& the Miracles · Detroit · 1955–1972
A photograph, folded and thrown.
He came to his first audition with a notebook of a hundred songs, and spent the 1960s handing them on.
The Miracles, c. 1962: clockwise from top left, Bobby Rogers, Marv Tarplin, Ronnie White, Claudette Robinson and Smokey Robinson (Pete Moore not pictured). Tamla publicity photograph (public domain).
The North End, the 1940s and 1950s
William Robinson was born on 19 February 1940 in Detroit, in the North End. His uncle Claude gave him a cowboy name, Smokey Joe; he dropped the Joe at about twelve.
Belmont, in the North End
He and Aretha Franklin lived a few houses apart on Belmont. He knew her from about the age of five, when he came to play with her brother Cecil and heard her at the piano.
Private homes, named by the street only and not mapped. The photograph is nearby Woodward Avenue, not Belmont.
Northern High School, Woodward Avenue
Smokey started a vocal group with classmates there; it was the Five Chimes, then the Matadors, before it became the Miracles.
The school opened on 29 January 1917, designed by Malcomson & Higginbotham. Historic Detroit lists Smokey Robinson and Aretha Franklin among its pupils.
Detroit Public Schools closed Northern High in 2007; the building now houses the Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men, whose future was in question in June 2026.
A working school, not open to visitors. See the building from Woodward Avenue.
Summer 1957
The Matadors fail an audition for Jackie Wilson’s manager. Berry Gordy, then writing for Wilson, notices them, and above all their singer, who has brought a notebook of 100 songs written in high school.
On Smokey’s 18th birthday the group releases “Got a Job”, an answer to the Silhouettes’ “Get a Job”, produced by Gordy and leased to a New York label. The Matadors become the Miracles.
Guitarist Marv Tarplin joins, the man sometimes called the sixth Miracle. Smokey marries Claudette Rogers, who sings in the group.
The Apollo, 125th Street · 1958
Ray Charles helped Smokey prepare with the house band, writing tight charts for them in minutes; Smokey still remembered the group as terrified and not very good.
The Miracles first played the Apollo in 1958. Smokey later called the Apollo the real beginning of his life in show business.
The historic theatre is closed for renovation for now. The Apollo Experience tour, led by Billy “Mr. Apollo” Mitchell, runs by reservation on Mondays and Wednesdays at 11am and 1pm and Saturdays at 11am; $17.
253 West 125th Street, Harlem · $17 · Mon & Wed 11am and 1pm, Sat 11am
Part performance, part history lecture, led by Billy “Mr. Apollo” Mitchell, while the historic theatre is closed for renovation. By reservation only; in English; no refunds.
Reserve a tour2648 West Grand Boulevard
Berry Gordy bought the two-family flat at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in 1959; it was Motown’s headquarters until 1968. Claudette stops touring with the group but keeps singing on the records.
1960
“Shop Around”, written by Gordy and Smokey, reaches No. 1 R&B and No. 2 pop: Motown’s first million-seller.
1962
Gordy makes Smokey a Motown vice-president.
January 1965
Smokey starts “The Tracks of My Tears” with Marv Tarplin, on Tarplin’s riff, on a Friday, finishes most of it over the weekend and plays it for Gordy on the Monday.
1 November 1965
Going to a Go-Go, recorded mostly at Motown’s Detroit studio, is the first Miracles album to carry Smokey’s name, and their first in the pop Top 10.
Hitsville U.S.A., West Grand Boulevard
Studio A keeps original instruments and recording equipment from 1959 to 1972.
Guided tours paused on 20 January 2026 for building work, with a reopening planned for spring 2027. See the house from West Grand Boulevard, and check motownmuseum.org first.
Detroit, Michigan · Reopening planned for spring 2027
Guided tours of the house and Studio A paused on 20 January 2026 while the museum builds; it is preparing to reopen in spring 2027. Watch the booking page for dates.
Check reopeningDown the hall at Hitsville
He wrote for nearly everyone in the building. Pick a song from his notebook, then throw it to the singer who made it a record.
Pick a song from the notebook, then the singer it went to.
0 of 5 delivered
Nothing delivered yet. Five desks wait: Mary Wells, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, the Marvelettes and his own Miracles.
