The MIRACLES are one of the greatest singing groups of ALL TIME !!! Not only that , but also one of the most INFLUENTIAL !! AND THAT'S ALL THE MEMBERS, NOT JUST SMOKEY !!!THE MIRACLES STARTED THE ENTIRE MOTOWN PHENOMONON!!! Unlike the Temptations , Supremes , & Four Tops, THE MIRACLES wrote almost all of their OWN material ,ALL OF THEM ...NOT JUST SMOKEY !! Don't believe it ?? Just read the writing credits on their records!!! They don't just list "Robinson" as the credited writer, but " ROBINSON, ROGERS, MOORE, WHITE , AND TARPLIN !!! ALL OF THEM !!! THIS INFORMATION IS READILY AVAILABLE ! WHY THE RRHOF INDUCTION COMMITTEE DIDN'T GET IT IS BEYOND ME !! OR MAYBE THEY JUST DIDNT TRY ! If you need further proof, just Go on AMAZON or your local music store, and pick up the DVD: SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES: THE DEFINITIVE DVD COLLECTION ( part of the new Motown "definitive DVD series ". 3 of the original MIRACLES are interviewed : Pete Moore, Smokey Robinson, and Bobby Rogers.It is revealed on this DVD something long time MIRACLES fans always knew.... that ALL OF THE MIRACLES wrote their many hits .... not just SMOKEY !!! not only that , but 9 of the Temptations first 12 hits were written by the MIRACLES TOO !!! AND , THAT'S JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBURG!!! they've also written for MARVIN GAYE ("AINT THAT PECULIAR","I'LL BE DOGGONE","ONE MORE HEARTACHE") MARY WELLS ( "MY GUY", "TWO LOVERS" "THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU " "WHAT TWO CAN EASILY DO"),THE CONTOURS ( "FIRST I LOOK AT THE PURSE".... (later covered by the J GEILS BAND), "THAT DAY WHEN SHE NEEDED ME") THE MARVELETTES ("DON'T MESS WITH BILL","MY BABY MUST BE A MAGICIAN, " THE HUNTER GETS CAPTURED BY THE GAME" ... AND ALSO HITS BTY KIM WESTON, BRENDA HOLLOWAY, THE FOUR TOPS, AND MORE !!! HOW MANY MIRACLES SONGS (OR ANYONE ELSES) DID THE TEMPTATIONS OR THE SUPREMES WRITE ?? THINK ABOUT IT. But THEY'RE IN THE HALL OF FAME AND THE MIRACLES ARE NOT ?! AND FOR THOSE WHO SAY SMOKEY WAS THE GROUP'S ONLY TALENTED WRITER, I SAY,"WHAT ABOUT "LOVE MACHINE " WRITTEN BY MIRACLES PETE MOORE & BILLY GRIFFIN.... A MULTI- MILLION SELLING #1 POP SMASH....That came from the self-written platinum album "CITY OF ANGELS"..."WHERE WAS SMOKEY WHEN THAT ONE WAS WRITTEN ? IN FACT JANN WENNER'S OWN ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE LISTS THE MIRACLES # 32 on their list of "THE IMMORTALS: THE 50 GREATEST ARTISTS OF ALL TIME" .... MAKING THEM THE TOP -RANKING MOTOWN GROUP IN THE LISTING .... ALL OF THEM .... NOT JUST SMOKEY !!!(DO YOU SEE A PATTERN HERE ?) HOW CAN WENNER'S OWN MAGAZINE RANK THE MIRACLES SO HIGH ON THIS LIST , AHEAD OF SUCH ARTISTS AS MADONNA, ERIC CLAPTON , & THE DOORS, AMONG OTHERS.... AND YET EXCLUDE THEM FROM RRHOF INDUCTION ? I SUGGEST TO A N Y O N E WHO FEELS THAT THE MIRACLES DON'T DESERVE INDUCTION.... LOOK UP " THE MIRACLES ON WIKIPEDIA. SEE HOW MANY ARTISTS HAVE COVERED THEIR SONGS. SEE HOW MANY HITS THEY'VE WRITTEN FOR OTHERS. SEE HOW IMPORTANT THEY WERE IN THE FORMATION OF MOTOWN. You can't GET more influential than THE MIRACLES... in ANY musical genre!!! then look up the RONETTES ,or PERCY SLEDGE by comparision....see if they even come CLOSE.... IN HIT RECORDS OR INFLUENCE !!! IF YOU'RE NOT CONVINCED BY THEN THAT THE MIRACLES- SMOKEY ROBINSON, BOBBY ROGERS, PETE MOORE, RONNIE WHITE, MARV TARPLIN, & CLAUDETTE ROGERS- ROBINSON- DONT DESERVE INDUCTION INTO THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME....THEN NO ONE SHOULD !!!

Posted by Bill G. on Sunday, 06.10.07 @ 23:21pm

Bill, it's common internet knowledge that typing in all CAPS is the face to face equivalent to shouting, which, in the physical world acheives the effect of having people immediately preoccupied with annoyance and actually NOT listening to what you are saying, which is both ironic and a waste for you. Works the same way here. The all caps works against you and I wish you would stop it. Now.

Posted by shawn mc on Monday, 06.11.07 @ 01:06am

Please stick to the point in question.The purpose of this site is to determine whether The Miracles merit induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Please limit your comments to this issue. Thank You.

Posted by Bill G on Monday, 06.11.07 @ 06:44am

"Please stick to the point in question.The purpose of this site.."

Bill, I'm happy to stick to the discussions on The Miracles or your conspiracy theories - but if you're going to shout at me or hit me with a mallet while you make your comments, I may go off point - just for a moment - in order to ask you to turn your fu*king bullhorn off, mm-kay?

Don't be sanctimonious.

Posted by shawn mc on Monday, 06.11.07 @ 10:05am

I hate to keep beating a dead horse, but I just recently read something that really burns me . In 2004 Jann Wenner's ROLLING STONE magazine published their list of "THE IMMORTALS: THE FIFTY GREATEST ARTISTS OF ALL TIME". On this list,THE MIRACLES are listed as number 32, which makes them not only the highest - ranking MOTOWN group in the listing (the SUPREMES ,TEMPTATIONS ,& THE FOUR TOPS all ranked lower, and didnt even make the top 50 ,and,of ALL Motown artists,only STEVIE WONDER & MARVIN GAYE are ranked higher ), but also puts them ahead of such stellar artists as NEIL YOUNG, MADONNA,ROY ORBISON, and THE DOORS.How can WENNER'S own magazine rank THE MIRACLES so high on this list of all- time legends,and yet , at the same time, exclude them from ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION ? Does that make sense to you ? Not to me. Notice , his list didn't just mention "SMOKEY ROBINSON", BUT rather "SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES", acknowledging that the ENTIRE GROUP merited inclusion..Also as I continued to scan this list , I found that, of this IMMORTAL TOP 50,EVERY SINGLE ARTIST ON THE LIST IS IN THE ROCK HALL OF FAME EXCEPT for four: RUN DMC,NIRVANA,PUBLIC ENEMY, and THE MIRACLES.And the MIRACLES have been FAR MORE influential ,and their songs FAR MORE COVERED then ALL OF THESE ARTISTS PUT TOGETHER !!! Also, as I scanned the next fifty on the list (51-100),several artists ranked BELOW the MIRACLES are RRHOF inductees, such as JACKIE WILSON,PARLIAMENT/FUNKADELIC,AEROSMITH,FRANK ZAPPA,& ERIC CLAPTON,among others. WHICH ONCE AGAIN BEGS THE QUESTION: " WHY AREN'T THE MIRACLES , MOTOWN'S LEGENDARY FIRST GROUP, NOT IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME ??

Posted by bill g on Sunday, 07.8.07 @ 11:26am

Beating dead horses is what this site is all about. You have made the case, I agree with you, The Miracles should have been inducted along with Smokey.

Posted by Dezmond on Sunday, 07.8.07 @ 12:00pm

Thanks, Dezmond. A lot of other people feel the same way. Regardless of whether a person loves R&B music in general, or Motown in particular , the fact remains that artists and groups that deserve to be inducted into the RRHOF SHOULD be inducted.... and this applies to prog. rock and other musical genres as well . the MIRACLES are not just any garden- variety group,, they are one of the ALL -TIME GREATS. 4 OF THEIR SONGS ARE IN THE GRAMMY HALL OF FAME. They were inducted into VOCAL GROUP HALL OF FAME YEARS AGO. The artists that have covered their songs are a WHO'S WHO of some of the GREATEST NAMES in the industry..... in many different musical genres ...POP AND ROCK ARTISTS, R&B and HIP-HOP ARTISTS.... even JAZZ AND COUNTRY ARTISTS.AND,ALMOST ALL OF THEIR SONGS WERE SELF- WRITTEN. Plus , their historical importance as MOTOWN'S FIRST GROUP. No what the label went on to do afterwards, or how many great artists it discovered , THE MIRACLES WERE THE FIRST.THEIR HITS BUILT THE LABEL,(taking MOTOWN RECORDS from local obscurity to national success) and to quote Wikipedia, " the MIRACLES success paved the way for all future MOTOWN stars" Many of their compositions actually launched the careers of their fellow artists, several of which have already been inducted. 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of SMOKEY'S individual induction. It also marks the 50th anniversary of the MIRACLES'recording debut. The surviving original members , all but one of which are still alive, are approaching 70 years of age. Let's hope that this blacklisting against THE MIRACLES finally comes to an end, so they can be deservingly inducted , while most of them are still alive.

Posted by Bill G on Sunday, 09.16.07 @ 23:36pm

I agree with Shawn here - if not for any other reason, reading all caps is straining on the eyes...

Posted by Anon on Monday, 09.17.07 @ 10:03am

I'm just a "Love Machine" and I won't work for nobody but you!!! That was there biggest hit in the post Smokey era.

