Smokey Robinson Born: Motown's Poetic Genius

Smokey Robinson wrote "My Girl" for the Temptations in 1964, "Ain't That Peculiar" for Marvin Gaye, "My Guy" for Mary Wells, and "The Tracks of My Tears" for himself and the Miracles, all in roughly the same period, working out of the same room on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit. Born William Robinson Jr. on February 19, 1940, in Detroit, Michigan, he formed the Miracles as a teenager and brought a demo tape to Berry Gordy's attention in 1957. Gordy signed the group, and Robinson became one of Motown's first artists. More importantly, he became its in-house songwriting genius, producing hits for multiple acts simultaneously while maintaining his own career as a performer. His songwriting process was remarkably prolific and consistent. He would write at the piano, often completing a song in a single session, and his lyrics combined romantic imagery with conversational phrasing in a way that made complex emotions sound effortless. Bob Dylan publicly called him "America's greatest living poet" during a 1966 interview, a statement Dylan never retracted and that Robinson quoted for the rest of his career. Robinson served as Motown's vice president as well as its most reliable hit maker, a dual role that gave him unusual insight into both the creative and business sides of the music industry. His solo career after leaving the Miracles in 1972 produced additional hits, including "Cruisin'" and "Being with You." He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, the same year as Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles. His influence on popular songwriting is pervasive: virtually every soul, R&B, and pop songwriter who followed him drew from the template he established at Motown.