Wonder is writing songs in the key of his life

Stevie Wonder (shown here in Boston in September) began touring again last year after a 10-year hiatus. (Evan richman/globe staff/file 2007)

He may have grown up in Detroit and live in Los Angeles, but Stevie Wonder was heartened by the Celtics triumph in the NBA Championship. "I think the Celtics had the spirit," Wonder says on the phone from Connecticut. And certainly the 58-year-old music legend knows from spirit. He continues to spread it with his current tour, which began last year after more than a decade's hiatus from touring and comes to the Comcast Center tomorrow night.

We chatted with him earlier this week about life on the road, new material, and his endorsement of Barack Obama.

Q. Was it partially that you didn't have a new record to promote that you were less interested in touring?
A. A lot of things have happened in the last 10 years, as I've talked about on the stage. Losing my mother [in 2006], my brother, and [first wife] Syreeta [Wright]. I got married, as well I had two more children, my youngest, who was born the same day as me, Mandla, and my next oldest, Kailand. From that to having my daughter Sophia, who just graduated from high school [and is] about to go to Spelman, and my next oldest to her, Kwame, who will be going to Morehouse. So a lot of stuff is happening, so just doing and dealing with life. The exciting thing is having those times. I'm able to write about the different things that are happening in my life and in the lives that touch my life either directly or indirectly.

Q. Does that mean you're working on new material as we speak?
A. I am. I'm working on two projects, actually. One is a [gospel] tribute to my mother, and the second thing is "Through the Eyes of Wonder." It's a combination of how I see what has been happening [in the world], my take on it, and as well the amazement of it all.

Q. You make a plea for peace and tolerance a part of your shows. How important is it to you that it receives a positive response?
A. Someone has to do it. You know, it's really funny, even before I heard the slogan that Barack Obama had of "yes we can," I wrote a song a year and a half ago that I was going to give to this artist from West Africa. The chorus was "if you want to, we can do this, yes we can." I'm probably going to cut it and use it just for the spirit of where we are. I think that America has such a great possibility of not only being as good or great as it was, but even greater than ever before.

Q.Do you feel like America is ready for a black president?
A. I feel like this: Why not? I think that young people are in a place where they're saying, 'Listen, we want the truth and we want change.' We want for this place called America, this place called democracy, this place called equality that everyone talks about, to be the very place that they live in. Don't just talk about it, be about it.

Q. Some of your biggest fans have become popular musicians. Is that always flattering?
A. To me it's an honor, and it's also a challenge, and so I'm influenced by the various people that are coming up as they say they are influenced by me. I like Alicia [Keys], I like Mariah [Carey], always taking chances doing different stuff. I think India[.Arie] is very talented. I'm a big John Mayer fan. I think [Justin Timberlake's] very talented, and it would be fun to work with him on stuff.

Q. What do you tell young people who seek your advice?
A. I just say to people, "As good as you think you are, know that you can always be better," because that's what I feel about myself.