Posted by Joe-Skee on Monday, 09.17.07 @ 15:48pm

The Miracles (without Smokey) also had a #13 Pop smash with "Do It Baby" , and a Top 10 R&B hit with "Don't Ya Love It" , as well as a Platinum album with The "City Of Angels" LP. Their song "Love Machine" from that album went all the way to # 1 on the pop charts, (something Smokey has yet to do as a solo artist, his highest charting solo hit has been "Being With You" , which reached #2} So many people over the years (the RRHOF induction committee included)have had the misguided impression that Smokey was The Miracles' only talented songwriter. They were wrong. They were all talented songwriters.All of their names are on the writing credits of their many hits. Miracles bass singer Pete Moore , and Smokey's replacement, Billy Griffin, co- wrote the entire "City Of Angels" LP. Smokey had nothing to do with the writing and production of this album. The Miracles had a total of 7 charting singles with Billy Griffin. That they didn't have even more may have had more to do with corporate politics inside Motown, rather than any lack of talent with The Miracles themselves ,(read "lack of promotion"), which explains why they eventually left the label for Columbia Records in the mid '70's. No artist would have a song go all the way to #1 on the pop charts, and have their very next single ("Night Life") chart no higher than # 60 R&B ,unless their was something s e r i o u s l y wrong at the corporate level.

Posted by Bill G on Monday, 09.17.07 @ 21:16pm

On behalf of The Miracles, please visit their web site: www.theoriginalmiracles.net
We look forward to your comments and support.
Thank you,
The Miracles

Posted by J Sorensen on Monday, 01.21.08 @ 08:38am

Yea, i'm disgusted at the omission of the Miracles, and i think personally that Smokey must fight harder for their induction. It makes me sick to my stomach to see someone like Madonna or Grandmaster Flash get in and not the Miracles.

Posted by tony detroit on Sunday, 04.20.08 @ 09:52am

Yes,Tony. I'm disgusted too. Not only because THE MIRACLES are one of the ALL TIME GREAT vocal groups , but also because they have the credentials to BACK IT UP. As I said before, 4 of their songs are in the GRAMMY HALL OF FAME. 3 of their songs are in ROLLING STONE'S list of the 500 GREATEST SONGS OF ALL TIME. They even have 3 songs in THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME'S OWN list of THE 500 SONGS THAT HELPED SHAPE ROCK AND ROLL !! ( How can they honor the SONGS , but NOT THE GROUP THAT RECORDED THEM ?) Their 1965 "GOING TO A GO- GO" ALBUM is in ROLLING STONE'S list of THE 500 GREATEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME. They have been awarded the national RHYTHM AND BLUES ASSOCIATION'S PIONEER AWARD, and have been inducted into THE VOCAL GROUP HALL OF FAME. And, ALL of THE MIRACLES (except Claudette) have been awarded the prestigous BMI award for songwriting!! They are in ROLLING STONE'S list of THE IMMORTALS: THE 50 GREATEST ARTISTS OFF ALL TIME!! ( http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5939231/the_immortals__the_greatest_artists_of_all_time_32_smokey_robinson_and_the_miracles). They had MOTOWN'S FIRST # 1 R&B hit,the FIRST MILLION SELLER, and were the FIRST MOTOWN ARTISTS EVER to have a # 1 RECORD IN BRITAIN !!! ( That's right, THE MIRACLES. NOT THE SUPREMES OR TEMPTATIONS !!) And , how did they get there ? TALENT ,GREAT PERFORMANCES, AND CLASS !! They didn't get there by taking off their clothes, and publishing a book about it. They didn't get there by spewing profanities, and recording a song about it.They got there because they were GOOD!! Their accomplishments have EXCEEDED those of many groups and artists that HAVE BEEN INDUCTED .And, I DARE ANYONE to prove that either of the 2 inducted artists you mentioned have as many of their songs covered by as many diverse artists, as THE MIRACLES . To give only ONE person in the group (Smokey) , all of the credit and accolades , while ignoring the other 5 ( Bobby, Ronnie , Marv, Pete, and Claudette ), is not only WRONG, it's CRIMINAL. They started from the beginning, just like him, They co- wrote the songs, just like him , They did all the tours , played all the cheap, dirty dives ,recorded all the songs, endured all of the dangers and rigors of touring ....JUST LIKE HIM. SO ,WHY HAVE THEY BEEN BLACKLISTED FROM INDUCTION INTO THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME ??

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 04.26.08 @ 00:23am

I'm not a fan of the Miracles myself, but it would be foolish to not recognize their impact (not to mention the fact that Smokey wouldn't have gotten inducted when he did without the Miracles). They're one of three major Motown acts of the 60's that still need to be inducted (along with the Marvelettes and Jr. Walker & the All-Stars).

Posted by Philip on Saturday, 04.26.08 @ 00:57am

You mean four....Don't forget Mary Wells !!

Posted by Bill G on Sunday, 05.4.08 @ 12:20pm

Touche. She has been nominated before. Plus, I'd like to see the Marvs. and All-Stars make it, but don't really think Mary should.

Posted by Philip on Tuesday, 05.6.08 @ 16:37pm

The people of Detroit must be infuriated over the MIRACLES' omission. They were the FIRST MAJOR GROUP to put DETROIT on the musical map, long before THE SUPREMES, TEMPTATIONS & THE FOUR TOPS were even HEARD OF. Do you know of any grass roots efforts there to get The MIRACLES inducted ? The people of Cleveland (the O'Jays hometown) really pushed for THE O'JAYS to get in , and now ,they're inducted.

Posted by Bill G on Wednesday, 05.7.08 @ 06:37am

Thank you, Bill G., for all the information you have posted about the Miracles. When I linked here, I didn't realize the Miracles has not been inducted along with Smokey. There is no doubt, the sound of this great group made its tremendous mark on the music industry...so why isn't the entire group inducted????!!!! They certainly have my vote!!!!!

Posted by mmd4tj on Monday, 06.16.08 @ 13:09pm

I also think that BILLY GRIFFIN, The MIRACLES lead singer during the 1970's, who replaced SMOKEY ROBINSON IN '72, and gave them their BIGGEST HIT EVER, The MULTI-MILLION SELLING "LOVE MACHINE", "DO IT BABY", another 1974 MILLION SELLER , and the Top 10 R&B HIT " DON'TCHA LOVE IT should ALSO be inducted WITH The other MIRACLES. He had a total of 9 charting singles with the group between 1972 - 1978 , and co-wrote (with original MIRACLES member PETE MOORE), THE GROUP'S PLATINUM album, "CITY OF ANGELS" . The MIRACLES have been recently been chosen ,in 2009, to recieve (finally!) their star on the HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME . (SMOKEY already recieved a solo one several years ago). For details , check out this site : http://chicagoathome.com/dct/62/id/263911/mid/1798/Rush--The-Miracles-Getting-Walk-Of-Fame-Stars.aspx

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 06.28.08 @ 07:54am

You're very welcome, mmd4tj ... and , thanks for posting !!

Posted by Bill G. on Wednesday, 07.9.08 @ 23:25pm

More honors and accolades for THE MIRACLES : Their million selling song, "THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS", was honored by the RECORD INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA (RIAA) as #127 on their list of the "SONGS OF THE CENTURY"-the 365 Greatest Songs of the 20th Century, and On May 14, 2008, the song was preserved by the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS as an "culturally, historically and aesthetically significance" to the NATIONAL RECORDING REGISTRY.Also, Cable TV network VH-1 chose The Miracles as # 61 in their list of the 100 GREATEST ARTISTS OF ALL TIME. Pretty impressive credentials for a group that THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME doesn't feel is worthy of induction,isn't it ?

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 07.19.08 @ 09:50am

What is the explanation from the Rock Hall for not inducting Smokey Robinson and the Miracles as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles? Did Smokey Robinson record albums as Smokey Robinson before he recorded albums as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles?

The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops, and Gladys Knight and The Pips were all inducted. Why are The Miracles being treated like Wings, The Silver Bullet Band, The E Street Band and The Revolution?

Posted by Roy on Monday, 09.8.08 @ 10:56am

I think you have to ask Smokey this question? Just like you have to ask Bruce why the E. Street band wasn't inducted.

Posted by Dameon on Monday, 09.8.08 @ 11:03am

Smokey NEVER recorded a SINGLE SONG as a solo artist prior to 1972. All of his 50's ,'60's ,and early '70's recordings were as a member of THE MIRACLES. In fact,the group WAS NOT originally known as "Smokey Robinson" & The Miracles. They originally were known simply as "THE MIRACLES" for the first 10 years of their existance. According to the group's 2006 MOTOWN DVD release: "SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES: THE DEFINITIVE PERFORMANCES", the only reason for the name change, was because it was a marketing move on the part of MOTOWN RECORDS head, BERRY GORDY JR, to expand the group's fan base . According to MIRACLES members SMOKEY ROBINSON, BOBBY ROGERS, and PETE MOORE,(who were all interviewed on the DVD), MOTOWN'S market research revealed that whenever a lead singer's name was put in front of a group's name , the group made more money for performance fees because the public was able to connect with that lead singer.This is the same reason why THE SUPREMES' name was changed to "DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES" . and MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS' name was changed to MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS. SMOKEY also made it clear that,despite the name change,ALL of THE MIRACLES continued to make AN EQUAL SHARE for concerts and record royalties. SMOKEY didn't make any more or less money than the other MIRACLES . In fact, he didn't need to . HE WAS THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF MOTOWN RECORDS, and ALREADY MADE AN EXECUTIVE'S SALARY. So,he didn't need it.

Posted by Bill G. on Tuesday, 09.9.08 @ 06:30am

That still doesn't explain why they were not inducted. When the Miracles get inducted, will they be inducted as main performers or in the sidemen category? Will Smokey be inducted a second time?

Posted by Roy on Tuesday, 09.9.08 @ 07:40am

They should, and will, be MAIN PERFORMERS.They were MOTOWN'S FIRST GROUP. That makes them historically important . THE MIRACLES, in fact , are the single MOST IMPORTANT GROUP ON THE MOTOWN LABEL.They had the label's FIRST MILLION- SELLING RECORD, OVER 50 CHART HITS and have 4 SONGS IN THE GRAMMY HALL OF FAME. Smokey didn't do this all by himself. If inducted , SMOKEY WILL THEN BE A DOUBLE INDUCTEE,just as CURTIS MAYFIELD (inducted solo , and as a member of THE IMPRESSIONS ), MICHAEL JACKSON (inducted solo, and as a member of the JACKSON FIVE) , and ERIC CLAPTON, (INDUCTED 3 TIMES , SOLO, With CREAM, AND WITH DEREK & THE DOMIMOS). THE MIRACLES as a GROUP ,are scheduled to get a STAR on the HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME in early 2009.

