Smokey Robinson

Year:
1987
Inducted by:
Daryl Hall & John Oates
Category:
Performers

Introduction

When it comes to Motown titans, Smokey Robinson is second only to Berry Gordy Jr. Not only did he put the company on the map with his gorgeous, passionate ballads, but he also acted as producer, songwriter, talent scout and vice-president.

Hall & Oates Induct Smokey Robinson

Hall & Oates Induct Smokey Robinson at the 1987 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Hall & Oates Induct Smokey Robinson

00:01:33
Smokey Robinson Acceptance Speech

00:03:22
"Tracks of My Tears"

00:03:57
"Going to a Go-Go"

00:01:34
Smokey Robinson Inducts Little Anthony and the Imperials

00:02:34
Smokey Robinson Inducts the Miracles

00:02:04
Smokey Robinson Inducts the Midnighters

00:02:04
Smokey Robinson Inducts the Famous Flames

00:02:14
Smokey Robinson Inducts the Crickets

00:02:16
Smokey Robinson Inducts the Comets

00:02:11
Smokey Robinson Inducts The Blue Caps

00:02:11

Hall of Fame Essay

1987

Michael Hill

William “Smokey” Robinson is a man whose work is synonymous with love - undying love, unrequited love, passionate love—and whose name is synonymous with Motown Records, as leader of the Miracles, as a solo artist, as a songwriter, as a producer and, along with Berry Gordy Jr., as a founding father of the company.

In fact, it was the Miracles’ “Shop Around” that established Motown’s Tamla label. After leasing previous singles to larger labels for distribution, Gordy decided to do it himself in 1959 with the Miracles’ “Way Over There,” which was a modest hit, selling to the tune of 60,000 records.