Happy Birthday Mr. Smokey Robinson!!!

Today we honor a great man of music, a true icon, a part of Motown and music HIStory and a great friend and supporter of Michael Jackson!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mr. Smokey Robinson!!!



Smokey Robinson turns 70 today. Unbelievable! He has blessed the world with so much soul and amazing music that this space is not enough to list his achievements as a singer and a songwriter.

So let's focus on the relationship he had with Michael Jackson...

Most of us have seen his heartfelt speech at the Memorial where he talked about 10 year old Michael singing his song "Who's Loving You" better than himself...

"I wrote that song. I thought I sang it. I wrote that song and 2 years later here comes this little kid and he’s 10 years old. [...] And I heard it. I thought to myself…now they have pulled a fast one on us because this boy cannot possibly be 10 years old. [...] I have young kids coming up to me now; when I do concerts I sing "Who's Loving You" at concerts and young kids who were at the concert come up to me and say hey you’re singing Michael Jackson’s song huh."


And nobody will ever forget his part in the Grammys Tribute to Michael Jackson where Smokey Robinson sang the "Earth Song" along with Michael and supported by Usher, Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood. When Smokey entered the stage and started singing "I used to dream..." I felt a strong energy and the love he had for Michael over all of those years. To me it felt almost like a real duet of the two. I know Michael was smiling down that very moment!!!


Another fact of their relationship wasn't recognized by the public eye as much but deserves our attention.

Smokey Robinson recorded a fantastic interpretation of J5's "I Want You Back" for his outstanding album "Time Flies When You're Having Fun" that was released in late 2009. It was recorded before June.

So he decided to keep it on the album as a secret track because he didn't want to be accused of exploiting the death of Michael.

"It's the first record the Jackson 5 made when they came to Motown. I always loved that song and I always wanted to make an adult version. It was for Michael to hear. Then he died."

"I loved Michael very much, Michael was my brother. His death was a tremendous shock, an unbelievable thing to find out. I didn't want people to think I was exploiting the fact that he'd died so it became a hidden track."

I have so much respect for that decision but the song deserves to emerge to the light.

This is where the circle closes. Thank you Mr. Smokey Robinson. I love you.



Edit Febuary, 26 additional information:

The first record Michael Jackson purchased was 1963's MICKEY'S MONKEY by Smokey Robinson's group The Miracles.