Posted by Bill G on Tuesday, 09.9.08 @ 13:32pm

Yes to the Miracles

Posted by mrxyz on Tuesday, 09.9.08 @ 15:26pm

To answer your other question,Roy,the only reason , or reasons, that THE MIRACLES haven't yet been inducted can ONLY be attributed to TWO THINGS .... STUPIDITY AND POLITICS !!! There is NO WAY that a group with their credentials, level of influence, and historical importance (they were THE BEGINNING OF THE ENTIRE MOTOWN PHENONOMON,not to mention their over 50 chart hits)can be TOTALLY IGNORED YEAR AFTER YEAR, FOR TWO DECADES,while 80's RAPPERS, MTV STARS, and ONE-HIT WONDERS CONTINUE TO BE INDUCTED YEAR AFTER YEAR) can be blamed on ANYTHING ELSE !!

Posted by Bill G on Tuesday, 09.23.08 @ 06:51am

To learn more about the history of the phenomonal group , check out this site : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Miracles

...You'll see why they deserve ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION....And why they should have gotten it YEARS AGO.

Posted by Bill G. on Sunday, 09.28.08 @ 12:05pm

.... or you can simply click on the "WIKIPEDIA" link at the top on this page.

Posted by Bill G. on Sunday, 09.28.08 @ 12:07pm

1) Motown's first group.

2)Motown's first million-selling act.

3)Over 50 chart hits.

4) 4 songs in the GRAMMY HALL OF FAME.

5) 3 songs in ROLLING STONE'S list of the "500 GREATEST SONGS OF ALL TIME".

6) One album in ROLLING STONE'S LIST OF "THE 500 GREATEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME".

7) 3 SONGS in THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME'S OWN LIST of the "500 SONGS THAT HELPED SHAPE ROCK AND ROLL". (How can they honor the SONGS,BUT NOT THE GROUP THAT RECORDED THEM ?

8) Every member except One (Claudette), winners of the prestegious BMI AWARD for SONGWRITING .

9) Inductees into the VOCAL GROUP HALL OF FAME.

10) Winners of THE RHYTHM and BLUES FOUNDATION'S PIONEER AWARD.

11) One song ,"The Tracks Of My Tears", chosen by the Record Industry Association Of America (RIAA) as # 127 in it's list of the " SONGS OF THE CENTURY- The 365 GREATEST SONGS OF THE 20TH CENTURY.

12)That same song (The Tracks Of My Tears) preserved by the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS as an "culturally, historically and aesthetically significance" to the NATIONAL RECORDING REGISTRY.

13) Getting a star on THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME in early 2009.

14) The ONLY MOTOWN GROUP during the 1960's that WROTE AND PRODUCED THEIR OWN MATERIAL (ALL of the members , not just their lead singer.)

15) Between 1959 (when Motown was first formed) until 1964, THE LABEL'S ONLY CONSISTANT HITMAKING ACT .

16)"The Tracks Of My Tears"- was also chosen as one of the "Top 10 BEST SONGS OF ALL TIME" by a panel of 20 top industry songwriters and producers including Hal David,Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Jerry Leiber,and others as reported to Britain's "MOJO" music magazine.

17) More than 40 of their songs covered by literally HUNDREDS of other artists ...from many different musical genres... POP, ROCK, COUNTRY, REGGAE, MOR(EASY LISTENING), JAZZ ,as well as R&B/SOUL.

18) ALL MEMBERS..writers of hit songs by MARVIN GAYE, MARY WELLS, THE TEMPTATIONS, THE MARVELETTES, KIM WESTON, THE CONTOURS, BRENDA HOLLOWAY, THE FOUR TOPS, and many more....20) Unlike many groups,THE MIRACLES are on ALL 3 LISTS OF THE "100 GREATEST ARTISTS ON ALL TIME"....VH-1'S,BILLBOARD'S, AND ROLLING STONE'S ...So,one can't help but ask...."Why not even CONSIDERED FOR INDUCTION" ? If they reached the point of nomination...they'd get in FOR SURE....SO,SOMEONE is seeing to it that THEY DON'T EVEN GET NOMINATED !!!


19) And... if THATS NOT ENOUGH....
BETWEEN 92 TO 93% OF ALL WHO VOTE ON THIS SITE CONSISTANTLY SAY THAT THEY DEFINITELY DESERVE RRHOF INDUCTION...

..... But STILL NOT INDUCTED AFTER OVER 20 YEARS.

.....NOT EVEN ON THE RRHOF'S LIST OF THOSE "PREVIOUSLY CONSIDERED" FOR INDUCTION.

" THE MIRACLES "

20) Unlike many groups,THE MIRACLES are on ALL 3 LISTS OF THE "100 GREATEST ARTISTS ON ALL TIME"....VH-1'S,BILLBOARD'S, AND ROLLING STONE'S ...So,one can't help but ask...."Why not even CONSIDERED FOR INDUCTION" ? If they reached the point of nomination...they'd get in FOR SURE....SO,SOMEONE is seeing to it that THEY DON'T EVEN GET NOMINATED !!!

Posted by Bill G. on Friday, 10.31.08 @ 08:25am

(re-directed from elsewhere on this site) -by Lax 25:Bill G, I agree with you on Jerry Butler. Butler was as equally important with the Impressions as was Curtis Mayfield: along with his own solo works. I continue to disagree, however, on your prowess for inducting the Miracles on their own accord. It could happen, yet with Smokey Robinson already inducted, it is not feasible to induct Robinson a second time.

Now, I do realise it sounds odd coming from a poster that has lobbyed for Peter Gabriel to be inducted. The matter is, neither Gabriel, nor any of the classic line-up of Genesis (particularly Steve Hackett and Tony Banks along with Peter Gabriel) have yet been inducted. In this case, the tree has not had a branch be inducted. While with the Miracles, the leading figure of the group, Smokey Robinson, is already an inductee. In the aforementioned Peter Gabriel lobbying, it is certain that Gabriel is the certain inductee of the Genesis tree. I am still of the belief that a special acheivement induction format for Gabriel, Hackett, and Banks as both a collective and individuals is likely for the Class of 2009; though if the inductee list is filled, then a likely Performers category induction for Peter Gabriel at least will occur in 2010. Thus, while it is certainly commendable to gain notice of the legacy of the Miracles; I am not certain an induction is necessary when Smokey Robinson is already inducted.

Posted by Bill G. on Friday, 10.31.08 @ 08:39am

(my reply to Lax25's comment, also re- directed.)
Lax25....While I respect your opinion concerning THE MIRACLES, again, I must disagree. you're basically saying that it's OK for other groups , such as THE IMPRESSIONS, to be inducted collectively,AND their two principals,JERRY BUTLER and CURTIS MAYFIELD ,to be inducted separately....BUT not so with THE MIRACLES. (Two sets of rules).While THE IMPRESSIONS were a very important group, the fact is simply that THE MIRACLES WERE FAR MORE IMPORTANT. Their appearance , and subsequent success, marked THE BEGINNING OF THE ENTIRE MOTOWN PHENOMONON!! They OPENED THE DOORS FOR EVERY MOTOWN ACT THAT FOLLOWED THEM !! They had more and bigger hits than the IMPRESSIONS, AND MORE MILLION SELLERS. 16 Top 20 BILLBOARD POP Hits and seven Top Tens....more than DOUBLE the number of THE IMPRESSIONS on BOTH CHARTS .This comparision between these two groups was ALSO a topic for discussion on SIRIUS radio recently. ALL of the male members of THE MIRACLES WERE SONGWRITERS ...only TWO of the Impressions were ...and to be frank, JERRY BUTLER didn't stay with the group very long before going solo. Of course, SMOKEY was and is a creative force to be reckoned with....but , consider this: Music critics and historians have many times pointed out about the distinct drop in the quality and consistancy in SMOKEY'S musical composing output after 1967. That time period DIRECTLY CO- RELATES to the point at which he stopped collaberating with the OTHER MIRACLES.... and began co- writing with Motown staff songwriters, such as AL CLEVELAND, TERRY JOHNSON, etc. THE MIRACLES hitmaking output went into a kind of a dead zone from 1968-1970, with few bright spots during that period (Tunes like Yester Love, Special Occasion,Point It Out,etc. were all great songs, but didn't exactly set fire to the charts, and didn't measure up to the quality of "The Tracks Of My Tears". "Ooo Baby Baby","My Girl", or other great songs he composed WITH the MIRACLES). To attempt to minimize the talents and importance of BOBBY ROGERS,PETE MOORE, the late RONNIE WHITE,and MARV TARPLIN is not only UNFAIR, IT'S INACCURATE. Even SMOKEY HAS GONE PUBLIC , PRAISING THEIR TALENT AND ABILITIES !! If THE MIRACLES WERE AS UNIMPORTANT AS YOU (and the RRHOF) IMPLY...THEN WHY IS IT THAT THEY APPEAR ON ALL 3 LISTS OF THE TOP 100 ARTISTS OF ALL TIME.... VH-1'S, ROLLING STONES...AND BILLBOARD'S ? OVER THIRTY YEARS AFTER THEIR LAST CHART HIT ?...A fact that would STILL BE TRUE WHETHER SMOKEY'S NAME WAS PUT IN FRONT OF THE GROUP.... OR NOT ? And while you're thinking about that question...answer THIS ONE...Would you (and others) have been so prone to minimize the importance of the MIRACLES IF MOTOWN HADN'T MADE THE DECISION TO PUT SMOKEY'S NAME UP FRONT ? And would the same misfortune have ALSO befallen THE IMPRESSIONS had Curtis Mayfield's name HAD ALSO BEEN PUT UPFRONT?

Posted by Bill G. on Friday, 10.31.08 @ 08:41am

(this comment made by the Claw-redirected from elsewhere on this site)
That said, I would say most of us will agree with you that The Miracles should have been inducted along with Smokey. It was a big mistake they only inducted him, one of their biggest. The reason I think they shouldn't be nominated, is not that I don't think The Miracles deserve to get in the Hall, but that a second induction for Smokey would make his solo work more important than it is. Sure, the name one of his solo hit singles was the main influence to name a genre "Quiet Storm", but his solo work is not nearly as influential as his work with The Miracles. On the other hand, both The Impressions and Curtis Mayfield's solo work made a big impact on music history, in different genres.

I do think The Miracles should be inducted, but not the regular way. I don't want to see them appear on a ballot, I want the Hall of Fame to admit and correct their mistake by inducting them right away, adding "& The Miracles" to Smokey's name. And off course, they should get an invitation to the induction ceremony. That way, their work could get celebrated without inducting Smokey Robinson twice.

