{"id":1790,"date":"2020-01-24T18:50:25","date_gmt":"2020-01-24T18:50:25","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2021-08-03T16:33:38","modified_gmt":"2021-08-03T16:33:38","slug":"celebrating-smokey-robinson-from-greatest-hits-to-great-american","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourstories.shinola.com\/our-stories\/celebrating-smokey-robinson-from-greatest-hits-to-great-american\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Smokey Robinson: From Greatest Hits To Great American"},"content":{"rendered":"

Born in Detroit, Michigan on February 19, 1940, William \u201cSmokey\u201d Robinson Jr. is credited with helping to define a new era of sound, co-founding Motown Records and establishing hits across the span of four decades with his group. That’s why we are honored to name him our newest Great American and introduce the limited-edition Smokey Robinson collection<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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But the path to becoming a renowned singer-songwriter, record producer and record executive was no easy feat for a kid growing up with limited resources. Smokey said he owes it all to his intense passion for the industry, an attribute that helped him attain the \u201cimpossible dream.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cEven dreams that seem impossible are not,” said Smokey. \u201cEverything that you see happening\u2014everything that you hear and everything you see was somebody\u2019s dream. I\u2019m living my impossible dream.\u201d <\/p>\n

During his school-aged days, he thought he might be a dentist, or an engineer, or even a baseball player. But he felt called by the sounds around him, always looking to his singing idols for inspiration: Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Clive McPhatter, Frankie Lymon and Nolan Strong, a singer from Detroit who led the doo-wop group, The Diablos. <\/p>\n

Along with the inspiration was a natural talent that\u2019s infused into his DNA. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think that God gives everybody gifts.  Some people never discover their gifts, and some people never pursue their gifts,\u201d said Smokey. \u201cI love the fact that I am not a labor songwriter. I don\u2019t have to take two to three months to go off to the mountains somewhere or to the desert to isolate myself so I can write songs.  No.  It happens for me all the time\u2014it\u2019s like an automatic occurrence.\u201d<\/p>\n

This kind of talent\u2014and a lot of hard work\u2014gave rise to the success of The Miracles. Founded by Smokey, the group became Motown\u2019s first signed act and would go on to be one of the label\u2019s top groups. But Smokey didn\u2019t stop there. He wrote many top hits for other Motown groups, including The Temptations, Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye and others. When he later went solo, the chart-toppers didn\u2019t stop, making for a legendary musical career. Now Smokey sometimes finds his own name on singers\u2019 influencer lists.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen kids first started sampling my music and putting it in their music, people would ask, \u2018Aren\u2019t you upset? They\u2019re sampling your music!\u2019 And I would say, \u2018No I\u2019m not. Sample all my music please.\u2019  That means that song had an effect on your life, and you loved it enough to include it in one of your songs,\u201d said Smokey. <\/p>\n

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From \u201cYou\u2019ve Really Got A Hold On Me\u201d to \u201cMy Girl\u201d to \u201cGet Ready,\u201d Smokey\u2019s songs transcend generations. He certainly knows a thing or two about writing a classic, defining it as a song that has a certain quality to it\u2014and that its poignancy makes it relatable to a wide group of people. He also said listeners should be able to hear every word in the song as opposed to them getting swallowed up by the music. As for what makes a great love song, well Smokey says that\u2019s really not up to the writer. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think what makes a great love song is the listener, because everybody is not going to relate to the same love story,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Despite all of his major contributions to the music industry and beyond, as Smokey approaches his 80th birthday, he said his biggest accomplishment to date is actually the present. <\/p>\n

\u201cToday, right now! I’m serious about that.  Do you realize I\u2019ve been doing this for 61 years?!\u201d he exclaimed. \u201cToday I am still playing shows, when most of my peers, the people I started with are either dead, or you don\u2019t know where they are.  So, today.\u201d<\/p>\n

While today is undoubtedly a special time for Smokey, he also revels in the fond memories of Motown, which just celebrated its 60th anniversary last year. <\/p>\n

\u201cMotown was a once in a lifetime musical event and it will never be duplicated, I don\u2019t think. We weren\u2019t just label mates. We lived together. We did everything together,\u201d he said. \u201cHitsville wasn\u2019t just a workplace, it was a hangout.\u201d <\/p>\n

Shinola is proud to launch this collection that honors Smokey and his legendary career. The Smokey Robinson Journals are the perfect canvas for writing down your ideas or drafting the next greatest hit\u2014you never know when the inspiration will strike. And with an engravable caseback, these Vinton timepieces are the perfect way to send a meaningful message, whether it\u2019s an expression of love or a sense of gratitude. Take a cue from Smokey and go for a classic. <\/p>\n

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\u201cI am so grateful,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel so blessed, because I get a chance to live my life and earn a living doing what I absolutely love, so that\u2019s a blessing.\u201d <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Born in Detroit, Michigan on February 19, 1940, William \u201cSmokey\u201d Robinson Jr. is credited with helping to define a new era of sound, co-founding Motown Records and establishing hits across the span of four decades with his group. That’s why we are honored to name him our newest Great American and introduce the limited-edition Smokey […]<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[3],"yoast_head":"\nCelebrating Smokey Robinson: From Greatest Hits To Great American - Our Stories<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ourstories.shinola.com\/our-stories\/celebrating-smokey-robinson-from-greatest-hits-to-great-american\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Celebrating Smokey Robinson: From Greatest Hits To Great American - Our Stories\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Born in Detroit, Michigan on February 19, 1940, William \u201cSmokey\u201d Robinson Jr. is credited with helping to define a new era of sound, co-founding Motown Records and establishing hits across the span of four decades with his group. 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