Smokey Robinson has been a singer for more than five decades and a legend for at least half of them.
That must be enough to make him rich, right?
Being the lead singer, songwriter, and producer of The Miracles, Robinson managed to make more money than you think throughout his career. Not to mention, being the vice president of a major record label took his fortune up a notch.
Here, we’ll reveal Smokey’s net worth and the source of his wealth.
A Brief Biography of Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson was born on the 19th of February, 1940, making him 84 years old at the time of writing. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, to a poor family of African American parents, and his parents divorced when he was only three years old.
As you’d expect, Smokey isn’t his real name; he was born William Robinson Jr.
Despite both of his parents being African American, Smokey had Scandinavian, Portuguese Nigerian, and Cherokee roots.
According to him, his favorite family member was his uncle, who was also his godfather. His name was Claude, and he was the one who first called him Smokey. In 2012, Smokey explained that Claude used to take him to see cowboy movies all the time, and after a while, he started calling him Smokey Joe because of his love of cowboys.
From the time he was only three years old, William started telling people that his name was Smokey, and the name stuck with him until it became legendary.
Smokey Robinson: From a Poor Family to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Smokey Robinson’s mother died when he was only 10 years old, and he moved out to his older sister’s house, who already had 10 children with her husband.
So, how did Smokey overcome his harsh childhood and become a legendary singer?
Baby Steps in Music
Smokey Robinson had an interest in music from a young age, particularly when he started listening to groups like Billy Ward and his Dominoes on the radio. While in high school, he formed a doo-wop group and called it the Five Chimes.
Other members of the group included his classmate Pete Moore and his friend Ronald White—both original members of the Miracles.
Image source: Google
Two years after the Five Chimes formed, they renamed themselves the Matadors. During that time, more members joined, including Bobby Rogers and Claudette Rogers, who later got married to Smokey.
At some point forward, the group changed their name to the Miracles, and the rest was history.
The Miracles
With Berry Gordy’s help, The Miracles released their first single in 1957, starting a series of collaborations with the songwriter.
Shortly after, Robinson started going to college, studying electrical engineering. However, he dropped out after spending only two months inside because the Miracles released their first record.
After a series of successes, Gordy formed Tamla Records, which later became Motown.
Motown’s first million-selling hit record was Shop Around, a song released by the Miracles in 1960. Motown’s first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Mary Wells’s My Guy, in 1964, was written and produced by Robinson.
Image source: Facebook
From then on, it was only success written in the stars for Smokey. He went on to become the chief songwriter and producer of the Miracles, producing 26 top forty hits with the band. After that, he became the vice president of Motown Records.
Smokey Robinson was recognized by the Recording Academy with a GRAMMY Legend Award in 1990 and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. Four recordings by The Miracles have been inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame, including “Shop Around” and “The Tracks of My Tears.”
Retirement .. Or Not?
In 1969, Robinson was about to retire to focus on his family life with his then-wife, Claudette Rogers. He also wanted to focus on his job as the vice president of Motown.
However, the Miracles were peaking at the time, so they made him stay for a while longer. He stayed until 1972, when he did his last performance with the group and officially retired as a singer.
Image source: Google
Smokey Robinson’s Net Worth
At the age of 84, Smokey Robinson enjoys a hefty net worth of $150 million, though it’s purely based on estimations.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that Robinson is rich, considering that he’s been famous for more than five decades. Aside from his job as a singer, venturing into production earned him a lot of money. On top of that, becoming the vice president of Motown definitely added a few millions to his fortune.
Featured image source: Google