Smokey Robinson
Famous For...: He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1990.
Notable Achievements: He and his singing group, The Miracles, were voted the 32nd Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artists of all time by Rolling Stone. He was awarded the U.S. National Medal of Arts in 2002 from the National Endowment of the Arts, received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Howard University in 2006 and was awarded Kennedy Center Honors in 2006.
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is noted for being one of the primary figures associated with Motown Records, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy. Robinson's countless hits, and consistent contributions to the Motown label earned him the title of the "King of Motown." As both a member of Motown group The Miracles and a solo artist, Robinson recorded thirty-seven Top 40 hits for Motown between 1960 and 1987, and also served as the company's vice president from 1961 to 1988.
