Smokey Robinson is one of the most beloved and influential figures in the history of popular music, with a career spanning over 50 years. He is an R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer, known as the founder and frontman of the Motown vocal group The Miracles from 1955 until 1972. After retiring from The Miracles to focus primarily on his role as Motown Records vice president, Robinson returned to the music industry as a solo artist the following year. However, he left Motown in 1999 and has since been involved in numerous successful musical ventures. He was also a guest coach on American Idol during their 2023 season.

In November 2010, Robinson released his highly anticipated new album entitled Now and Then. The 12-song CD features six live versions of his well-known classics, including "Going to a Go-Go," "I Second That Emotion," and "The Tracks of My Tears." The other six songs are from his 2009 release "Time Flies When You're Having Fun," which reached number 59 on the Billboard album chart, his highest showing since "One Heartbeat." In 2014, he released the album "Smokey & Friends," featuring duets with Elton John, Linda Ronstadt, and James Taylor, among others. It reached number 12 on the Billboard album chart. He released his first album in almost a decade in April 2023, titled "Gasms," featuring entirely new music.

Robinson has logged 37 Top 40 hits during his career and has received numerous awards. Besides the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a Grammy Award for "Best R&B Performance, Male," and the Soul Train Music Award for Career Achievement, he was awarded the 2016 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for his lifetime contributions to popular music. He also received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement in 2019. His first solo Top Ten Pop single was "Cruisin'," which hit number one in Cash Box and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Robinson topped the charts again in 1981 with the sensual ballad "Being with You", which was another number-one hit in Cash Box and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.

Robinson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Songwriter Hall of Fame. He is a double Hollywood Walk of Fame inductee, as a solo artist and as a member of The Miracles. He received a Kennedy Center honor in 2006 and was conferred the degree of Doctor of Music, honoris causa, by Howard University in the same year. In 2022, he was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame. In 2023, he was named MusiCares Person of the Year and performed "Tears of a Clown" alongside Stevie Wonder at the 2023 Grammys. His compositions have been popularized by many artists, including Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Mary Wells, The Marvelettes, Brenda Holloway, and others.

Aside from his music career, Robinson is also known for his unique golden green eyes, which he believes were passed down from his French great-grandmother. He has not eaten red meat since 1972 and practices Transcendental Meditation. He also has a personal brand, Smokey Robinson Wines.

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