Smokey Robinson

(born Feb. 19, 1940, Detroit, Mich., U.S.) U.S. singer and songwriter. Robinson formed a group while still in high school. As the Miracles, they released their first single, produced by Berry Gordy, Jr., who shortly thereafter founded the Motown label. Their first Motown hit, "Shop Around" (1961), was followed by "You Really Got a Hold on Me," "I Second That Emotion," and "The Tracks of My Tears"; Robinson also wrote other Motown hits such as the Temptations' "My Girl" and Mary Wells's "My Guy." He became president of Motown in 1972, by which time he was performing as a solo artist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

For more information on Smokey Robinson, visit Britannica.com.

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Biography:

Smokey Robinson

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Motown star Smokey Robinson (born 1940), co-founder of the Tamla record label, has been a composer and performer for more than 30 years.

Smokey Robinson, the "poet laureate of soul music," has been composing and singing rhythm and blues hits for more than three decades. As the lead singer of the Miracles, Robinson, who moved to SBK Records later in his career, helped to put Detroit and its Motown Records on the music map; his solo performances have netted Grammy Awards and praise from pundits who usually shun the pop genre. People contributor Gail Buchalter labeled Robinson "one of the smoothest tenors in soul music," a romantic idol whose 60 million-plus in record sales "helped turn Motown into the largest black-owned corporation in the world."

According to Jay Cocks in Time, Robinson has written, produced, and performed "some of the most enduring rhythm and blues [songs] ever made. The church kept easy company with the street corner in his rich melodies, and his lyrics had a shimmering, reflective grace that, at his pleasure, could challenge or seduce. With the Miracles, Smokey helped make a kind of soul music that balanced ghetto pride and middle-class ambition. Some of the group's best tunes… stayed true to the R & B roots even as they beckoned, and found, a larger pop audience." In Rolling Stone, Steve Pond concluded that Robinson has written "some 4000 songs and recorded hundreds that have made him a true poet of the soul and a voice of the soul, too."

The Miracles's Success Spawned Motown Records

William "Smokey Joe" Robinson, Jr., not only rose from obscurity, he brought along a number of other now-famous black recording stars when he began to find success. He was born and raised in Detroit, in the rough Brewster ghetto, where, as he recalled in People, " you were either in a [music] group or a gang or both." Young Smokey grew up listening to his mother's records, including the works of B. B. King, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Sarah Vaughan, and Billy Eckstine. These black artists, he commented in Rolling Stone, were "the first inspirational thing I had." When Robinson was ten, his mother died, and his sister Geraldine took him in, raising him along with her ten children. The family was poor but close-knit, and Robinson spent his youth writing songs and singing in local bands.

Robinson would not consider a professional career until he graduated from high school, and even then he tried barber school and courses in dentistry before giving his full attention to music. In 1954 he formed a rhythm and blues group called the Matadors; the name was changed to the Miracles three years later to accommodate a female singer, Claudette Rogers, who married Robinson in 1959. At first the members of the Miracles - who were each paid five dollars per week by their agent, Berry Gordy - found the music business difficult. "For a while," Claudette Robinson related in Essence, " we lived basically in one bedroom. But we didn't stay in that house very long. Fortunately, the music started to happen."

Robinson was lucky to have encountered Berry Gordy during an audition for another agent; Gordy, then a fledgling music producer on a shoestring budget, was equally fortunate to have found Robinson. Gordy began to produce the Miracles's singles in 1958, collaborating with Robinson on lyrics and tunes. Their first release, "Got a Job" - an answer to The Silhouettes's number one hit "Get a Job" - hit Number 93 on the nationwide Billboard Top 100 chart. The debut was encouraging, but nothing prepared Gordy and Robinson for the limelight they would attain in 1960. Late in that year they released an upbeat single, "Shop Around," that became a chart-topping million-seller. The Miracles subsequently became a national phenomenon, and Gordy was able to launch Motown Records, a landmark production company that introduced such talents as Diana Ross and the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and the Temptations.

Became a Sought-After Songwriter

Robinson and the Miracles were Gordy's first star-quality group, and they continued their association with Motown as the company gained prestige. Indeed, Robinson wrote hit songs not only for his group but for other Motown headliners as well. He explained the Motown philosophy in Rolling Stone: " We set out to make music for people of all races and nationalities. Not to make black music - we just wanted to make good music that would be acceptable in all circles…. Allwe were doing, man, was just putting good songs on good tracks, songs that anybody could relate to. We had good, solid songs that would fit your particular life situation if you were white or Oriental or Chicano or whatever you happened to be. And that made a world of difference."

Throughout the 1960s, especially in the latter half of the decade, the Motown sound competed with the music of the British invasion for popularity among the young. Robinson and the Miracles were favorites among the Motown personnel, earning more than six gold records containing such hits as "The Tracks of My Tears," "You've Really Got a Hold on Me," "I Second That Emotion," and "Ooo Baby Baby." Still, Robinson was on the verge of quitting the group in 1968 when his son Berry was born. He reconsidered almost immediately, however, when the Miracles single, "Tears of a Clown," became a Number One hit, first in England and then in the United States. Robinson noted in Rolling Stone that "Tears of a Clown" became the biggest record we ever had. It catapulted us into another financial echelon as far as what we made on dates, and I felt that the band was entitled to reap the benefits." The Miracles, a model group in terms of road behavior, endured until 1972, when Robinson quit.