The Brooklyn Fox, Flatbush Avenue · Christmas 1964
On Christmas Day 1964 the Miracles were on a Motortown Revue bill here with the Temptations, the Supremes, the Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder.
Motown released the Temptations’ “My Girl”, written by Smokey and Ronnie White, the next day. William Fox opened the theatre on 31 August 1928. It had 4,305 seats. Demolition began on 7 November 1970 and finished in January 1971; Con Edison built on the site.
The theatre is gone and a Con Edison building stands on the corner. Look from the pavement at Flatbush Avenue and Nevins Street.
From Stevie Wonder, by way of London
Not every song started with him. One came in the other direction, sat three years on an album, and became his only No. 1 with the Miracles.
Something is coming in from the right.
L’Olympia, Paris · 13 April 1965
The bill had the Miracles, the Supremes, Martha & the Vandellas and Stevie Wonder, backed by the Earl Van Dyke Six.
The Motortown Revue played the Olympia on 13 April 1965, on its first trip to Europe. The after-party also launched Tamla Motown in France.
A working music hall. Guided tours in French take in the stage, the wings and the dressing rooms; they start at Le Petit Olympia, 6 rue de Caumartin.
28 boulevard des Capucines, Paris · In French · about 1 to 1½ hours
In French, behind the curtain to the stage, the wings and the dressing rooms of the hall the Miracles played in April 1965; about an hour to an hour and a half.
See tour dates1967–1969
“The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage”, co-written with Tarplin, is the first single billed Smokey Robinson & the Miracles.
Hudson’s, Woodward Avenue · early 1967
In early 1967 Smokey and Al Cleveland were shopping at Hudson’s, the big Detroit department store; Smokey was looking at pearls for Claudette. Cleveland meant to say “I second that motion” and said “emotion” instead. They laughed, and decided to write a song round the slip.
“I Second That Emotion” reached No. 4 on the Hot 100 in December 1967 and No. 1 on the R&B chart.
Bedrock says the J. L. Hudson store was once the tallest department store in the world. On its site, Hudson’s Detroit opened the public plaza Nick Gilbert Way on 6 November 2025; the 45-storey tower at 1208 Woodward is set to open in 2027.
The store is gone. Walk Nick Gilbert Way, the public plaza through Hudson’s Detroit from Woodward Avenue to Farmer Street; the tower is due to open in 2027.
The Ed Sullivan Theater
Sullivan introduced them by quoting Bob Dylan, who had called Smokey the greatest living American poet, then got the name wrong: “Smokey and the Little Smokeys”.
The Late Show left in May 2026 and no new use has been announced. See the front and the marquee from Broadway.
New York
Live marketplace results for music walks in Harlem and Manhattan. Check each itinerary for the stops it really makes.
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Compare toursRock Creek Park, July 1972
In January 1972 Smokey announced he would leave the Miracles after a summer farewell tour. The last shows were in Washington and became the live album 1957–1972.
The Carter Barron Amphitheatre
At the end of the last concert Smokey introduced Billy Griffin as the new lead singer, and Claudette rejoined the group on stage for the first time in eight years.
They were recorded here over three nights, 14 to 16 July 1972, as an all-request show. The amphitheatre’s last full season was 2016; structural problems closed it. In August 2026 it opened for three nights of concerts on a temporary stage built over the first rows of seats.
Closed since its last full season in 2016, apart from three nights on a temporary stage in August 2026. Walk up from Rock Creek Park and look in; watch for news of further concerts.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland
Smokey was inducted in 1987, by Daryl Hall and John Oates. The Miracles followed in 2012, and Smokey gave the induction speech. The Hall names him producer, songwriter, talent scout and vice-president, second only to Berry Gordy among Motown’s titans.
From September to June it opens every day 10am–5pm, Thursdays until 9pm. Adult tickets are $45.
DAR Constitution Hall · 2016
The Library of Congress held Smokey’s Gershwin Prize gala here on 16 November 2016, with the prize presented by the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden. The Library counts more than 4,000 songs in his catalogue.
A concert hall a block from the Ellipse. See the colonnade from D Street NW, or go to a show there.
10 places you can visit, from the North End to Paris. Northern High is a working school and Hitsville’s tours are paused until spring 2027; the Brooklyn Fox and Hudson’s store are gone, the Carter Barron opens only now and then, and Belmont is private homes, named and not mapped.
