Once pronounced by Bob Dylan as America’s “greatest living poet,” acclaimed singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson’s career spans over 4 decades of hits. He has received numerous awards including the Grammy Living Legend Award, NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award, Honorary Doctorate (Howard University), Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts Award from the President of the United States. He has also been inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame.

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Robinson founded The Miracles while still in high school. The group was Berry Gordy’s first vocal group, and it was at Robinson’s suggestion that Gordy started the Motown Record dynasty. Their single of Robinson’s “Shop Around” became Motown’s first #1 hit on the R&B singles chart. In the years following, Robinson continued to pen hits for the group including “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me,” “Ooo Baby Baby,” “The Tracks of My Tears,” “Going to a Go-Go,” “More Love,” “Tears of a Clown” (co-written with Stevie Wonder), and “I Second That Emotion.”

The Miracles dominated the R&B scene throughout the 1960’s and early 70’s and Robinson became Vice President of Motown Records serving as in-house producer, talent scout and songwriter.

In addition to writing hits for The Miracles, Robinson wrote and produced hits for other Motown greats including The Temptations, Mary Wells, Brenda Holloway, Marvin Gaye and others. “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” “My Girl,” “Get Ready,” “You Beat Me to the Punch,” “Don’t Mess with Bill,” “Ain’t That Peculiar,” and “My Guy” are just a few of his songwriting triumphs during those years.

John Lennon of The Beatles made countless remarks regarding Robinson’s influence on his music. The Beatles had recorded Robinson and The Miracles’ “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me” in 1963 and in 1982 another popular British group, The Rolling Stones covered the Robinson and the Miracles’ hit “Going To A Go-Go.”

He later turned to a solo career where he continued his tradition of hitmaking with “Just to See Her,” “Quiet Storm,” “Cruisin’,” and “Being with You,” among others.

He remained Vice President of Motown records until the sale of the company, shaping the label’s success with friend and mentor Berry Gordy. Following his tenure at Motown, he continued his impressive touring career and released several successful solo albums.

During the course of his 50-year career in music, Robinson has accumulated more than 4,000 songs to his credit and continues to thrill sold-out audiences around the world with his high tenor voice, impeccable timing, and profound sense of lyric. Never resting on his laurels, Smokey Robinson remains a beloved icon in our musical heritage.

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All around entertainment legends The Temptations stand as not only the greatest vocal group of Motown Records’ golden era empire; the quintet is indisputably the greatest singing group of all-time. Setting the bar in the standard-bearing stratosphere for what a group should sing like, look like, dance like and artistically pilot the planet through triumphs and catastrophes like, The Temptations are world-renowned ambassadors of soul, conscience and style. From 16 million selling LPs, 14 #1 R&B singles, three Grammys plus induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame, membership in The Vocal Group Hall of Fame, induction into The Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame, a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a TV miniseries classic, and the most great vocalists to spring from one group – Detroit’s Temptin’ Temptations are still here, and still going strong. With 43 Top 10s clocked between the `60s and `90s, they are hailed as Billboard’s Top All-Time R&B/Hip-Hop Artist in 2017.

Among the most popular of their nearly 100 R&B charted songs are “My Girl,” “The Way You Do The Things You Do,” “Since I Lost My Baby,” “Get Ready”, “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”, “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” (with The Supremes), “Cloud Nine,” “Psychedelic Shack,” “Ball of Confusion,” “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone,” “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me),” “Shakey Ground,” “Treat Her Like a Lady,” “Stay” and their near definitive rendition of the Christmas standard “Silent Night.” These and many others have been covered by artists across stylistic borders in blues (Al Green), rock (Rolling Stones and Anthrax), jazz (Grover Washington Jr. and Cassandra Wilson), pop (Hall & Oates and Bette Midler), reggae (Peter Tosh), country (Dolly Parton and Glen Campbell) and many others. As a group that is equal parts thrilling showmen and consummate singers, The Temptations have influenced several generations of singing groups from Blue Magic and The Dramatics to The Jacksons and The Sylvers to New Edition and *NSYNC.

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