For a time after leaving the Miracles, Robinson concentrated on his business duties as vice-president of Motown Records. He soon returned to recording, however, this time as a solo artist. His solo albums are, on the whole, more reflective and mellow than his work with the Miracles. All of them highlight the singer's particular talent - the creation and performance of meaningful love songs at a time when many erstwhile romantics have become jaded cynics. Stephen Holden summed up the reason for the immense popularity of Robinson's music in Rolling Stone: "Smokey Robinson is that rare pop singer whose rhapsodic lyricism hasn't diminished with approaching middle age. Indeed, time has added a metaphysical depth to his art…. Smokey Robinson's faith in the redemptive power of erotic love continues unabated. In Robinson's musical world, sexual happiness isn't the product of spiritual equilibrium but its source…. Don't think, however, that Robinson's songs aren't filled with sex. They are. But in this man's art, sex isn't a fast roll in the hay, it's sweet manna shared during a leisurely stroll into paradise. Smokey Robinson creates that paradise every time he opens his mouth to sing."

Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Robinson's records of the late 1980s, when he was well into his third decade in the music business, continued to garner popularity and the approval of critics. A People magazine reviewer found that on his 1986 album Smoke Signals, for example, the singer "remains a uniquely resilient performer." His 1987's album entitled One Heartbeat was termed "another winning package of sharp, sophisticated soul" by a reviewer from Rolling Stone. Robinson hits like "Cruisin'," "Just to See Her" - a Grammy Award winner - and "Being With You" became both rhythm-and-blues and pop hits and were rendered in a voice Essence contributor Jack Slater hailed as "a hypnotic, airy aphrodisiac that puts tens of thousands in the mood for love." Coupled with his success with the Miracles and as a prolific Motown song-writer, Robinson's solo achievements in the music industry led to his 1986 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 1989 he was named a Grammy Living Legend.

Coping with such enormous fame has not always been easy for Robinson. He chronicles his personal struggles in his 1989 collaboration with David Ritz, Smokey: Inside My Life. Musician contributor Jon Young remarked that the autobiography "documents everything from [Robinson's] family history and the early days of the Miracles to his extramarital affairs and, most striking, a graphic account of two years in thrall to cocaine in the mid-'80s." When asked why he chose to provide such candid details about his drug addiction, Robinson responded to Young, "I wrote it because it was God's will… . I was saved from drugs in 1986 when my pastor prayed for me. I never went to rehab or to a doctor. It was a miracle healing from God, so that I could carry the message about the perils of drugs. At the time I was saved, I was already dead. You are now speaking to Lazarus."

Left Motown for SBK Records

With the onset of the 1990s, Robinson's contract with Motown Records expired, and after a long and productive career with the record company, he moved to SBK Records. According to Gary Graff of the Detroit Free Press, the singer said simply, "My contract with Motown was up, and I was just out of there." He also pointed to the sale of Motown Records to MCA and Boston Ventures in 1988 as one of the reasons for his departure. "After we sold the company," he continued to Graff, "it was never really quite the same for me." With SBK Records, Robinson released a well-received LP he co-produced and recorded in less than six weeks, 1991's Double Good Everything. "It feels like a new day or something, man," he divulged to Graff. "This is the first thing I've everdone outside of Motown; that's a big deal to me… . I feel like a new artist, almost."

Also in 1991, Robinson ventured into previously un-chartered areas of the music world, considering an album of country-western tunes and penning the score for a Broadway musical titled Hoops, which presents the history of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. "I've written 22 pieces so far," Robinson told Young in February of 1992. "I want this to be like [the Broadway musical] South Pacific and produce several hits. The title track is a funk thing that I can envision being a halftime song for the NBA [National Basketball Association]." Robinson plans to continue his often hectic schedule of performing, comosing, and recording. "If the world lasts until the twenty-second century," the enduring singer-songwriter declared to Young, "I hope they're still playing my music."

Smokey Robinson

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Similar Artists:

Kim Weston, Sam Cooke, Mary Wells, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Martha & the Vandellas, Nolan Strong, Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, The Four Tops, The Marvelettes, Martha Reeves, Jackie Wilson, Marvin Tarplin, Diana Ross, The Temptations, Junior Walker, David Ruffin, Babyface, Otis Redding, Eddie Kendricks, Ashford & Simpson, William Bell, Leon Huff, Ben E. King, Al Green, The Ruffin Brothers, Kenny Gamble

Influenced By:

Clyde McPhatter, Jackie Wilson, The Moonglows, James Brown, Bobby Day, The Flamingos, Gene Pitney, Sam Cooke, Charles Brown, The Platters, Ray Charles

Followers:

The English Beat, Fine Young Cannibals, James Hunter, Anita Baker, Peabo Bryson, The Marvelettes, The Beatles, Mayer Hawthorne, John Lennon, Teena Marie, The Brothers Johnson, Terence Trent D'Arby, Kem, Marv Johnson, Rod Stewart, Mitch Ryder, The Commodores, Martha & the Vandellas, The Moments, Simply Red, Marvin Gaye, Brian May, Oran "Juice" Jones, Junior Murvin, Al B. Sure!, The Undertakers, McFadden & Whitehead, Joe Lean, Babyface, People's Choice, Norman Harris, MFSB, Sade, The Style Council, The Supremes, BrianBert, Diana Ross, Another Bad Creation, Laura Nyro, Noel Gourdin, Boyz II Men, Ashford & Simpson, Teddy Pendergrass, Trey Songz, Todd Rundgren, Paul McCartney, Wings, Billy Joe Royal, James Ingram, Robin Thicke, Mick Jagger, The Isley Brothers, John Holt, Jimmy Cliff, Basia, Boney M., The Small Faces, D'Angelo, Desmond Dekker, Ian Dury, Kenny Lattimore, George Michael, The Jackson 5, Paul Weller, Earl Young, Will Downing, Howard Hewett, Jimmy Webb, The Temptations, Color Me Badd, The Zombies, Billy Joel, Wham!, Bruce Hornsby, Betty Wright, Lionel Richie, Dave Hollister, Al Green, Winston Reedy, Kool & the Gang, R. Kelly, John's Children, Culture Club, Michael McDonald, The Spinners, The Police, Gerald LeVert, Minnie Riperton, Case, J. Holiday, The Dirtbombs, Dave Barnes, Sam & Dave, Mary Wells, Eric Benet, Bob Marley, Jimmy Ruffin, Michael Jackson, Lalah Hathaway, Freddie Jackson, ABC, Bunny Wailer, Japan, Eagle-Eye Cherry, Rick James, James Taylor

Performed Songs By:

Steve LeGassick, Al Cleveland, Lou Pardini, Berry Gordy, Jr., Henry Cosby, Robert Rogers, Rick James, Jimmy George, Terry Johnson, Warren "Pete" Moore, Brian Ray

Worked With:

Nickolas Ashford, Paul Riser, Brian Holland, Norman Whitfield, Frank Wilson, Clarence Paul, Johnny Bristol

Formal Connection With:

Barrett Strong, Lamont Dozier, The Miracles, Benny Benjamin, The Funk Brothers, William "Mickey" Stevenson

See Smokey Robinson Lyrics

Born: February 19, 1940, Detroit, MI
Active: '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, 2000s
Genres: Rhythm & Blues
Instrument: Vocals
Representative Albums: "Anthology", "The 35th Anniversary Collection", "The Ultimate Collection"
Representative Songs: "Being With You", "Cruisin'", "Tears of a Clown"

Biography

If you're looking for the all-time number one purveyor of mainstream romantic soul, Smokey Robinson may well be the man, in the face of some towering competition. With the Miracles in the 1960s, he paced dozens of tuneful Motown hits with his beautiful high tenor. As a solo performer from the 1970s onward, he was one of the staples of urban contemporary music. But his singing gifts, as notable as they are, comprise only one of his hats: he's also one of pop's best and most prolific songwriters. As a songwriter and producer, he was the most important musical component to Motown's early success, not only on the hits by the Miracles, but for numerous other acts as well (especially Mary Wells and the Temptations).

Robinson first crossed paths with Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr., in the late '50s in Detroit. In retrospect, this may have been the most important meeting in both men's lives. Robinson needed a mentor and an outlet for his budding talents as a singer and songwriter; the ambitious Gordy needed someone with multi-faceted musical vision. Gordy encouraged and polished Robinson's songwriting in particular in the early days, in which the Miracles were one of many acts bridging the doo wop and early soul eras.

Before solidifying their relationship with the embryonic Motown operation, the Miracles issued a few singles on the End and Chess labels, the most successful of which was "Got a Job." There was no national action for the Miracles until "Shop Around" in late 1960. Gordy withdrew the original single in favor of a faster, more fully produced version of the song; it made number two, doing much not only to establish the Miracles, but to establish the Motown label itself. The song also heralded many of the important elements of the Motown sound, with its gospel-ish interplay between lead and backup vocals, its rhythmic groove, and its blend of R&B and pop.

While Robinson is most often thought of as a romantic balladeer, the Miracles were also capable of grinding out some excellent uptempo party tunes, particularly in their early days. "Mickey's Monkey" (which the group gave an athletically electrifying performance of in the 1964 T.A.M.I. Show movie), a 1963 Top Ten hit, is the most famous of these; there was also "Going to a Go-Go" and smaller hits like "I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying." The 1962 Top Ten hit "You've Really Got a Hold on Me," however, was the key cut in forming Robinson's romantic persona, with its pleading, soaring vocals, exquisite melody, and carefully crafted lyrics. Bob Dylan was impressed enough by Robinson's facility for imaginative wordplay to dub him "America's greatest living poet" (a phrase which has possibly become the most quoted example of one rock giant praising another).

Surveying Robinson's achievements during the 1960s, one wonders if the man ever slept. While the Miracles were never Motown's biggest act at any given time, they were one of its very most consistent, entering the Top 40 25 times over the course of the decade. "I Second That Emotion," "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage," "The Tracks of My Tears," "Ooo Baby Baby," and "Baby, Baby Don't Cry" were some of their biggest singles, and usually represented Motown at its most sophisticated and urbane. Robinson also was extremely active at Motown as a songwriter and producer for other acts. The number one singles "My Guy" (Mary Wells) and "My Girl" (Temptations) were each Robinson songs and productions (the latter with fellow Miracle Ronnie White), and Robinson also did some excellent work with the Marvelettes and Marvin Gaye. He also toured with the Miracles, and started a family with the Miracles' female singer, Claudette Rogers, whom he married in 1964. Rogers stopped touring with the group in the mid-'60s, although she continued to sing on their records.