Posted by The Claw on Friday, 10.24.08 @ 04:17am

Posted by Bill G. on Friday, 10.31.08 @ 08:44am

Another thing I'd to mention (while it's on my mind) is this: On their "100 GREATEST ARTISTS OF ALL TIME" telecast,when ranking THE MIRACLES, VH-1 refered to them as "THE PILLARS OF THE MOTOWN SOUND". PLURAL....NOT SINGULAR. (NOT JUST SMOKEY).HOW can the RRHOF induct all of the BRANCHES of THE MOTOWN TREE...WHILE IGNORING THE ROOTS ??

Posted by Bill G on Friday, 10.31.08 @ 08:50am

(this Comment is by Stan Crawford, re- directed here from elsewhere on this site:)

To Bill G. & LAX---Bill G is right when it comes to Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Actually LAX if anyone would deserve special awards or nominations--Smokey Robinson Deserves it before anyone in Genesis---But in all honesty neither will get special induction ceremonies. Smokey can get inducted in the non performer catagory for his song writing skills but he will be inducted as a performer more likely!!! As for Genesis and Peter Gabriel---All performers that's it for them!!! and obviously not until next year or later because THEY ARE A GOOD BAND THAT HAS FAILED TO MAKE LEGENDARY STATUS!!!

Posted by Stan Crawford on Saturday, 10.18.08 @ 10:00am

Posted by Bill G. on Friday, 10.31.08 @ 08:56am

This is Bill G. I'm in the process of re- directing several comments about THE MIRACLES/RRHOF controversy from elsewhere on the FUTURE ROCK HALL website here, because they're directly applicable to this issue. More comments follow.....

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 11:10am

(this is the comment that I first made that started the firestorm):

THE MIRACLES are RANKED HIGHER than ALL OF THE OTHER TOP MOTOWN GROUPS on BOTH OF THESE LISTS.... THE SUPREMES, THE TEMPTATIONS, THE FOUR TOPS, GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS, AND MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS....SO, WHY ARE ALL OF THESE GROUPS INDUCTED...WHILE THE MIRACLES ARE NOT ??

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 11:14am

(Here's what happened next....LET THE GAMES BEGIN...)

Bill G.,

You are very determined on behalf of the Miracles, which is noble and right. But you surely know yourself the hard answer to your question. The RHOF deemed to separate Smokey from the Miracles. Then they inducted him as a solo artist.

I checked and 8 of 10 of Smokey Robinson's "essential" songs are songs done while lead singer in the Miracles. But I doubt if the RHOF would now be inclined to make a separate induction of the Miracles. Think your best strategy is to get the RHOF to amend(?) Smokey's induction to include "& The Miracles." If you were able to get Smokey himself onboard with that idea, it should certainly be possible. Would he?

I think you should take your case directly to Smokey Robinson. You could write 50,000 words on this site and might just be wasting your time (sorry, people might agree, but nobody here can actually DO anything). If yor serious about this, go straight on to Smokey and convince HIM to do what you think is right.

Posted by Telarock on Wednesday, 10.15.08 @ 16:42pm

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 11:18am

(My reply to Telerock:)

Hi, Telarock. I understand and agree what you're saying, but consider this:
The RRHOF inducted THE IMPRESSIONS and Curtis Mayfield separately;

THE JACKSON FIVE and Michael separately;

THE BEATLES and 3 of their individual members separately

....And ERIC CLAPTON 3 times.

and this comimg year, if LITTLE ANTHONY & THE IMPERIALS are inducted...

SAMMY STRAIN will be a DOUBLE INDUCTEE...HE STARTED with THE IMPERIALS many years ago(LATE 50'S / EARLY 60'S)...SANG WITH,AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE O'JAYS from '76 until 1992...WAS INDUCTED AS A MEMBER...
AND THEN, RETURNED TO THE IMPERIALS IN 1992...AND SANG WITH THEM UNTIL HE RETIRED IN '04.
JOHNNY CARTER WAS ALSO INDUCTED TWICE...AS A MEMBER OF THE DELLS... AND THE FLAMINGOS.

So as you can see, the RRHOF has ALREADY set precedents for artists to be inducted more than once YEARS AGO. All they have to do is induct SMOKEY TWICE....This time WITH the MIRACLES.
Smokey recieved a star on THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME many years ago....Now , in early 2009, THE MIRACLES as a GROUP wil be honored....which means he'll be a DOUBLE HONOREE.
There's no reason the RRHOF can't do the SAME THING.

Posted by Bill G on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 11:20am

Bill G.,

You got me caught up in this thing now, but thats okay, cause its an interesting case.

You essentially are going for a dual induction of Smokey (one w/Miracles, one w/o), and there are several precedents for that. The Impressions and Curtis Mayfield is a good example (so I looked into it). The major difference is that The Impressions went in first as a group (1991), then Curtis went in as a soloist (1999). That's the order that should have gone down with The Miracles and Smokey. But having Smokey go in first as a soloist (1987) makes it now difficult to get The Miracles to complete the dual induction. Of course you know all that (but readers here maybe dont).

Now there is one other major hitch. ICO The Impressions, the 10 "essential" songs listed are all different ones than the 10 given for Curtis as a soloist - altogether 20 different songs given ICO that dual induction.

Of the 10 essential songs given for Smokey Robinson, 8 of them are with The Miracles, 2 of them w/o. Its a jumbled situation. I still think you should go and work this out with Smokey Robinson - when they get together for the Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, that would be a good opportunity?

Posted by Telarock on Thursday, 10.16.08 @ 11:30am

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 11:22am

Bill G.,

You got me caught up in this thing now, but thats okay, cause its an interesting case.

You essentially are going for a dual induction of Smokey (one w/Miracles, one w/o), and there are several precedents for that. The Impressions and Curtis Mayfield is a good example (so I looked into it). The major difference is that The Impressions went in first as a group (1991), then Curtis went in as a soloist (1999). That's the order that should have gone down with The Miracles and Smokey. But having Smokey go in first as a soloist (1987) makes it now difficult to get The Miracles to complete the dual induction. Of course you know all that (but readers here maybe dont).

Now there is one other major hitch. ICO The Impressions, the 10 "essential" songs listed are all different ones than the 10 given for Curtis as a soloist - altogether 20 different songs given ICO that dual induction.

Of the 10 essential songs given for Smokey Robinson, 8 of them are with The Miracles, 2 of them w/o. Its a jumbled situation. I still think you should go and work this out with Smokey Robinson - when they get together for the Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, that would be a good opportunity?

Posted by Telarock on Thursday, 10.16.08 @ 11:30am

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 11:24am

On afterthought, there one more important variable. The Miracles continued on with new lead singer after Smokey left, and had at least one major hit song "Love Machine." So when you bring up the dual induction idea, perhaps you mean to induct The Miracles as a free-standing group (not with Smokey Robinson's name in front)? That makes the problem even more difficult.

Posted by Telarock on Thursday, 10.16.08 @ 11:55am

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 11:25am

....Not really, Telarock. Because "THE MIRACLES" (minus Smokey's name up front), was the group's ORIGINAL NAME ANYWAY ....for the first 10 years !! If you can, pick up a copy of THE MIRACLES' MOTOWN 2006 "Definitive DVD".(It's available on AMAZON & EBAY.). 3 of the Miracles are interviewed, Smokey,Bobby ,and Pete. During the 70 minute interview,they mentioned that the only reason Motown head BERRY GORDY changed ther name was because MOTOWN'S market research revealed that whenever a lead singer's name was put in front of a group, that group made more money for performance fees,because the audience could more greatly identify with that lead singer.The SUPREMES and VANDELLAS NAMES WERE CHANGED FOR THE SAME REASON. However , Smokey made it clear during the interview that, while the group's earnings increased, he NEVER made any MORE OR LESS money than the other MIRACLES. All of the group members made an EQUAL SHARE for royalties and personal appearences.As to your other question , their song "DO IT BABY" was also a million-seller and peaked at #13 pop on the BILLBOARD HOT 100 (YOU CAN SEE THEM PERFORMING IT ON THE DVD ,AND ON YOUTUBE) .AND "DONT'CHA LOVE IT" went Top 10 R&B .They had six other charting singles as well.Smokey had MORE AND BIGGER HITS WITH the MIRACLES, than he did by himself . Also ,Their song LOVE MACHINE (featuring Smokey's replacement ,BILLY GRIFFIN hit #1 POP. Smokey HASN'T hit #1 as a solo artist....The closest he came was with "BEING WITH YOU",which reached #2. Please do me a favor. When you get a chance, go to WIKIPEDIA, and look up "THE MIRACLES" (Yes, that's how they're listed) Read the article...and let me know if what you read , in your opinion,qualifies them for RRHOF induction or not. Then look up THE RONETTES and PERCY SLEDGE (both inducted)...compare them to THE MIRACLES ... AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. Thanks.

Posted by Bill G. on Thursday, 10.16.08 @ 18:34pm

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 11:26am

(from Telerock:)

Okay, have done the research. Forget the comparisons to other groups (only gets you sidetracked).

Let's say you are right, and The Miracles deserve to be nominated as a free-standing group, which probably will necessitate a rewrite of Smokey Robinson's solo induction - because you are NOT advocating for a group called "Smokey Robinson and The Miracles" your case is for the group called "THE MIRACLES." (Hope that at least defines your argument correctly.) What would be the steps needed for that outcome?

We both would allow that Smokey Robinson does belong in the RHOF as a solo inductee. He did 25 solo albums and had solo hit songs, as well as doing a lot of writing and production work with Motown.

If the committee nominated The Miracles, you would have it be on the same basis as say, The Temptations, w/o any lead billing. You want both Smokey and Billy Griffin listed simply as individuals of the one group. There's no problem with that logic that I can see.

The problem is that induction is a voting process. Smokey Robinson was already voted in with 8 of 10 of his essential songs being the group's songs. How you gonna reset that? Just getting ONCE through the nominating committee is like running a gauntlet of rottweilers, and having to wear bacon pants! (something I heard ... mayby not funny?) Point is, you need to look for a way around that whole process. The only way I know is to get Smokey Robinson involved. Get HIM on board.