Pins mark public places; private homes are named but not pinned.
General reference · Restricted access · Coordinate precision: site · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. A working school, not open to visitors. See the building from Woodward Avenue.
General reference · Public access · Coordinate precision: building · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. Guided tours paused on 20 January 2026 for building work, with a reopening planned for spring 2027. See the house from West Grand Boulevard, and check motownmuseum.org first.
General reference · Public access · Coordinate precision: site · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. The store is gone. Walk Nick Gilbert Way, the public plaza through Hudson’s Detroit from Woodward Avenue to Farmer Street; the tower is due to open in 2027.
9026 Woodward Avenue, Detroit
The Miracles began as the Matadors, formed at Northern High School in 1955.
A working school, not open to visitors. See the building from Woodward Avenue.
2648 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit
Berry Gordy bought the two-family flat at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in 1959; it was Motown’s headquarters until 1968.
Guided tours paused on 20 January 2026 for building work, with a reopening planned for spring 2027. See the house from West Grand Boulevard, and check motownmuseum.org first.
1208–1240 Woodward Avenue, downtown Detroit (now Hudson’s Detroit)
In early 1967 Smokey and Al Cleveland were shopping at Hudson’s, the big Detroit department store; Smokey was looking at pearls for Claudette.
The store is gone. Walk Nick Gilbert Way, the public plaza through Hudson’s Detroit from Woodward Avenue to Farmer Street; the tower is due to open in 2027.
Stay
Victorian houses on East Ferry Street, a short drive from the North End and West Grand Boulevard.
84 East Ferry Street, Detroit · Book direct · 313-351-9054
Thirty-three rooms in four restored Victorian houses and a carriage house in Midtown, a short drive up Woodward to the North End; coffee, tea and fruit round the clock. Some rooms are up stairs, and a $25 nightly destination fee applies. Pictured: Northern High, up the road.
Check roomsGo there
The Apollo’s tour, the Olympia’s wings, the Rock Hall, Hitsville’s reopening, and music tours in Detroit and Harlem.
Detroit, Michigan · Reopening planned for spring 2027
Guided tours of the house and Studio A paused on 20 January 2026 while the museum builds; it is preparing to reopen in spring 2027. Watch the booking page for dates.
Check reopening253 West 125th Street, Harlem · $17 · Mon & Wed 11am and 1pm, Sat 11am
Part performance, part history lecture, led by Billy “Mr. Apollo” Mitchell, while the historic theatre is closed for renovation. By reservation only; in English; no refunds.
Reserve a tour28 boulevard des Capucines, Paris · In French · about 1 to 1½ hours
In French, behind the curtain to the stage, the wings and the dressing rooms of the hall the Miracles played in April 1965; about an hour to an hour and a half.
See tour dates1100 Rock & Roll Boulevard, Cleveland · Adults $45
The museum on Cleveland’s lakefront that inducted Smokey in 1987 and the Miracles in 2012. Open every day 10am–5pm from September to June, Thursdays until 9pm.
Plan a visitDetroit
Live marketplace results for Motown and Detroit music tours. Hitsville’s own tours are paused, so check each itinerary for the stops it really makes.
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Compare toursNew York
Live marketplace results for music walks in Harlem and Manhattan. Check each itinerary for the stops it really makes.
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Compare toursWhat’s on
The Legacy of Love Tour at the Chevalier Theatre, outside Boston.
Checking current event dates…
Take it home
His autobiography and the Miracles from 1961 to 1967.
Smokey Robinson with David Ritz
His 1989 autobiography, from the North End onwards (McGraw-Hill first edition).
Find the bookThe Miracles · LP, Tamla, 1961
Their first album, with “Shop Around”.
Live marketplace search · listings and condition change
Find a copySmokey Robinson & the Miracles · LP, Tamla, 1965
The first album to carry his name, with “The Tracks of My Tears”.
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Find a copySmokey Robinson & the Miracles · LP, Tamla, 1967
The 1967 album where “The Tears of a Clown” waited three years.
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Find a copyDates, prices, rooms and stock change: confirm with the provider before you travel or buy. A stay or tour is described as a filming location only where the card says so.
Every place and moment behind this page, with sources.
11 of 11 places · 35 of 35 Moments
Belmont, North End, Detroit
William Robinson is born in Detroit’s North End.