Starting in 1967, the billing on Miracles releases was changed to Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, presaging Robinson's solo career. The group continued to spin out hits until the early '70s, however, getting their only number one in 1970 with the upbeat "The Tears of a Clown" (which had actually been recorded back in 1966). Robinson left the group to go on his own in 1972; the Miracles continued without him with limited success, although they had a number one hit in 1976 with "Love Machine, Pt. 1."

Robinson had been made a vice president at Motown near the beginning of his career in 1961. He recorded frequently as a solo artist for Motown in the '70s and '80s, in a considerably mellower vein than his Miracles work, in keeping with the general shift of Motown and soul toward urban contemporary. Robinson, in fact, provided that genre with one of its catch phrases with the title of his 1975 album, A Quiet Storm. "Cruisin'" (1979) and "Being with You" (1981) were his biggest solo hits, although artistically and commercially his solo era wasn't nearly as successful as his music with the Miracles. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Discography:

Smokey Robinson

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Lost and Found: Along Came Love (1958-1964) Buy this CD	Intimate Buy this CD	20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Smokey Robinson Buy this CD	Solo Anthology Buy this CD	Anthology [1995] Buy this CD
Ooo Baby Baby: The Anthology Buy this CD	Definitive Collection Buy this CD	20th Century Masters - The Christmas Collection Buy this CD	50th Anniversary Collection Buy this CD	Our Very Best Christmas Buy this CD

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Motown Legends: I Second That Emotion Buy this CD	Motown Legends: Shop Around Buy this CD	Definitive Performances 1963-1987 Buy this CD	Where There's Smoke... Buy this CD	My World: The Definitive Collection Buy this CD
Quiet Storm Buy this CD	Gold: International Version Buy this CD	Ultimate Collection [1997] Buy this CD	Pure Smokey Buy this CD	Pure Smokey Buy this CD
Ballad Album Buy this CD	Universal Masters Collection Buy this CD	Time out for Smokey Robinson & the Miracles/Four in Blue Buy this CD	Make It Happen/Special Occasion Buy this CD	Going to a Go-Go/Away We a Go-Go Buy this CD
Going to a Go-Go/Away We a Go-Go [Expanded] Buy this CD	Timeless Love Buy this CD	Timeless Love Buy this CD	Silver Spectrum Collection Buy this CD	Soul Legends Buy this CD
Winning Combinations Buy this CD	Love Songs Buy this CD	You Must Be Love: The Love Collection Buy this CD	Smoke Signals Buy this CD	Greatest Hits Live Buy this CD
Greatest Hits Live Buy this CD	One Heartbeat Buy this CD	35th Anniversary Collection Buy this CD	Whatever Makes You Happy: More of the Best... Buy this CD	Legends Buy this CD
Ultimate Collection [1998] Buy this CD	Classic Buy this CD	Early Classics Buy this CD	Greatest Collection Buy this CD	Golden Legends Buy this CD
Time Flies When You're Having Fun Buy this CD	Miracles Christmas Collection Buy this CD	20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Smokey Robinson & The Mir Buy this CD	Gold Buy this CD	Blame It on Love and All the Great Hits Buy this CD
Tracks of My Tears Buy this CD	Food for the Spirit Buy this CD	Standing Room Only Buy this CD	Best of Smokey Robinson [Motown] Buy this CD	Live Collection Buy this CD
Best of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles Buy this CD	Back to Back: Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles Buy this CD	Songs That Inspired the Motown 25th Anniversary Television Special Buy this CD	Great Songs and Performances Buy this CD	18 Greatest Hits Buy this CD
Motown Superstar Series, Vol. 18 Buy this CD	Going to a Go-Go/Tears of a Clown Buy this CD	Tears of a Clown Buy this CD	Season for Miracles Buy this CD	Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Buy this CD
Make It Happen Buy this CD	Away We a Go-Go Buy this CD	Going to a Go-Go Buy this CD	Motown Legends: Cruisin'/Being With You Buy this CD	Motown Legends: Being With You Buy this CD
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles Buy this CD

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Wikipedia:

Smokey Robinson

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Not to be confused with Smokie (band).

Smokey Robinson
Robinson in concert at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California, on August 17, 2006.
Background information
Birth name	William Robinson, Jr.
Born	February 19, 1940 (1940-02-19) (age 69)
Origin	Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres	R&B, soul
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, record producer, record executive
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Years active	1955–1972 (Groups) 1972–present (Solo)
Labels	Motown, Universal, SBK, Liquid 8
Associated acts	The Miracles, The Temptations, Mary Wells
Website	http://www.smokeyrobinson.com

William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown Records, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy. Robinson's consistent commercial success and creative contributions to the label have earned him the title "King of Motown."

As an original member of Motown Records' first vocal group The Miracles and as a solo artist, Robinson delivered thirty-seven Top 40 hits for Motown between 1960 and 1987. He also served as the company's vice president from 1961 to 1988.

Contents

1 Biography
2 Smokey Robinson in popular culture
3 Personal
4 Solo discography
- 4.1 Albums
- 4.2 Pop Chart singles
5 References
6 External links

Biography

Early years and formation of The Miracles

Robinson was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan's North End neighborhood.