Posted by Telarock on Thursday, 10.16.08 @ 21:13pm

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 11:31am

The fact of the matter is ,the RRHOF violated THEIR OWN RULE by inducting SMOKEY as a SOLO ARTIST IN 1987. SMOKEY NEVER RECORDED A SINGLE SONG AS A SOLO ARTIST PRIOR TO 1972. His ENTIRE RECORDED OUTPUT from the beginning of his career (1957) until 1972 was as a member of THE MIRACLES.Counting forward from that year ,the year of his first solo recording ,25 years forward, he WOULDN'T HAVE QUALIFYED AS A SOLO ARTIST UNTIL 1997, NOT 1987, the year he WAS inducted. This is what happened to CURTIS MAYFIELD, which is why THE IMPRESSIONS were inducted FIRST, THEN CURTIS LATER . THE MIRACLES as a GROUP,however, qualified in the VERY FIRST YEAR of RRHOF inductions,1987,as they had been around 30 years by then. This controversy concerning THE MIRACLES and the RRHOF has recieved significant attention on SIRIUS radio in recent weeks. The question is...are they going to do the right thing ,and AMEND their mistake...or are they going to continue to ignore MOTOWN'S legendary FIRST GROUP...AND REFUSE TO INDUCT THEM AT ALL ? SMOKEY DIDN'T WRITE ALL OF THOSE HITS BY HIMSELF...one look at the records will prove THAT. (Robinson,Rogers,Moore,White, Tarplin)...AND..The OTHER inducted MOTOWN groups DIDN'T WRITE ANY....but THEY'RE IN...and THE MIRACLES ARE NOT ?? What distorted logic dictated THAT ? It's not like The Miracles were BACKUPS OR SIDEMEN...like THE E-STREET BAND OR THE COMETS. They were all one cohesive group... and SMOKEY WAS JUST A MEMBER , LIKE ALL OF THE OTHERS. Even the decision to make him lead singer in THE FIRST PLACE WAS A GROUP DECISION !! THE RRHOF VIOLATED ALL OF THEIR OWN RULES IN ORCHESTRATING THIS FARCE...Maybe one day they'll make it right. I don't know if SMOKEY can do it all himself,but ,if he has any power at all to do so , he should . He has nothing to lose, and everything to gain. At the very least, the other Miracles,BOBBY,RONNIE,PETE, CLAUDETTE,MARV, AND BILLY,WILL BE IN. At the very MOST, HE'LL BE A DOUBLE INDUCTEE. Not a bad feather to put in your cap, right ?

Posted by Bill G. on Friday, 10.17.08 @ 13:45pm

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 11:32am

Bill, now you/we r at least coming near a solution, which is good - this thread has gotten very long. (FYI, I have my own particular favorite artists to promote.) Now if indeed Smokey Robinson has nothing to lose, may in fact gain from it, he should speak up. Afterall, he is on the inside. He's a member of the RHOF club. He is empowered "to make it right."

If HE comes forward and says The Miracles should be in the RHOF, the governors will certainly listen. If he stays mute, that ironically speaks loud (against yor cause). The easiest thing would be to amend Smokey Robinson's induction to be "Smokey Robinson & The Miracles." (what happens then with Billy Griffin?) Any other solution is harder because it would likely require the whole vote process. I can't imagine Smokey would agree to remove his name? And I don't think you can just instate The Miracles as a new entity - not without voting? True, Smokey Robinson shouldn't mind because he would then be as you said a double inductee. But this latter option, the one you favor, doesn't go down well. At least not with me. Because then you would have two separate entities inducted by virtue of only one election.

Its a hard knot. But what I suggest (humbly) for you to do is to define a clear-cut course of action. Take into account what is reasonable and what is feasible. (Don't curse the darkness, light a candle.) Put together a plan and get after the people who can DO something. I'm not saying you will have your way in the end. I haven't even heard the other side of the story in this case. Does anybody out there have another side to this?

No more railing here please, Bill. We've covered this and now we understand your whole point. Go and crash down your argument on the right people!

Posted by Telarock on Friday, 10.17.08 @ 16:34pm

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 11:34am

Bill, as usual, am having an afterthought. Because its a fresh new induction of "The Miracles" you seek, you probably need to get that through the nominating committee. I've had some experience in doing that - its a tuff nut to crack! Even if you could get The Miracles nominated in the regular way (a real Miracle it might be), you still need to get them elected. That's why it makes sense (to me) to go for the amendment "& The Miracles". Seems to be that's what you wanted back in 1987?

Posted by Telarock on Friday, 10.17.08 @ 17:12pm

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 11:35am

(and then, Lax25 commented:)

I stand corrected on a great deal of the facts, Bill G.

I need to poitnout, though, a few things. Gladys Knight and Martha Reeves were essentially inducted on their own: it just felt right to include the Vendellas and the Pips as well considering the inseperable nature presented. As well, there is a difference of opinion in regards to if it is the Supremes or Diana Ross and the Supremes as it became widely known. On that matter, Diana Ross may already be inducted on her own accord then.

Regarding the Miracles, it is possible that the ship has sailed for a seperate induction. We all know that Smokey Robinson is inducted; it therefore entails that his entire works and writings are included. And that does include the Miracles songs and albums.

Why, then, would Robinson need to be inducted again, only this time with a group? As well, I doubt the induction in 1987 of Smokey Robinson would be amended to include the Miracles 21 years after the fact.

Look, if you get one singular individual inducted into the RRHOF, either as only themselves or after a group induction, that ends all matters of induction. For instance, Eric Clapton is not going to be inducted for the fourth time to accomodate Derek and the Dominoes. That was for all purposes Clapton, and Eric Clapton was inducted on his own in 2000.

Likewise, my lobbying efforts have been used to campaign for the eventual induction of Peter Gabriel on his own accord primarily. I am of the inference that Gabriel will be inducted liekly in a special acheivement format for the Class of 2009: this would include the classic lineup of Genesis and each members' individual works, particulary Gabriel, Steve Hackett and Tony Banks. Now, Gabriel could also go in as a non-performer which may be a stretch. If not this time, then Gabriel is a shoo-in for 2010 in the Performers Category.

Now then, when Peter Gabriel does get inducted on his own accord, that will be the end of the matter for his induction. By every inference and knowledge given, Gabriel is the lock for induction in the Genesis tree. Now, my preference would be for a special acheivement induction format that would include the Genesis works and the entire individual works of the classic lineup, or at least its main figures. Yet, even if an induction goes only for Peter Gabriel, his Genesis songs and recordings are included for induction. Thus, Genesis from inception through 1975 will be inducted: it will be either with Peter Gabriel, or in the special acheivement format.

In another point, Lionel Richie may likely be inducted in the near future, hopefully by 2010. A Richie induction will include the songs and recordings of the Commodores from inception through 1981. Much like the Smokey Robinson edict, the Hall of Fame has more reason to induct Lionel Richie on his own, and eschew inducting the Commodores in the group format. And frankly, Richie would in all likelihood prefer it this way; it is his own induction eventually.

To note, it is a great honor to be inducted into the RRHOF with a group. To be inducted as an individual, notably after a group induction, is much sweeter and revered. And to be inducted with a group after being inducted on your own is rather odd. Neil Young, for instance, was inducted in 1995, then with Buffalo Springfield was inducted again in 1997. Young was at the ceremonies in 1995. He was not there two years later. In the next two or so years, Sting will be considered and likely inducted for his individual works. I can guarentee you that Sting might look forward to that induction, as opposed to being content with going in with the Police.

Thus, Smokey Robinson, in my belief, is more content being inducted on his own. Lionel Richie will be inducted on his own. And out of all branches of the Genesis tree, Peter Gabriel will be the one that is certain to be inducted, likely in a special acheivement form with his bandmates in 2009; though other processes may take place.

Hope this clarfies some words,

Lax25



Posted by Lax25 on Friday, 10.17.08 @ 19:14pm

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 11:52am

"King of Motown". Gee Telarock you seem to have a thing for "Kings"??? LOL If it were not for Gordy and the "The Miracles" it could of been Smokey who... ???
Smokey is great but the Miracles are the greatest..
As in The Stones as a group they are TOP of the Charts.. alone they are good .
Hopefully the Facts will win out not the re -write of History...
LETS HOPE YES TO THE MIRACLES {We could all use some}

Posted by mrxzy on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 11:54am

(This was my 2-part reply:)

To Lax 25: (Pt 1). Thank You for your comments. in reply, let me make a few points IN FAVOR of The Miracles being inducted. These are valid points that I've made comments on elsewhere.
Point One: The Miracles had a total of not one,not two, but NINE charting singles without Smokey. Three of these reached the Top 10 of Billboard's R&B chart, "Do It Baby", "Love Machine", and "Don't Cha Love It". The first two of those songs were million-plus sellers, and "Love Machine" was a multi-million seller. It also reached #1 on the Billboard Pop Chart...something that Smokey HAS YET to do as a solo artist....his highest - charting solo single was "Being With You" , which reached #2.
Point Two: The Miracles "City Of Angels" album , from which "Love Machine" was taken , went Platinum....also something Smokey has yet to do solo...although he has had several solo Gold albums to his credit.
Point Three: Curtis Mayfield was BY FAR the creative composing genius behind his group ,The IMPRESSIONS. Sam Gooden and Fred Cash didn't write songs , and the group's original lead, JERRY BUTLER was & is a writer, but had long since left the group. Yet , The Impressions AND Curtis were given separate inductions into the Hall. Why not the Miracles ?
I submit to you this: ALL OF THE MIRACLES were writers (Except Claudette). ALL OF THEIR NAMES WERE LISTED AS WRITERS ON THEIR SONGS (not to mention songs by THE TEMPTATIONS, MARVIN GAYE, MARY WELLS, ETC. ...NOT JUST SMOKEY'S. How many times have you picked up an album by THE MIRACLES or THE TEMPTATIONS...looked at the writing credits and seen the names ROBINSON, ROGERS, MOORE ,WHITE , and TARPLIN...as opposed to just "ROBINSON" by itself ? I've seen PLENTY!! The other MIRACLES were BIG contributors to their body of work...yet THE OTHER INDUCTED MOTOWN GROUPS DIDN'T WRITE ANY !!! Name ONE song written by ANY member of THE TEMPTATIONS or THE SUPREMES that reached the Top 10. How about the Top 20 ?...How about even the Top 40? (good luck looking ). Now , how about THE MIRACLES ? THERE ARE DOZENS !!! Don't BELIEVE IT ? Go to Wikipedia and check out this site : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Songs_written_by_The_Miracles_members . (End of Pt 1)



