William Robinson Jr. better known as Smokey Robinson is a legend of R&B and Soul music. He is a bonafide singer, songwriter, and record producer who is making music to this day.
Robinson was the founder of the vocal music group The Miracles in 1955 and led the group to become one of the prominent collectives of musicians during that era.
He retired from being an active music artist in 1972 to focus more on his role as Motown Records’ vice president. He later came back and had a successful career as a solo artist as well.
Smokey Robinson always has been a controversial figure, various rumors have been circulated about him for years. One of these speculations is about him being gay.
An investigation will help us to identify how the rumor started and if there is any evidence to prove it to be true. Let’s explore!
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Intriguing Facts & Trivia About Smokey Robinson: Know The Rock & Roll Hall Of Famer
Smokey Robinson is a music legend but he is from a time when many youngsters were not even born. Therefore, a lot of information about him is unknown. By reading the table below, you can learn various facts about him and enrich your knowledge.
| Full Name | William Robinson Jr. |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 19 February 1940 |
| Occupation | Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer |
| Genres | R&B, Soul, Pop |
| Hometown | Detroit, Michigan |
| Height | 5 feet 11 inches (1.82 m) |
| Weight | 154 lbs (70 kg) |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Net Worth | $150 million |
| Years Active | 1955 – Present |
| Awards | The Hollywood Walk of Fame Star 1983
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 1987 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance 1988 Songwriters Hall of Fame 1989 Lifetime Achievement Award – Society of Singers 2011 Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame |
Is Smokey Robinson Gay? Why People Doubt His Sexual Orientation
The debate over Smokey Robinson’s sexuality has been going on for some years. There are some reasons behind the rumor, we are going to investigate it thoroughly and find out the truth.
Believe it or not, the main reason people are skeptical about his orientation is some song lyrics. In 1975, the musical group The Miracles published an album called City of Angels. There is a song named “Ain’t Nobody Straight in L.A.”
After the song got released, it quickly became a hot topic and created a lot of controversy. Homosexuality was not as accepted as it is in the present time, people were shunned and blacklisted if they were gay.
Many fans thought he wrote the lyrics of the song as a hint to his audience about his actual sexuality. Though a lot of people believe that to be the case, that might not be true based on his lifestyle.
He has been in the limelight since he started his musical career in 1957. From that time to this day, there has been no news of him being involved with other men that might hint at his interest in the same sex.
Smokey Robinson’s Marriage with Claudette Rogers & Frances Gladney
The speculation basically gets debunked when you think about his relationships throughout the years. Smokey Robinson has never been linked with any men to this day as I have said earlier, but he has married twice.
His first marriage was with Claudette Rogers, one of the members of The Miracles group. They were romantically involved for quite some time before finally tying the knot in 1959. They welcomed their first child in 1968, a son whom they named Barry Robinson.
They had one daughter in 1971, she was named Tamla Robinson. Fans were really ecstatic about the couple’s marital life but they had to part ways, because of a scandalous affair.
Robinson cheated on Claudette Rogers with another woman and was caught. He admitted to his wrongdoing which resulted in their divorce in 1986.
At the age of 62, Smokey Robinson married again in 2002. This time he married Frances Gladney, a successful interior designer. She prefers to keep herself away from the limelight and barely gives any information about herself.
They are together to this day and living their life happily in Pittsburgh. They have launched their own skin care product named Skinphonic. It’s especially suited for people of color.
These two marriages and the children born are proof of him being straight.
The Mysterious Mother of His Son
Aside from her two marriages, another incident created quite a stir among the fans about the mysterious mother of his son. In the year 1984, Smokey Robinson became the father of another son named Trey Robinson.
This was the first time Smokey Robinson became a father out of wedlock. He was still married to his first wife Claudette Rogers and this incident was the main reason behind their separation.
Though Robinson accepted his son, he never revealed the name of the mother. It’s unknown to this day. It’s a dark time of his life for sure but it still gives us a glimpse of his interest in women.
Smokey Robinson’s Net Worth in 2024: His Earnings & Assets Throughout The Years
Smokey Robinson is one of the pioneers of R&B music, he is the reason behind the genre’s popularity. He also worked as an executive for Motown Records for years. All of these accomplishments and hard work have earned him millions.
According to our estimation, Robinson’s net worth is around 150 million dollars. Most of his income came from his album sales, first as part of the group The Miracles and later as a solo artist.
He also earned a decent amount of money as the vice president of Motown Records. He also opened his own record label named Robos Records.
The Miracles were quite popular for their music, they were played all over the radio. Robinson led the group for 17 years before retiring from music to focus as the vice president of Motown. His retirement was short-lived, he started to make music solo.
He published his album from Motown Records before finally leaving in 1990. He joined SBK Records at first and later published from Universal Records. He finally opened his own label named Robos Records from which he issued the album Time Flies When You’re Young.
Robinson might be 83 years old but still young at heart. He is releasing a new album named Gasms. Some of the songs are already available as various music stream services.
In terms of Real Estate, Robinson used to own a home in Encino, California which he sold in 2002. The estate was built in 1912 on 1.5 acres of land. It has modern, luxurious facilities including a private deck and a garden.
He owns another mansion in California which he once listed to sell for 8 million dollars but failed to sell due to not finding a favorable buyer.
Final Statement
Smokey Robinson is a polarizing figure, he is beloved for his music as well as part of numerous controversies. A lot of rumors are circulating about this R&B legend but the speculation about his sexuality is not true. Smokey Robinson is not gay.
Some of his fans started to wonder if he is interested in men after the release of “Ain’t Nobody Straight in L.A.” It created an interesting narrative about Smokey Robinson’s life but it gives little to no insight. It doesn’t prove he is gay.
Furthermore, he has married twice, once in 1959 with Claudette Rogers and once in 2022 with Frances Gladney. If you ever had any doubt about his sexual preference at any time of your life, the safest bet would be to believe in him being a heterosexual man.
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