MGM Springfield promised star power and will deliver when music legend Stevie Wonder opens the downtown casino with a Sept. 1 concert.

Honored by both the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame, Wonder, 68, has racked up more than 30 Top 10 hits, received 25 Grammy Awards, and sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

"We are thrilled to announce the first of our many spectacular world-renowned entertainers coming to downtown Springfield," said Talia Spera, executive director of Arena Operations for MGM Springfield. "Stevie Wonder is a legendary singer, songwriter and musician, and we're excited to have him as part of our Grand Opening weekend celebration."

Tickets start at $69, plus applicable fees, and will go on sale to the general public

Monday, May 21 at 10 a.m.

Tickets can be purchased at the MassMutual Center Box Office, at

MassMutualCenter.com

or by phone at (855) 278-4667.

American Express Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning

Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Wonder's concert will "usher in a new era of exciting world-class entertainment for the city, Spera said.

"As one of the world's leading presenters of live entertainment, MGM is leveraging its pipeline of global relationships to attract first-rate events, reinforcing Springfield's reputation as the region's premier entertainment center," Spera said.

Wonder comes to Springfield following concert dates at MGM properties in Las Vegas, Maryland and Atlantic City.

The MassMutual Center, which is managed and programmed by MGM Springfield. In its heydey in the 1970s and '80s, the venue, then known as the Springfield Civic Center, featured such singers as Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen and Prince, as well as comedians Bob Hope, Robin Williams and Eddie Murphy.

The $960 million MGM Springfield will open on Aug. 24.

It will feature 2 million square feet of development featuring a 250-room hotel; retail shops, including Indian Motorcycle and Kringle Candle; diverse selection of dining options; casino with 2,550 slot machines and 120 gaming tables; and a seven-level parking garage -- all spread over three downtown blocks.

Wonder is the first entertainer to be announced in conjunction with the MGM Springfield opening.

"MGM Springfield is designed to become the destination for something to do every day of the week for everyone in the region, and we're proud of this historic moment," Spera said.

Blind shortly after birth, Wonder was a child prodigy who began playing instruments at an early age, including piano, harmonica and drums. He was signed by Motown Records when he was just 11 years old.

His hits include "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," "I Just Called to Say I Love You" and "Superstition."

A political activist, Wonder worked on the 1980 campaign to make slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday. He is the youngest recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors, and is a Commander of France's National Order of Arts and Letters.

Wonder was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace and has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.