Posted by Bill G on Thursday, 10.16.08 @ 02:07am

Posted by Bill G on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 12:13pm

To Lax 25 (Pt.2)

Again, I submit to you this: HOW CAN THE SUPREMES, THE TEMPTATIONS,THE FOUR TOPS, MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS, and GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS BE INDUCTED ...WHO (with a few exceptions) DIDN'T WRITE SONGS....while the MIRACLES , who wrote or co- wrote literally DOZENS OF HITS, with and without Smokey,BE COMPLETELY IGNORED?
That platinum CITY OF ANGELS album was written IN IT'S ENTIRETY BY MIRACLES PETE MOORE & BILLY GRIFFIN.Smokey had NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WRITING OR PRODUCTION OF THIS ALBUM..( so much for the theory that THE MIRACLES could do nothing without HIM.
So much for reasons why THE MIRACLES SHOULDN'T BE inducted.
Now, let me tell you why I think they SHOULD.
1) Historical Importance/First of Genre: Motown is considered a genre unto itself... because it was the FIRST form of R&B/Black Music that broke down all racial and ethnic barriers with it's popularity.
THE MIRACLES were the FIRST MOTOWN GROUP. It was their groundbraking success that opened the doors and paved the way for ALL OTHER MOTOWN STARS.They also had MOTOWN'S first-ever million-selling record: "SHOP AROUND". From the 5 year period from 1959 whem Motown Records was first formed , until 1964,THE MIRACLES were the label's ONLY CONSISTANT HITMAKING ACT.
2) "Influence"-While on Wikipedia, if you check here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Miracles#Cover_versions , you'll find that THE MIRACLES are THE MOST COVERED MOTOWN GROUP OF ALL TIME. The list of artists that have covered their songs includes artists from many different musical genres: POP, JAZZ, COUNTRY, MOR/EASY LISTENING,ROCK AND HIP-HOP.... as well as SOUL/R&B. They were JOHN LENNON'S favorite group...several of the BEATLES songs ...including ASK ME WHY and SEXY SADIE ,were DIRECTLY INFLUENCED BY MIRACLES' SONGS.... and that's a fact you can check !!
3) CREATIVITY: we already talked about this one: THE MIRACLES WROTE THEIR OWN STUFF....THE OTHERS DIDN'T. SMOKEY is a songwriting genius.... no one is denying that...but to give him ALL OF THE CREDIT ....WHEN ALL OF THE GROUP'S MEMBERS WERE PART OF THE WRITING AND PRODUCING PROCESS.... IS DEFINITELY UNFAIR. They started from the beginning...just like him. They co- wrote the songs... just like him...they did all of the dates, played all of the cheap, dirty dives,endured all of the dangers and rigors of touring...JUST LIKE HIM....so where does it say that HE SHOULD GET ALL OF THE PROPS AND ACCOLADES....AND THEY GET NONE. They had THE SAME ORIGINAL MEMBER LINEUP FOR 17 YEARS !! IF THE RRHOF did this to the MIRACLES....THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE IT to ALL THE MOTOWN GROUPS.....AND INDUCTED ONLY DIANA ROSS, DAVID RUFFIN, LEVI STUBBS, MARTHA REEVES , AND GLADYS KNIGHT. Did THESE people get inducted as "solo' artists ? No. They were inducted with their groups !!! I'm not saying that Smokey does not deserve individual recognizion....BUT..HE'S ALREADY GOTTEN IT !! MANY TIMES OVER .... as have MICHAEL JACKSON,ERIC CLAPTON,the aforementioned CURTIS MAYFIELD,AND EACH INDIVIDUAL BEATLE (except Ringo...and HE'LL probably get in solo before long) All of these people have been inducted solo... AND with their groups....Smokey has been inducted solo over 20 years ago. And please keep in mind... that his name WAS NOT ORIGINALLY PUT IN FRONT OF THIS GROUP...FOR MANY YEARS THEY WERE SIMPLY KNOWN AS "THE MIRACLES".... NOT "Smokey Robinson" & The Miracles.
It's time for the RRHOF to do the right thing,and induct SMOKEY ROBINSON,(again), BOBBY ROGERS, PETE MOORE , RONNIE WHITE (RIP),CLAUDETTE ROBINSON, MARV TARPLIN, AND BILLY GRIFFIN.
In fact , it's long past time.

Posted by Bill G. on Thursday, 10.16.08 @ 02:11am

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 12:18pm

Oh, and one more thing...Smokey HAS reunited with THE MIRACLES...SEVERAL TIMES. Check out the INFO,PICTURES ,LINKS AND THEIR NEW DVD HERE :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Miracles

Posted by Bill G. on Thursday, 10.16.08 @ 02:31am

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 12:19pm

Then , Phillip replied , concerning Lax25's comment about Gladys Knight's and Martha Reeves' "individual inductions"...)

"I need to poitnout, though, a few things. Gladys Knight and Martha Reeves were essentially inducted on their own: it just felt right to include the Vendellas and the Pips as well considering the inseperable nature presented."--Lax.

WTF? No they were not inducted on their own. Just because the front person for a group for a group is listed separately doesn't mean the group is inducted when in fact it is THE GROUP LISTED as the inductee. Martha Reeves' and Gladys Knight's solo accomplishments are hardly noteworthy, which is why in the group's discographies, nine times out of ten, you might see the solo stuff included in such cases. Martha as a soloist has no chance of getting in (and I say this as a fan of Martha & the Vandellas). Same with Gladys Knight. Her highlight as a soloist was as one of the "Friends" on Dionne Warwick's "That's What The Friends Are For." As another for instance... Frankie Lymon had a solo career, but it was "Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers" who were inducted, not just the frontman. Lymon will never be inducted as a soloist.

In the case of Smokey Robinson, there is a big enough and distinct enough body of work to separate his solo work from that of the Miracles. The same cannot be said for solo Knight or Reeves.

"As well, there is a difference of opinion in regards to if it is the Supremes or Diana Ross and the Supremes as it became widely known. On that matter, Diana Ross may already be inducted on her own accord then."

No she is not. The Supremes are listed as the inductee in 1988. She has not been inducted (or even considered) as a soloist.

"And out of all branches of the Genesis tree, Peter Gabriel will be the one that is certain to be inducted, likely in a special acheivement form with his bandmates in 2009."

Keep telling yourself that. But it's more likely that all nine Performer nominees will be inducted because the vote comes out as a nine-way tie.

Posted by Philip on Saturday, 10.18.08 @ 00:36am

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 12:24pm

To Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 12:24pmpoint Two: The Miracles "City Of Angels" album , from which "Love Machine" was taken , went Platinum....also something Smokey has yet to do solo...although he has had several solo Gold albums to his credit.

I agree It is The Miracles that made it and Him big .. Funny most of the "King" have lost the luster when they pushed the King thing ..I always wonder why they need to be a "KING". Seems a lack of self assurance to me lol They were most times better before being the "KING" or were never that good to begin with.....Yes Smokey is Good but as mentioned the hits and my hat off to the Miracles..!!!
YES to the Miracles!!!

Posted by mrxyz on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 12:54pm

(This comment is from Benny...re- directed frpm the RUN-DMC SITE:)

To: Bill(ALL CAPS)G.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ref: "FOR THOSE WHO SAY SMOKEY WAS THE GROUP'S ONLY TALENTED WRITER, I SAY,"WHAT ABOUT "LOVE MACHINE " WRITTEN BY MIRACLES PETE MOORE & BILLY GRIFFIN.... A MULTI- MILLION SELLING #1 POP SMASH...."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Now I see where you are coming from. Are you indeed above ref Mr. Griffin? You are very adamant about The Miracles.



Posted by Benny on Friday, 10.10.08 @ 17:44pm

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 13:18pm

Yes, Benny . I'm refering to Billy Griffin. But , ALL of The Miracles were talented songwriters,and have written songs for many different artists , so that's why I take issue with the RRHOF's decision to induct Smokey Robinson alone.
when you get a chance , go to Wikipedia, and you'll see what I mean . Look up this heading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Songs_written_by_The_Miracles_members

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 13:19pm

I totally agree with you, mrxyz!!
It's funny, the people who are voting against the Miracles either don't know the group's songs or accomplishments ...or have never bothered to look them up in WIKIPEDIA to just see what this group HAS done. Their impact on the industry has been far reaching and considerable...and they DO deserve induction.
Or, they're just not fans of the group.... and , that's OK,because everybody is not going to be a fan of every group.
But, if you look at their site , and see just how many artists have covered their songs, from every different musical genre...including POP,ROCK, COUNTRY,REGGAE,MOR,AND SOUL/R&B...
You'll see that there are a LOT of MIRACLES fans out there.
I am a fan of the Miracles, and have been all of my life.But, I'm not just speaking from a fan's perspective.
To all who disagree,all I have to say is....
go to their site in Wikipedia, and read it.And see what they've done.
The facts will speak for themselves.

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 13:38pm

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 13:38pmTo all who disagree,all I have to say is....
go to their site in Wikipedia, and read it.And see what they've done.
The facts will speak for themselves

Agreed Bill G.
Funny about FACTS it seems that FACTS can get in the way of or when the History is re- written,with disregards and respect to the FACTS..

It was the TEAM not the so called KING that made the "The Miracles". If it were not for the TEAM it could of been Smokey who.?

Posted by mrxyz on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 13:49pm

I guess I'm a little surprised that the Miracles weren't inducted with Smokey. What an ego he must have to go in without his group...there's no recollection that he actually threw a fit about it. His so-called solo hits were vanilla at best. The real memorable songs were performed by "Smokey Robinson & the Miracles".

Unfortunately, that is going to be a hard one to remedy, since Smokey had already taken all the credit. Yes, he wrote a few hits, but he was inducted as a performer, I believe. The nominating committee would also have to admit that they goofed...fat chance of that happening!!

Bill G....I feel your pain, man!!!!

Posted by Gitarzan on Saturday, 11.1.08 @ 16:30pm

Thanks, Gitarzan....it's nice that someone does !!

Posted by Bill G. on Sunday, 11.2.08 @ 02:13am

The MIRACLES will be recieving their star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on Friday, March 20th 2009.

Posted by Bill G. on Monday, 03.16.09 @ 21:14pm

The MIRACLES will be recieving their star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on Friday, March 20th 2009.

Posted by Bill G. on Monday, 03.16.09 @ 21:14pm
Is that the Rock Walk..?

