribute to Dr.