According to Entertainment Weekly, "when he was 6 or 7, his Uncle Claude christened him Smokey Joe, which the young William, a Western-movie enthusiast, at first assumed to be his cowboy name for me. Some time later, he learned the deeper significance of his nickname: It derived from smokey, a pejorative term for dark-skinned blacks. I'm doing this, his uncle told the light-skinned boy, so you won't ever forget that you're black."^[1]

In his teens, "Smokey Joe" was shortened to "Smokey." In an interview, Robinson claims he has been friends with Diana Ross since she was eleven years old.^[2] In 1955, Robinson co-founded a vocal group called The Five Chimes with his best friend Ronald White, and Northern High School classmates Pete Moore, Clarence Dawson, and James Grice. By 1957, the group was renamed the Matadors and included cousins Emerson and Bobby Rogers in place of Dawson and Grice. Emerson was replaced by his sister Claudette Rogers, who later married Robinson. Guitarist Marv Tarplin joined the group in 1958.

With Robinson as lead singer, the Matadors began touring Detroit venues. In 1958, Robinson met songwriter Berry Gordy, who co-wrote for them the single "Got a Job," an answer song to the Silhouettes' hit single "Get a Job." The group renamed itself the Miracles, and issued singles on both End Records and Chess Records. Shortly thereafter, Robinson suggested to Gordy that he start a label of his own.

In 1959, Gordy founded Tamla Records, which he soon reincorporated as Motown. The Miracles were among the label's first signees. Gordy and Robinson had a synergistic relationship, with Robinson providing a foundation for Motown's hit-making success and Gordy acting as a mentor for the budding singer and songwriter. By 1961, Gordy had appointed Robinson vice-president of Motown Records, a title Robinson held for as long as Gordy remained with the company.

Motown and The Miracles

The 1960 single "Shop Around" was Motown's first number one hit on the R&B singles chart, and the first major chart success for The Miracles. The song was also Motown's first million selling hit single. The Miracles notched many more hits over the years, including:

Bad Girl (1959)
(You Can) Depend on Me (1959)
Way Over There (1960)
Who's Loving You (1960)
You've Really Got a Hold on Me (1962)
What's So Good About Goodbye (1962)
I'll Try Something New (1962)
Mickey's Monkey (1963)
I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying (1963)
I Like It Like That (1964)
That's What Love Is Made Of (1964)
Come On Do The Jerk (1964)
Ooo Baby Baby (1965)
The Tracks of My Tears (1965)
Going to a Go-Go (1965)
My Girl Has Gone (1965)
(Come Round Here) I'm The One You Need (1966)
Whole Lot Of Shakin' In My Heart (Since I Met You) (1966)
More Love (1967)
Just A Mirage (1967)
I Second That Emotion (1967)
Yester Love (1968)
Special Occasion (1968)
If You Can Want (1968)
Here I Go Again (1969)
Baby, Baby Don't Cry (1969)
The Tears of a Clown (1970)
I Don't Blame You At All (1971)

Besides penning hits for his own group, Robinson wrote and produced singles and album tracks for other Motown artists. Mary Wells had a hit with the Robinson-penned "My Guy" (1964), and Robinson served as The Temptations' primary songwriter and producer from 1963 to 1966, penning such hits as "The Way You Do the Things You Do", "My Girl", "Since I Lost My Baby", and "Get Ready". Among Robinson's other Motown compositions are "Still Water (Love)" by The Four Tops, "Don't Mess With Bill" and "My Baby Must Be a Magician" by The Marvelettes, "When I'm Gone" by Brenda Holloway, "Ain't That Peculiar" and "I'll Be Doggone" by Marvin Gaye, and "First I Look at the Purse" by The Contours.

His hit songs also earned him the title "America's poet laureate of love." During the course of his 50-year career in music, Robinson has accumulated more than 4,000 songs to his credit. John Lennon of The Beatles made countless remarks regarding Robinson's influence on his music. In a 1969 interview, Lennon stated that one of his favorite songs was The Miracles' "I've Been Good To You", which has similar lyrics to Lennon's "Sexy Sadie". George Harrison also greatly admired Robinson and paid tribute to him in his 1976 song "Pure Smokey". (The Beatles had recorded Robinson and The Miracles' "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" in 1963.) Bob Dylan said of Robinson, that he was "America's greatest living poet."

After marrying Claudette Rogers, Robinson started a family, and named both of his children after Motown: his son was named Berry after the company's founder, and his daughter Tamla after the Motown imprint for which Robinson and The Miracles recorded.

The Miracles remained a premier Motown act through most of the 1960s. Albums were released as "Smokey Robinson & the Miracles" after 1965. By 1969, the group's fortunes began to falter, and Robinson decided to quit The Miracles so that he could remain at home with his family and concentrate on his duties as vice president. The group stopped recording and Robinson prepared to leave the group. Unexpectedly, however, their 1969 recording "Baby, Baby Don't Cry" hit the national Billboard Pop Top 10, and when their 1966 recording of "The Tears of a Clown" was released as a single in 1970, it became a number-one hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

With the surprise success of "The Tears of a Clown", Robinson was convinced to remain with The Miracles for a few more years. In 1972, however, he followed through on his original plans to leave the group, and The Miracles began a six-month farewell tour. On July 16, 1972, Smokey and Claudette Robinson gave their final performances as Miracles at the Carter Barron Amphitheater in Washington, DC, and Robinson introduced the group's new lead singer, Billy Griffin. The Miracles went on for a while, even having another number one hit, "Love Machine", in 1976,and a Platinum Album with City Of Angels that same year.

Successful solo career

Smokey Robinson began a low-key solo career while concentrating on his duties as vice president of Motown, releasing his first solo LP, Smokey, in 1973. His first hit single, "Sweet Harmony" (1973), was dedicated to The Miracles.