Posted by mrxyz on Monday, 03.16.09 @ 21:21pm

Not sure. I read an article today, (3/17) and it said their star would be near Smokey's individual star, and that of other Motown artists. here's the essence of the article:



The Miracles to be Honored With Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

The Miracles will be honored with the 2,381st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 20, 2009 at 11:30 a.m., joining an elite group of performers and entertainment industry professionals.

The star honorees are the original Miracles’ lineup: Bobby Rogers, Ronnie White (posthumously), Pete Moore, Smokey Robinson, and the First Lady of Motown, Claudette Robinson. Additional members to be included in the ceremony include: Marvin Tarplin and Billy Griffin.


The Motown Sound began in 1959 with The Miracles, the very first of Berry Gordy’s massively successful pool of performers. From their unpolished start, they were special, diamonds in the rough. Gordy, already a successful songwriter, with hits by the likes of Jackie Wilson and Etta James, heard it in their voices and in the songs scribbled in Smokey’s notebook.

With Gordy, The Miracles launched the “Sound of Young America,” and the rest is musical history. From their doo-wop roots, with songs like “Bad Girl” and “Got A Job,” to the 60’s and 70’s smashes “Shop Around,” “You Really Got A Hold On Me,” “Ooo Baby, Baby,” “Tears Of A Clown,” “Do It Baby” and “Love Machine,” The Miracles tore down barriers of intolerance, and got the people of the world dancing.

The group’s songwriting talents, close harmonies, precise choreography, and the smooth lead tenor sounds of Smokey Robinson was a combination equivalent to musical dynamite. Add the premier guitar work and songwriting of Marvin Tarplin, career-long companion to The Miracles, and you’ve got the soundtrack of a generation.

The music has never stopped. 50 years after they began, original member and beloved tenor/baritone Bobby Rogers still tours and records with a new lineup. Founding members Claudette Robinson and Pete Moore occasionally join them for special performances. She’s that lilting voice on the top of the harmonies - her beauty and sweetness made her the crush of countless teenage boys. And yes, she really was the first girl singer ever signed to Gordy’s hit-making company. Pete is that irreplaceable smooth, deep bass on the bottom, which made songs such as ‘Doggone Right’ and ‘Got A Job’ unforgettable.

Smokey Robinson performs non-stop as a solo artist, his falsetto and charm intact, causing another generation of girls to swoon. Always, all perform in memory of late member Ron White.

Even the oldest songs are fresh today. When they began, little did they know that they were singing and writing songs that would become music standards. Everywhere we go in the 21st century, their voices and those songs are heard daily.

Posted by Bill G. on Tuesday, 03.17.09 @ 21:32pm

All of the six original members will be honored : Bobby Rogers, Pete Moore,Smokey Robinson, Ron White (posthumously), Marv Tarplin, And Claudette Rogers-Robinson. Also, the group's first and most important replacement member, Billy Griffin, who replaced Smokey in 1972, and sang with the group til 1978 (Do It Baby,Love Machine, Don't Let It End, etc) ,will be honored . All of the surviving members will be present. Motown Founder ,Berry Gordy Jr.,and Stevie Wonder will also be among those present to honor The Miracles.

Posted by Bill G. on Tuesday, 03.17.09 @ 21:44pm

Now...About that RRHOF Induction.....

Posted by Bill G. on Tuesday, 03.17.09 @ 21:50pm

MIRACLES GET WALK OF FAME HONOUR

SMOKEY ROBINSON’s soul supergroup THE MIRACLES are to be honoured with the 2,381st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The founding members of the group, including Robinson and Pete Moore, will unveil the star on 20 March (09).
Motown boss Berry Gordy and soul legend Stevie Wonder will honour the Miracles.

Posted by Bill G. on Tuesday, 03.17.09 @ 22:34pm

Well. It finally happened this past Friday.(3/20/09)... The MIRACLES FINALLY ,FINALLY got their star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame(it's about TIME)... and I was there to see it. CONGRATS to SMOKEY,(now a DOUBLE HONOREE), BOBBY, PETE, CLAUDETTE,the family of RONNIE, and BILLY GRIFFIN . (Marv Tarplin,however, was inexplicably absent....Does anyone know why ?) OH, and another thing....the star says "THE MIRACLES" (the group's original name...NOT "Smokey Robinson" & The Miracles...that's also how they're listed in Wikipedia), and how they SHOULD BE. Hopefully, this will FINALLY convince the RRHOF Induction Committee that The Miracles are a GROUP...Not just "Smokey Robinson-and-his-background-singers". Let's hope for a 2010 induction.

Posted by Bill G. on Sunday, 03.22.09 @ 23:14pm

I could NEVER understand why so many people praise The Temptations & The Supremes , who ,in point of fact ,never wrote a SINGLE MAJOR HIT FOR ANYBODY , while THE MIRACLES , WHO WROTE & PRODUCED DOZENS of hits for themselves and numerous other artists ,(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Songs_written_by_The_Miracles_members) have had to wait 50 YEARS to get a star on the Walk of Fame... and have STILL NOT BEEN INDUCTED INTO THE ROCK &ROLL HALL OF FAME AS OF 2009. Hopefully , getting this star will force the RRHOF to PAY ATTENTION .

Posted by Bill G. on Monday, 03.23.09 @ 23:08pm

MORE RE-DIRECTED COMMENTS....
"deemand wrote:
I can disagree Dameon. Get over it BILL G, it would take a miracle for the Miracles to get in. Not gonna happen."

Thank you for sharing that.

" Philip wrote:
While I don't disagree with Bill, I wanna point out that Stevie Wonder also wrote a lot of his own stuff, and he was on Motown during the 60's".

Hello again, Philip. Good to hear from you . I just wanted to repeat what I said. Here's my quote:
What's more,out of ALL of the 60's MOTOWN GROUPS,THE MIRACLES were the ONLY ONES that wrote their own material....THE OTHERS DIDN'T.
The operative word here is "GROUP" . I wasn't talking about solo artists. You're quite right about Stevie...he DID write a lot of his own material...as did Marvin Gaye...but The Miracles were the only GROUP that did. However, even those 2 artists owe a LOT to The Miracles .Stevie Wonder was actually DISCOVERED by them . On March 20th 2009, I was there at the Miracles Hollywood Walk of Fame induction,and Stevie Wonder was one of the featured speakers. He said, and I quote: "Without The Miracles, there would have been no Stevie Wonder".
As for Marvin , his 1st two million-selling records,I'LL BE DOGGONE, and "AINT THAT PECULIAR",were written by ROBINSON, ROGERS, MOORE, WHITE, and TARPLIN.
3 guesses who THEY are.

Posted by Bill G. on Wednesday, 06.3.09 @ 08:10am

I don't understand why The Miracles weren't inducted with Smokey Robinson

Posted by Keebord on Wednesday, 09.24.08 @ 21:59pm

Posted by Bill G. on Monday, 06.8.09 @ 19:59pm

Nobody does. I can't believe they still haven't corrected their mistake. It's like inducting Diana Ross, but not The Supremes.

Posted by The_Claw on Thursday, 09.25.08 @ 02:36am

Posted by Bill G. on Monday, 06.8.09 @ 20:04pm

It's like how they inducted Paul McCartney but not Wings. They're emphasizing the frontman.

Posted by on Tuesday, 02.24.09 @ 17:07pm

Posted by Bill G. on Monday, 06.8.09 @ 20:06pm

The Miracles should've gone in with Robinson.

Carole King's career should garner her another induction, and Neil Sedaka also merits induction.

Posted by Steve Z on Monday, 06.1.09 @ 23:21pm

Posted by Bill G. on Monday, 06.8.09 @ 20:48pm

Speaking of "emphasizing the frontman", maybe someone can tell me why OTHER MOTOWN GROUPS, where the lead singer's name was "out front" weren't ALSO victims of this prejudicial treatment. The RRHOF inducted: Gladys Knight AND The Pips (not Gladys alone). Martha Reeves AND The Vandellas (not Martha alone), and Diana Ross AND The Supremes (not Diana alone ). So... WHY DID THEY DO IT TO THE MIRACLES ???

Posted by Bill G. on Tuesday, 06.9.09 @ 21:06pm

Bill G., we all know that the Miracles should have been inducted with Smokey. It is getting very old you repeating that all the time, it does no good telling all of us this, maybe you should try and contact someone who can help get them inducted instead of bringing it up here every few days.

Posted by Brian on Tuesday, 06.9.09 @ 22:11pm

I was responding to a comment posted on Monday from an unknown poster, Here's the quote:


"It's like how they inducted Paul McCartney but not Wings. They're emphasizing the frontman."

Posted by on Tuesday, 02.24.09 @ 17:07pm

Also , since my last posts , prior to this past week ,were back in March,I don't think that qualifies as "every few days". I was merely responding to recent posts I saw on the subject that were posted by Steve Z, The Claw, Dameon, and Philip.

Posted by Bill G. on Wednesday, 06.10.09 @ 07:49am

.....Or. do you think that the recent posts of il.com and otillatroya to this site are a little more relevant...?

Posted by Bill G . on Wednesday, 06.10.09 @ 08:00am

Keebord....Thanks for the nod to The Miracles. I hope they get in . I think , however , that given their historical importance as Motown's first group, not to mention their many accomplishments in the industry, they should go in as MAIN PERFORMERS, not sidemen. Remember, Smokey Robinson was a member of this group, and , for many years, they were collectively known as "The Miracles.... not "Smokey Robinson" and The Miracles...and Smokey was included as a member of the group. On their 2006 R.I.A.A Certified Gold Motown DVD :Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: The Definitive Performances, Miracles members Bobby Rogers, Smokey Robinson, and Pete Moore were interviewed. They explained that the only reason why Motown head Berry Gordy changed their name to spotlight Smokey was to boost the group's earnings for live performance fees. But , Smokey made it clear , that he NEVER made any more or less than the other Miracles. ALL of them made an EQUAL SHARE for concerts and record royalties...something that would have NEVER happened if the other Miracles were "only sidemen" .They were all members of the ONE GROUP...and Smokey was JUST A MEMBER...just like all of the others.

Posted by Bill G, on Tuesday, 07.7.09 @ 20:09pm

I'm aware of that Bill G, but I reasoned that if they most likely would get in it would be as sidemen. Don't get me wrong however, I'd much rather see them get in as performers than sidemen.

