Smokey Robinson, a renowned American musician, is known for his contributions to R&B and soul music as a singer, songwriter, and producer. He is most recognized as the founder and lead singer of the groundbreaking Motown group, the Miracles, where he also served as the main songwriter and producer.
Smokey Robinson Bio Details
Full name: William “Smokey” Robinson Jr.
Place of birth: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Date of birth: 19 February 1940
Age: 84 years old
Height: 6 ft (183 cm)
Weight: 154 lbs (70 kg)
Eye color: Black
Hair color: Black
Sexual orientation: Straight
Marital status: Married
Wife’s name: Frances Glandney
Kids: Tamla Claudette Robinson, Trey Robinson, and Berry William Borope Robinson
Father: William Robinson
Mother: Flossie Robinson
School: Northern High School
Religion: Christian
Nationality: American
Zodiac sign: Pisces
Gender: Male
Profession: Singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive
Early Life
William Robinson Jr. was born into a humble family in the North End neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. His parents were both African-American, with his mother having French heritage as well.
In addition, Robinson has roots in Nigeria, Scandinavia, Portugal, and the Cherokee tribe. As a youngster, his uncle Claude affectionately called him “Smokey Joe.”
Education
While attending Northern High School, he excelled academically and showed great determination as an athlete. Despite this, his true passion was music and he even started his doo-wop group called the Five Chimes.
As a child, Robinson had a deep love for music and would often tune in to the radio to listen to different artists. Among his favorites were Nolan Strong & the Diablos, Billy Ward and his Dominoes, and others. Eventually, his doo-wop group became known as the Matadors.
Career
Following a series of tours in the late 1950s, the Matadors rebranded themselves as the Miracles. In 1957, Robinson met Berry Gordy, a songwriter who assisted the Miracles in releasing their debut single, “Got a Job.” Despite studying electrical engineering in college, Smokey Robinson left his studies to pursue his music career after the success of this initial single.
After creating Tamla Records, Gordy eventually transformed it into Motown Records. The Miracles signed with this label and in 1960, they released “Shop Around” which became a successful single, selling more than one million copies.
In the next decade, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles had many hits like “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” and “The Tears of a Clown”. During this time, Robinson was the lead singer, songwriter, and producer.
Besides working with the Miracles, Smokey wrote and produced songs for other Motown artists like the Temptations, the Marvelettes, and Marvin Gaye. This ended when new songwriters came to Motown and more artists started writing their songs.
By 1969, Smokey Robinson wanted to retire. He wanted more time with his family after years of constant tours. The group released “Tears of a Clown,” one of their biggest hits. This convinced Robinson to stay a few more years. He eventually left the Miracles in 1972.
In 1975, Smokey Robinson achieved success as a solo artist with the release of his album “A Quiet Storm.” This album included popular songs like “Baby That’s Backatcha” and “Quiet Storm.”
Following this, he shifted his focus to his position as Motown’s vice president. As a result, his subsequent solo albums received inadequate promotion and Smokey’s commitment to these projects was not as strong as before.
Smokey made a comeback in 1979 when his single “Cruisin” reached the top ten on the charts. Two years later, in 1981, he released the hit single “Being with You.” He continued his streak of success in 1987 with the album “One Heartbeat,” which produced top-ten singles such as “Just to See Her” and “One Heartbeat.”
Personal Life
Smokey Robinson’s initial marriage was to Claudette Rogers, who was a fellow member of the Miracles. They had two children together before Robinson had another child with a different woman, leading to their separation in 1986. In 2002, Smokey wedded Frances Gladney.
Net Worth
With a net worth of $150 million, Smokey Robinson is an American R&B and pop singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He is widely recognized as the pioneer of the iconic Motown sound, which gained widespread popularity throughout the 1950s to the 1970s.