In 1975, Robinson's solo career went into full-drive after the success of the number one R&B hit "Baby That's Backatcha". Robinson's 1976 single "Quiet Storm" and its accompanying album typified a genre of smooth, slow R&B that has spawned late-night radio shows called "quiet storm." Other Robinson solo hits include "Cruisin'" (1979), "Being With You" (a U.K. number-one hit) (1981), "Tell Me Tomorrow" (1982), and "Ebony Eyes", a duet with labelmate Rick James (1983). He also recorded the soundtrack to the film Big Time (1977).

Later years, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, awards and accolades

During the mid-1980s, Robinson was addicted to cocaine. His recording slowed, and his marriage to Claudette faltered; the two were divorced in 1986. With the help of friend Leon Kennedy (as described in Robinson's autobiography "Smokey"), Robinson was dramatically healed of his addiction at a religious service. He eventually revitalized his career, scoring hits in 1987 with the Grammy Award-winning "Just to See Her" (a U.S. #8 hit) and "One Heartbeat" (U.S. #10). Also in 1987, British band ABC scored a U.S. and U.K. hit with their tribute to Robinson entitled "When Smokey Sings." In 1987, Robinson published his autobiography, Smokey, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.^[3] However, in a move that has since sparked much controversy, for unknown reasons the other original members of the Miracles – Bobby Rogers, Ronnie White, Pete Moore, Marv Tarplin, and Claudette Robinson – were not inducted.

Upon Motown's sale to MCA in 1988, Robinson resigned from his position as vice president. After one last album for Motown, Love, Smokey (1990), Robinson left the label. He released one record for SBK Records, Double Good Everything (1991), the same year he won a Soul Train Music Award for Career Achievement. Eight years later, he returned to Motown, which by then was a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and released Intimate (1999). The same year, Smokey Robinson received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Since then, Smokey has continued to periodically perform and tour. In 2003, Robinson served as a guest judge for American Idol during "Billy Joel Week." He issued a gospel LP, Food for the Spirit in 2004. In 2005, Smokey Robinson was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame. A new album of pop standards from the early 20th century, Timeless Love, was released in June 2006. It was originally recorded with a jazz combo, but strings were added after the fact, giving the album more of a lush sound but removing much of the jazz feeling of the disc.

In 2004, Robinson's company, SFGL Foods, launched a special brand of gumbo called "Smokey Robinson's 'The Soul is in the Bowl' Gumbo".^[4] Smokey Robinson is the spokesman of the Great American Smokeout, which takes place annually one week before Thanksgiving. It is a day when smokers quit smoking for at least a day.

Robinson has appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, the NBC daytime drama Days of our Lives, and on The Rachael Ray Show. He is scheduled to appear on Duets on Fox with Clint Black, Michael Bolton, Macy Gray, Chaka Khan, Patti Labelle, Cyndi Lauper, Kenny Loggins, Richard Marx, Brian McKnight, Aaron Neville, Randy Travis, and Dionne Warwick. David Foster will be a judge.

Conductor Zubin Mehta laughs with singers Dolly Parton and Robinson during a reception for the Kennedy Center honorees in the East Room of the White House on Sunday, December 3, 2006.

At its 138th Commencement Convocation in May 2006, Howard University conferred on Robinson the degree of Doctor of Music, honoris causa. In December 2006 Robinson was one of five Kennedy Center honorees, along with Dolly Parton (with whom Robinson had recorded a 1987 duet, "I Know You By Heart"), Zubin Mehta, Steven Spielberg and Andrew Lloyd Webber. The ceremony was held on December 3, 2006, and broadcast on CBS on December 26, 2006.

Robinson sang "The Tracks Of My Tears" as a cameo in the 2006 film Last Holiday. Also in late 2006, Robinson reunited with fellow Miracles Bobby Rogers and Pete Moore for the group's first extended interview. This interview forms the basis of the Universal Music DVD release Smokey Robinson and The Miracles: The Definitive Performances, a video retrospective of the group's music and career.

On February 11, 2007 Robinson sang "Tracks Of My Tears" at the 49th annual Grammy Awards, as part of a tribute to R&B music which included Motown labelmate Lionel Richie and current R&B star Chris Brown. Robinson performed on the finale of American Idol (season 6) on May 23, 2007. Robinson and the top six male contestants performed a medley of his hits.

In November 2007, Robinson toured Australia and performed with Australian band Human Nature on the set of local television programme Dancing With The Stars. On 22 November 2007, Robinson was interviewed by Bob Rogers (not to be confused with Bobby Rogers of The Miracles) on Sydney radio station 2CH.^[5]^[6]^[7]

On August 6, 2008, Robinson appeared at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater with English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello to record a television special combining on-stage interview and performance segments.

On March 25, 2009, Robinson appeared as a mentor on the popular television show American Idol. He coached the top 10 contestants of Season 8, who performed classic Motown songs. He also premiered the first single, "You're the One For Me", which features Joss Stone. The song also became available on iTunes and Amazon, March 26, 2009. The song is an updated version of the song "You're The One For Me Bobby," which he wrote and produced for The Marvelettes in 1968 for their album "Sophisticated Soul." On March 20 2009, The Miracles were finally honored as a group with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Smokey was present with original Miracles members Bobby Rogers,Pete Moore ,ex-wife (and Bobby's cousin) Claudette Robinson, and ,Gloria White, accepting for her husband , the late Ronnie White. Smokey's replacement, 70's Miracles lead singer, Billy Griffin was also honored. Controversially, original Miracle Marv Tarplin was not honored, against the wishes of his fellow Miracles,and the group's fans, who felt that he should have also been there to share the honor.[1]

On May 9, 2009, Smokey Robinson received an honorary doctorate degree and gave a commencement speech at Berklee College of Music's commencement ceremony.

