William “Smokey” Robinson, Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American R&B and soul singer and songwriter. Robinson is noted for being one of the primary figures associated with the Motown record label, second only to the company’s founder, Berry Gordy. As both a member of Motown group The Miracles and a solo artist, Robinson recorded seventy Top 40 hits for Motown between 1959 and 1990, and also served as the company’s Vice President from 1961 to 1988. Early years and formation of the Miracles Robinson was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and was nicknamed “Smokey” as a child, because of his love of westerns.
