Smokey Robinson

Robinson married fellow Miracles group member Claudette Rogers in 1959. The couple had two children, a son named Berry, named in honor of Motown founder Berry Gordy, and a daughter named Tamla, named after the original Tamla record label. Robinson later had a son named Trey in 1984 during his marriage. Following a period of legal separation, Robinson and Rogers finalized their divorce in 1986.

In May 2002, Robinson married Frances Gladney. The couple maintains a residence in Pittsburgh that they operate as a winery. Robinson has practiced Transcendental Meditation and has adhered to a diet without red meat since 1972.

William Robinson Jr. grew up in the North End neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. During his childhood, his uncle Claude took him to view cowboy films and bestowed upon him the nickname "Smokey Joe," which Robinson used until shortening it to "Smokey" around age 12. He lived near several future musical stars on Belmont Street, forming an early friendship with neighbor Aretha Franklin while playing with her older brother Cecil.

While attending Northern High School, Robinson excelled in athletics and academics while focusing heavily on vocal harmony. In 1955, he established a doo-wop vocal group called the Five Chimes with his classmate Pete Moore and childhood friend Ronald White. The lineup subsequently expanded to include Bobby Rogers, Claudette Rogers, and guitarist Marv Tarplin, changing their name to the Matadors before settling on the Miracles.

In August 1957, Robinson and his group met songwriter Berry Gordy following an unsuccessful audition for Brunswick Records. Gordy was struck by Robinson's voice and his extensive notebook of original songs. Gordy helped the group record their 1958 debut single "Got a Job" and signed them as one of the cornerstone acts of Tamla Records, later incorporated as Motown Records.

The Miracles scored Motown's first million-selling record in late 1960 with "Shop Around." Robinson served as the group's lead singer, primary composer, and producer, delivering a string of hits across the decade including "You've Really Got a Hold on Me," "Ooo Baby Baby," "Going to a Go-Go," "The Tracks of My Tears," "I Second That Emotion," and the number-one pop hit "The Tears of a Clown."

Beyond his work with the Miracles, Robinson served as a vice president at Motown Records and acted as a primary architect of the label's signature sound. He composed and produced definitive hits for other roster artists, including Mary Wells's "My Guy" and "Two Lovers," the Temptations' "My Girl" and "Get Ready," and Marvin Gaye's "Ain't That Peculiar" and "I'll Be Doggone."

Robinson stepped down from the Miracles in 1972, giving his final concert with the ensemble in Washington, D.C. After a brief retirement from the stage, he launched his solo career with his 1973 self-titled album Smokey. His 1975 release, A Quiet Storm, generated the hits "Baby That's Backatcha" and "Quiet Storm," the latter inspiring the late-night radio format of the same name.

Robinson achieved major solo pop success in 1979 with the ballad "Cruisin'," co-written with longtime guitarist Marv Tarplin, followed by the chart-topping international hit "Being with You" in 1981. In 1987, he released the hit album One Heartbeat, which featured "One Heartbeat" and the single "Just to See Her," earning him his first Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

Robinson remained active as a recording artist across subsequent decades, exploring gospel on Food for the Spirit in 2004, releasing pop standards on Timeless Love in 2006, and collaborating with contemporary artists on Smokey & Friends in 2014. He issued the studio album Gasms in 2023 and followed with the inspirational album What the World Needs Now in 2025.