Smokey Robinson appeared in episode 22 with Daryl Hall on Live From Daryl's House.

On August 25, 2009 Robinson released "Time Flies When You're Having Fun." A self produced and written CD of mostly new material on his own RobSo label. The CD includes a cover of the Norah Jones hit 'Don't Know Why'. Special guests on the LP include India Arie, Carlos Santana, and Joss Stone. The Joss Stone duet "You're the one for me" was performed on American Idol. The CD also contains a homage to early Motown and Michael Jackson with the hidden bonus track "I Want You Back."

As the finale to the BBC Electric Proms 2009, Robinson and his band appeared on 24 October with the BBC Concert Orchestra at The Roundhouse, London, in a performance to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the birth of Motown Records. Brand new arrangements of Robinson's songs had been specially commissioned by the Electric Proms.^[8] The show saw him perform a mix of classics, including those written for other Motown artists as well as himself, and new material from his forthcoming 'Time Flies When You’re Having Fun' album. ^[9] While in the UK Robinson also appeared on Later with Jools Holland (Oct 20), giving a short interview and performing two songs, with Eric Clapton as a backing guitarist^[10] (according to Jools Holland during the broadcast, this was at Clapton's request when he heard that Robinson would be appearing).

Smokey Robinson in popular culture

ABC recorded a tribute song called "When Smokey Sings" that referenced his influence on the music industry. The single peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. For the week of October 3, 1987, it dropped to #8^[11] as Smokey Robinson's single "One Heartbeat" was peaking at #10.^[12] That instance of having a tributor and tributee in the Billboard Top 10 at the same time was a rarity if not a unique event.
Smokey's rendition of the National Anthem before Game 5 of the 1986 World Series at Fenway Park is generally considered^[who?] one of the greatest renditions of the Anthem at a sporting event ever along with Marvin Gaye at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game, Whitney Houston before the 1991 Super Bowl and Wayne Messmer before the 1991 NHL All-Star Game.
George Harrison wrote a song called "Pure Smokey" as a tribute to Robinson. The song was on Harrison's 1976 album Thirty Three & 1/3. A year earlier, in 1975 on Extra Texture (Read All About It) album, Harrison recorded a song "Ooh, Baby (You Know That I Love You)" that was dedicated to Smokey Robinson.
The character C.C. White, a budding songwriter who finds success as an R&B label's main creative force in the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls, is based upon Smokey Robinson.^[13] In the 2006 film adaptation of Dreamgirls, C.C. is portrayed by Keith Robinson.
Several years ago, Smokey received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On March 20, 2009, The Miracles as a group were so honored, which then made him one of the few artists in recording history to become a double Walk of Fame honoree.
The 1999 novel An Ocean Apart by Robin Pilcher the central character David is a committed Motown fan and one of Smokey Robinson's in particular, and is always moved by the song Tracks of My Tears. The song's first stanza lyrics are also featured in the book.
Smokey appears in a classic Sesame Street sketch in a parody of "You've Really Got a Hold on Me", grappling with the letter U... which really has a hold on him.
Smokey was mentioned in the Tom Tom Club's dance classic "Genius of Love" for his inimitable singing.
Smokey was guest artist on American Idol on March 25–26, 2009.
Smokey also had a solo hit with Kenny G called "We Saved The Best For Last."
Smokey also appeared in The Temptations TV miniseries where he sang "Really gonna miss you" in the funeral scene for Melvin Franklin
In addition to all the film and television roles Smokey Robinson has appeared in; he has also made an appearance in the black-community rooted animated-series "The Proud Family" (in the episode "Wedding Bell Blues"). In which he assumed the role of a guest-artist hired to sing at an extravagant wedding ceremony, for the character "Sugar Mama".
Robinson portrayed a taxi driver in the film Hollywood Homicide.
Robinson portrayed Linc Greer on NBC's Generations.

Personal

Smokey Robinson is today married to Frances Glandney.^[14] His ex-wife is Miracles member Claudette Rogers Robinson with whom he had two children: Berry Robinson (named after Berry Gordy) and Tamla Robinson (named after the Motown imprint for which Robinson and The Miracles recorded).He also has another son, Trey Robinson, from another relationship.*

According to NFL.COM Smokey Robinson now has a great-nephew Duke Robinson, who played Offensive Tackle for the Oklahoma Sooners, and was drafted in 2009 by the NFL's Carolina Panthers.

