Smoky Robinson's illustrious career and life are deeply intertwined with the legacy of Motown Records' founder, Berry Gordy. In fact, his first two children, Tamla and Berry, bear the names of the iconic record label and its visionary founder, respectively. Robinson and Gordy have maintained a long-standing professional and personal relationship since the late 1950s, when Robinson joined Gordy's burgeoning musical empire as a performer, songwriter, and producer with his group, The Miracles.
As a member of The Miracles, Robinson and his group enjoyed an unprecedented streak of success in the early 1960s, churning out an almost unbroken string of hits on Gordy's Tamla label. Robinson's distinctive, warm tenor was particularly well-suited to the romantic ballads he penned for the group, earning him the reputation as one of the music industry's most prolific and imaginative songwriters. In fact, the legendary Bob Dylan once hailed him as "America's greatest living poet."
Beyond his work with The Miracles, Robinson also wrote and produced hit records for other notable Motown acts, including Mary Wells, The Temptations, The Marvelettes, and Marvin Gaye. His impressive catalog of hits spans multiple decades, with Robinson continuing to produce and record music well into the 1970s and 1980s. In recognition of his immense contributions to the music industry, Robinson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
