It is rare that artists from the Motown era sit for in-depth interviews where they open up about their personal lives, but Smokey Robinson recently spoke with about his life and career and the interview clips are polarizing.
The singer is known for his work as a singer and songwriter of the great music era, penning hits for the likes of The Temptations and The Supremes. This was before finding his own success with The Miracles before embarking on a solo career.
The Detroit native grew up as close friends with Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross, with Ross living in the same neighborhood as him. In his chat with Vlad TV, he spoke about meeting Ross and learning of her singing ability later on.
“I didn’t even know she could sing,” Robinson said of Ross. “When I found out she could sing was when–she moved away from the from the Block, she moved to a place called the Brewster projects and after we started Motown she called me one day and she said, ‘Smoke I got this group you know and I want you to hear us so you can sign us up at Motown.’ So I said ‘OK’, I didn’t know she was a singer till then.”
They remained close friends and work associates. Eventually, their platonic friendship became a romantic one. Vlad reminded Robinson that he mentioned in his memoir that he and Ross had a fling. Robinson admitted to such, while noting it went on for too long considering he was accounted for at the time.
“Yes…it lasted probably longer than it should because I was married at the time,” Robinson explained. “This happened later, after I got married, after I got them signed up at Motown. That’s when that started.”
Ross has been married twice. Outside of Robinson, she also had a relationship with Berry Gordy, resulting in the birth of her first child, Rhonda. Two months into her pregnancy, Ross married music executive Robert Ellis Silberstein. Rhonda wouldn’t learn until she was an adult that Gordy was her father.