Solo discography

Albums

Tamla (Motown) releases

1973: Smokey (US:#70)
1974: Pure Smokey (US:#99)
1975: A Quiet Storm (US:#36)
1976: Smokey's Family Robinson (US:#57)
1977: Deep in My Soul (US:#47)
1977: Big Time Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (US R&B:#39)
1978: Love Breeze (US:#75)
1978: Smokin' (US:#165)
1979: Where There's Smoke...(US:#17)
1980: Warm Thoughts (US:#14)
1981: Being With You (US:#10), (US R&B:#1)
1982: Yes It's You Lady (US:#33)
1983: Touch the Sky (US:50)
1984: Essar (US:#141)
1986: Smoke Signals (US:#104)

Motown releases

1987: One Heartbeat (US:#26), (US R&B:#1)
1990: Love, Smokey (US:#112)
1999: Intimate (US:#134)

Later releases

1991: Double Good Everything (SBK Records)
1999: Our Very Best Christmas (Universal Records)
2004: Food for the Spirit (Liquid 8 Records)(US R&B:#44), (US Gospel:#3)
2006: Timeless Love (Universal Records) (US:#109)
2009: Time Flies When You're Having Fun (Robso Records) (US R&B:#10)

Pop Chart singles

Release date	Title	Chart positions
Release date	Title	US Billboard Hot 100	US R&B	US A/C	UK Singles Chart	Notes
1973	"Sweet Harmony"	48	31
1973	"Baby Come Close"	27	7
1974	"It's Her Turn To Live"	82	29
	"Just My Soul Responding"				35	B-side of "It's Her Turn To Live"
	"Virgin Man"	56	12
1975	"I Am I Am"	56	7
	"Baby That's Backatcha"	26	1
	"The Agony And The Ecstasy"	36	7
1976	"Quiet Storm"	61	25
	"Open"	81	10
	"When You Came"					Issued in Canada only
	"An Old Fashioned Man"
1977	"There Will Come A Day (I'm Gonna Happen To You)"	42	7
	"Vitamin U"	101	18
	"Theme From Big Time, Part I"		38
1978	"Daylight and Darkness"	75	9
	"Why You Wanna See My Bad Side"		52			B-side of "Daylight and Darkness"
	"Shoe Soul"		68
1979	"Pops We Love You"	59	26		66	Artist: Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder
	"Get Ready"		82
	"Cruisin'"	4	4	34
1980	"Let Me Be The Clock"	31	4
	"Heavy On Pride (Light On Love)"		34
	"Wine, Women and Song" (Duet with Claudette Robinson)
1981	"Being With You"	2	1	4	1
	"Aquí Contigo"					"Being With You", sung in Spanish
	"You Are Forever"	59	31
	"Who's Sad"		62
1982	"Tell Me Tomorrow - Part I"	33	3	31	51
	"Old Fashioned Love"	60	17	32
	"Yes It's You Lady"	107
1983	"Blame It On Love"	48	35	5		Artist: Smokey Robinson with High Inergy
	"Don't Play Another Love Song"	103	75	36
	"I've Made Love To You a Thousand Times"	101	8
	"Touch The Sky"	110	68
1984	"Ebony Eyes"	43	22	35		Artist: Rick James featuring Smokey Robinson
	"And I Don't Love You"	106	33
	"I Can't Find"	109	41
1985	"First Time on a Ferris Wheel"					Artist: Smokey Robinson and Syreeta
1986	"Hold on to Your Love"		11	18
	"Sleepless Nights"		51
	"Because of You (It's The Best It's Ever Been)"
	"Love Will Set You Free (Theme From Solarbabies)"					Issued in Canada only; last ever release by Tamla Records
1987	"Just to See Her"	8	2	1	52	Robinson's first single on Motown
	"One Heartbeat"	10	3	2
	"What's Too Much"	79	16	15
1988	"I Know You By Heart"			22		Artist: Dolly Parton with Smokey Robinson. Released on Columbia Records
1988	"Love Don't Give No Reason"		31	24
1989	"We've Saved The Best For Last"	47	18	4		Artist: Kenny G with Smokey Robinson
1989	"Indestructible"				30	Artist: The Four Tops featuring Smokey Robinson
1990	"Everything You Touch"		4	2
	"(It's The) Same Old Love"		68	32
	"Take Me Through The Night"			34
1991	"Double Good Everything"	91	23	12		Robinson's first single for SBK Records
1992	"I Love Your Face"		57
1992	"Rewind"		56
1999	"Easy to Love"		67			Robinson's first single for Universal Records
2009	"Don't Know Why"

References

^ http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,276227_3,00.html
^ Hubbard, Steven and Ross, Scott. "Interview with Smokey Robinson." The 700 Club. Retrieved April 12, 2007.
^ "Smokey Robinson". www.rockhall.com. http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/smokey-robinson. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
^ Smokey Robinson's 'The Soul is in the Bowl' Gumbo
^ SMOKE ON THE DANCEFLOOR - The Sydney Morning Herald
^ Motown star Smokey Robinson in visa furore - Daily Telegraph
^ Bob and Smokey - 2CH
^ "BBC Electric Proms: Smokey Robinson". http://www.bbc.co.uk/electricproms/2009/artists/smokeyrobinson/. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
^ "Smokey Robinson - BBC Electric Proms, The Roundhouse". http://www.clashmusic.com/live-review/smokey-robinson-the-roundhouse. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
^ ""Where's Eric?"". http://www.whereseric.com/news/eric-clapton-smokey-robinson-perform-live-later-jools-holland-20-october-2009-bbc-2. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
^ Billboard Hot 100 - October 3, 1987 "When Smokey Sings"
^ Billboard Hot 100 - October 3, 1987 "One Heartbeat"
^ Chideya, Farai (Dec. 21, 2006). "Bill Condon Tells the Story Behind 'Dreamgirls'" [audio interview]. National Public Radio. Retrieved on Jan. 23, 2007.
^ http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/smokey-robinson/bio/197095

External links

v • d • e 2006 Kennedy Center Honorees

Zubin Mehta · Dolly Parton · Smokey Robinson · Steven Spielberg · Andrew Lloyd Webber

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