• February 19, 1940
• Many of Smokey Robinson's famous songs were first recorded by his group The Miracles, which became a featured act for Motown Records but had an inauspicious start. When they played the Apollo theater in the '50s, Robinson says they were so bad the owner asked for his money back.
• Robinson married the lone female member of The Miracles, Claudette Rogers, in 1957. They were married until 1986; when they split, legal entanglements ensued over Claudette's rights to Robinson's royalties - she left The Miracles in 1964 to raise their two children.
• Smokey named his first two children Berry and Tamla after Motown head Berry Gordy and one of his record labels, Tamla.
• Robinson was close friends with Marvin Gaye, and in the '80s they used to get high together. When Gaye died in 1984, Robinson fell into the throes of addiction, with cocaine being his drug of choice. He describes himself as "a walking corpse" around this time, and says he snapped out of it when a friend took him to an enlightening church service in 1986.
• 1987 was a big year for Smokey; he scored hits with "One Heartbeat" and "Just To See Her," and was the subject of a tribute song called "When Smokey Sings," which was a #5 US hit for the group ABC.
• His real first name is William. As a child, he had blond hair to go along with his blue eyes and light skin. His uncle gave him the nickname "Smokey Joe" so he would always remember he was Black. The "Smokey" part stuck - it proved to be a great descriptor for his voice.
• Smokey Robinson doesn't have a favorite among the 4,000+ songs he's written. He compares them to his children; he tries to give each song the same attention while writing and says choosing a favorite would be like picking a favorite child.

Comments

More Songfacts:

Pinball WizardThe Who

Pete Townshend wrote The Who's "Pinball Wizard" to coax a good review for the Tommy album out of a rock critic who loved pinball. It worked.

Livin' La Vida LocaRicky Martin

"Livin' La Vida Loca" is a Latin pop landmark, but "la vida loca" are the only Spanish words in the lyric - "mocha" is English.

Mr. Tambourine ManThe Byrds

"Mr. Tambourine Man" is the only song Bob Dylan wrote that became a #1 hit on the Hot 100. The Byrds' cover topped the chart in 1965.

Enter SandmanMetallica

The original "Enter Sandman" lyric was about crib death, with the "sandman" killing a baby.

AqualungJethro Tull

Jethro Tull lead singer Ian Anderson wrote "Aqualung" after looking at pictures of homeless men that his wife took. She got a co-writing credit on the song.

I'll Be Missing YouPuff Daddy

Puff Daddy didn't get permission to sample the Police song "Every Breath You Take" on his Notorious B.I.G. tribute "I'll Be Missing You," but he later reached an agreement and even performed the song with Sting.

Editor's Picks

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."

Loudon Wainwright IIISongwriter Interviews

"Dead Skunk" became a stinker for Loudon when he felt pressure to make another hit - his latest songs deal with mortality, his son Rufus, and picking up poop.

Jesus In Pop Hits: The Gospel Songs That Went MainstreamSong Writing

These overtly religious songs crossed over to the pop charts, despite resistance from fans, and in many cases, churches.

TV Theme SongsFact or Fiction

Was a Beatles song a TV theme? And who came up with those Fresh Prince and Sopranos songs?

Barney Hoskyns Explores The Forgotten History Of Woodstock, New YorkSong Writing

Our chat with Barney Hoskyns, who covers the wild years of Woodstock - the town, not the festival - in his book Small Town Talk.

Kim Thayil of SoundgardenSongwriter Interviews

Their frontman (Chris Cornell) started out as their drummer, so Soundgarden takes a linear approach when it comes to songwriting. Kim explains how they do it.