His uncle Claude calls him Smokey Joe, a cowboy name. At about twelve he drops the Joe.
Playing with Cecil Franklin a few houses down Belmont, he hears Cecil’s little sister Aretha at the piano.
Smokey marries Claudette Rogers, who sings in the group.
9026 Woodward Avenue, Detroit
At Northern High he forms the Five Chimes with Ronald White and Pete Moore.
With Bobby Rogers added, the group becomes the Matadors.
2648 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit
The Matadors fail an audition for Jackie Wilson’s manager. Berry Gordy, then writing for Wilson, notices them, and above all their singer, who has brought a notebook of 100 songs written in high school.
On Smokey’s 18th birthday the group releases “Got a Job”, an answer to the Silhouettes’ “Get a Job”, produced by Gordy and leased to a New York label. The Matadors become the Miracles.
Guitarist Marv Tarplin joins, the man sometimes called the sixth Miracle.
“Shop Around”, written by Gordy and Smokey, reaches No. 1 R&B and No. 2 pop: Motown’s first million-seller.
Gordy makes Smokey a Motown vice-president.
Smokey writes a run of love songs for Mary Wells; the first three reach the pop Top 10 in 1962. His “My Guy” goes to No. 1 in 1964, Motown’s first success in Britain and Australia.
Claudette stops touring with the group but keeps singing on the records.
Smokey starts “The Tracks of My Tears” with Marv Tarplin, on Tarplin’s riff, on a Friday, finishes most of it over the weekend and plays it for Gordy on the Monday.
He co-writes and produces Marvin Gaye’s “I’ll Be Doggone” and “Ain’t That Peculiar”, crediting Tarplin as a collaborator.
For the Marvelettes he writes “Don’t Mess With Bill” and “The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game”.
Going to a Go-Go, recorded mostly at Motown’s Detroit studio, is the first Miracles album to carry Smokey’s name, and their first in the pop Top 10.
“The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage”, co-written with Tarplin, is the first single billed Smokey Robinson & the Miracles.
A Stevie Wonder instrumental with a circus feel, to which Smokey wrote words, appears on the album Make It Happen. It is not a single.
Three years on, Motown’s UK office picks “The Tears of a Clown” off Make It Happen as a single. It is a hit in Britain first, then America: the group’s first and only No. 1 pop single.
Guided tours at Hitsville pause for construction, ahead of a reopening in spring 2027.
1208–1240 Woodward Avenue, downtown Detroit (now Hudson’s Detroit)
Shopping for pearls for Claudette at Hudson’s, Smokey hears Al Cleveland say “I second that emotion” and they decide to write it.
Nick Gilbert Way, a public plaza through Hudson’s Detroit, opens on the old store’s site.
253 West 125th Street, Harlem, New York
First week at the Apollo. Ray Charles writes the group charts for the house band in minutes.
20 Flatbush Avenue at Nevins Street, Brooklyn
The Miracles play a Motortown Revue Christmas show at the Brooklyn Fox with the Temptations, the Supremes, the Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder.
Motown releases the Temptations’ “My Girl”, written by Smokey and his fellow Miracle Ronnie White.
1697 Broadway, between West 53rd and 54th Streets, New York
Sullivan debut: maroon suits, pink shirts, a medley, then “Yesterday”, and the host calling them “Smokey and the Little Smokeys”.
Back in blue satin for “Doggone Right” and “Abraham, Martin and John”; Sullivan announces a coming Copacabana engagement.
28 boulevard des Capucines, Paris
On the Motortown Revue’s first trip to Europe the Miracles play the Olympia with the Supremes, Martha & the Vandellas and Stevie Wonder.
Colorado Avenue NW, Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC
The success of “The Tears of a Clown” puts off Smokey’s planned exit. In January 1972 he announces he will leave after a summer farewell tour.
Three nights of farewell shows, recorded for 1957–1972. At the end Smokey introduces Billy Griffin, and Claudette is back on stage for the first time in eight years.
The Carter Barron opens for three nights of concerts on a temporary stage, after nearly a decade closed.
1776 D Street NW, Washington, DC
The Library of Congress holds his Gershwin Prize gala at Constitution Hall.
1100 Rock & Roll Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio
Smokey is inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Daryl Hall and John Oates.
The Miracles are inducted, and Smokey gives the speech.