Posted by Keebord on Tuesday, 07.7.09 @ 20:14pm

Makes you wonder how Smokey would've sounded WITHOUT the Miracles or if those hits would've been as big. For the most part, I'm not that fond of his "solo" efforts...

Posted by Gitarzan on Tuesday, 07.7.09 @ 20:15pm

I think the Crickets might get in as sidemen (see Scotty, Bill, & D.J.) as a consolation prize...I don't know that they'd accept it, though.

Posted by Gitarzan on Tuesday, 07.7.09 @ 20:18pm

It would be kind of weird if all of the other Motown artists (Supremes, Gladys & The Pips,Vandellas, Temptations,J-5, Marvin, Stevie,etc got in as performers, but the ONE Motown act that opened the doors for all of the others got in as "sidemen". Especially since Smokey DIDN'T EVEN QUALIFY to be inducted as a solo atrist in 1987 when he was inducted.
Also , The Crickets and The Midnighters were both originally known by their collective names before Buddy Holly's and Hank Ballard's names were put "out front" of their respective groups. The lead singers got inducted...the groups didn't.(just like The Miracles) On the other hand , I'm not too sure about The Comets. Was Bill Haley's originally out front ? Does anybody know ?

Posted by Bill G. on Wednesday, 07.8.09 @ 00:27am

When Smokey stopped writing with the other Miracles, Bobby, Ronnie , Pete , and Marv,(Claudette did not write songs), the hits weren't as big and the songs weren't as good...Without Smokey, The Miracles had 9 charting singles , 2 of which went Gold , and 1 Platinum (the #1 smash, "Love Machine" )...and 1 Platinum Album , "City Of Angels" (all the songs of which were written by Miracles Pete Moore and Billy Griffin), as a solo artist,Smokey hasn't had a #1 hit OR a Platinum Album as a solo artist...but The Miracles have had BOTH. So much for the lie that The Miracles could do nothing without him.

Posted by Bill G. on Wednesday, 07.8.09 @ 12:22pm

The Miracles are long, long, long, overdue induction. It's an embarassment on behalf of the RRHOF and their nomination and voting committee. I hope the original Miracles (Claudette, Smokey, Bobby, & Pete) will live to receive this honor that they truly deserve. Original member Ron White is deceased. For some of us Miracles Motown fans the honor will be bitter sweet as its taken too long, and too little acceptable reason of why not, to wait for what? An induction from a questionable orgranization? That's my personal opinion. INDUCT THE MIRACLES!!! Finally!

Posted by C. Green on Friday, 07.24.09 @ 20:05pm

Original Miracles member MARV TARPLIN should also be inducted. The HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME ignored him when the other original Miracles were honored. The Miracles , Berry Gordy, and Motown / Miracles fans were not happy with this decision, so they just went ahead and brought him up on stage with the rest of the group anyway. You can see the photo here...
http://www.varley.net/images%20-%202007/Gloria%20White,%20Marvin%20Tarplin,%20Bobby%20Rogers,%20Stevie%20Wonder,%20Claudette%20Rogers,%20Smokey%20Robinson,%20Billy%20Griffin,%20Berry%20Gordy.jpg . he's standing just to the right of the Supremes' Mary Wilson.Marv played on virtually ALL of their hits, and CO-WROTE MANY OF THEM!!

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 07.25.09 @ 00:48am

Marv was mentioned on the liner notes of the group's very first album, HI....WE'RE THE MIRACLES... and was listed as an original group member. He was also on the covers of their next 3 albums...COOKIN' WITH THE MIRACLES,I'LL TRY SOMETHING NEW, and THE FABULOUS MIRACLES (long before Smokey's name was put in front of the group.) The covers of all of these albums can be viewed in Wikipedia under their respective titles.

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 07.25.09 @ 00:55am

The MIRACLES have won just about EVERY MAJOR MUSIC INDUSTRY AWARD there is...EXCEPT RRHOF induction. Don't believe it ? Check these stats:

1) Motown's first group.

2)Motown's first million-selling act.

3)Over 50 chart hits.

4) 4 songs in the GRAMMY HALL OF FAME.

5) 3 songs in ROLLING STONE'S list of the "500 GREATEST SONGS OF ALL TIME".

6) One album in ROLLING STONE'S LIST OF "THE 500 GREATEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME".

7) 3 SONGS in THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME'S OWN LIST of the "500 SONGS THAT HELPED SHAPE ROCK AND ROLL". (How can they honor the SONGS,BUT NOT THE GROUP THAT RECORDED THEM) ?

8) Every member except One (Claudette), winners of the prestigious BMI AWARD for SONGWRITING .

9) Inductees into the VOCAL GROUP HALL OF FAME.

10) Winners of THE RHYTHM and BLUES FOUNDATION'S PIONEER AWARD.

11) One song ,"The Tracks Of My Tears", chosen by the Record Industry Association Of America (RIAA) as # 127 in it's list of the " SONGS OF THE CENTURY- The 365 GREATEST SONGS OF THE 20TH CENTURY.

12)That same song (The Tracks Of My Tears) preserved by the UNITED STATES LIBRARY OF CONGRESS as an "culturally, historically and aesthetically significance" to the NATIONAL RECORDING REGISTRY.

13) Recieved a star on THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME on March 20th, 2009.

14) The ONLY MOTOWN GROUP during the 1960's that WROTE AND PRODUCED THEIR OWN MATERIAL (ALL of the members , not just their lead singer.)

15) Between 1959 (when Motown was first formed) until 1964, THE LABEL'S ONLY CONSISTANT HITMAKING ACT .

16)"The Tracks Of My Tears"- was also chosen as one of the "Top 10 BEST SONGS OF ALL TIME" by a panel of 20 top industry songwriters and producers including Hal David,Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Jerry Leiber,and others as reported to Britain's "MOJO" music magazine.

17) More than 50 of their songs covered by literally HUNDREDS of other artists ...from many different musical genres... POP, ROCK, COUNTRY, REGGAE, MOR(EASY LISTENING), JAZZ ,as well as R&B/SOUL. THE MIRACLES ARE THE MOST COVERED MOTOWN GROUP OF ALL TIME !!

18) ALL MEMBERS..writers of hit songs by MARVIN GAYE, MARY WELLS, THE TEMPTATIONS, THE MARVELETTES, KIM WESTON, THE CONTOURS, BRENDA HOLLOWAY, THE FOUR TOPS, and many more....

20) ON VH-1'S LIST of the "100 GREATEST ARTISTS ON ALL TIME".

21) Inductees into THE DOO-WOP HALL OF FAME.

22) Chosen by ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE AS # 32 IN IT'S LIST OF "THE IMMORTALS: THE 100 GREATEST ARTISTS OF ALL TIME (THE MIRACLES are the HIGHEST RANKING MOTOWN GROUP ON THEIR LIST... and the ONLY one ranked in the top 50....above THE SUPREMES, TEMPTATIONS,4 TOPS, VANDELLAS , AND PIPS.

23) gave a ROYAL COMMAND PERFORMANCE for none other than QUEEN ELIZABETH in 1968...

24) Winners of the AWARD OF MERIT from THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS, and PUBLISHERS (ASCAP) .

25) Winners of numerous Gold and Platinum Records.

26) Their 2006 Motown DVD collection, "Smokey Robinson & THE MIRACLES: THE DEFINITIVE PERFORMANCES" has been Certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. (Record Industry Association of America)

27)On BILLBOARD MAGAZINE'S list of 'THE 100 GREATEST ARTISTS OF ALL TIME".

......And the RRHOF doesn't think THAT group is worthy of induction ???

THE MIRACLES are among THE BEST OF THE BEST. They were the groundbraking group that started THE ENTIRE MOTOWN PHENOMONON !!!

A fact that gives them even GREATER credibility, is , as mentioned before,that they wrote ALMOST ALL OF THEIR OWN MATERIAL, while the OTHER Motown groups DIDN'T.

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 07.25.09 @ 01:34am

I know that some people are getting tired of my constantly mentioning The Miracles , and please understand,it is not my intention to annoy anyone. But I have a reason for doing so. Unlike many artists profiled on this site, TIME IS NOT ON THE MIRACLES' SIDE. They are approaching 70 years of age,and Ronnie White has already passed on. I would hate to see any more of them leave this Earth before they recieve this honor that, frankly , should have been bestowed on them DECADES AGO. Pete Moore, Bobby Rogers, Marv Tarplin, Claudette Robinson, Smokey Robinson, Ronnie White and Billy Griffin should be inducted. Now.

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 07.25.09 @ 02:01am

JUST RELEASED
...In time for MOTOWN RECORDS' 50TH ANNIVERSARY: The MIRACLES' FIRST 5 ALBUMS have just been released as part of a special 50th anniversary 2 CD limited release entitled : "THE MIRACLES: DEPEND ON ME". Features "HI...WE'RE THE MIRACLES" (their first album), "COOKIN' WITH THE MIRACLES" ,"I'LL TRY SOMETHING NEW", "THE FABULOUS MIRACLES", and "THE MIRACLES: RECORDED LIVE ON STAGE". Features the ORIGINAL ALBUM COVER ARTWORK and LINER NOTES to ALL 5 albums....PLUS A 24 PAGE BOOKLET... with group historical info and new comments from SMOKEY ROBINSON and CLAUDETTE ROBINSON. Hear the beginnings of MOTOWN as seen through the music of it's FIRST GROUP and recording act. Available NOW on the MOTOWN SELECT website or on AMAZON.

Posted by Bill G . on Sunday, 08.16.09 @ 10:40am

One of the Best out of Motown I hope they get in...

Posted by mrxyz on Sunday, 08.16.09 @ 10:51am

Me too, mrxyz...and thanks again for posting.

Also, I'd like to invite anyone who still thinks that their name was always "Smokey Robinson and The Miracles" to get their brand new "DEPEND ON ME" 2 CD set,(on Motown Records), which features the ORIGINAL FRONT AND BACK COVERS of their FIRST FIVE albums from the early sixties...It will prove what I've always been saying: that the group's original name/billing was simply "THE MIRACLES". That is how they're listed in WIKIPEDIA....and that is what their star on the HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME says.That is ALSO the name under which they should've been inducted ...THEIR COLLECTIVE NAME... not just one individual in the group. Smokey should have been inducted in the NON-PERFORMER CATEGORY as a writer - producer... and then THE MIRACLES should have been inducted as a GROUP.

Posted by Bill G. on Tuesday, 08.25.09 @ 00:38am

I think that this just might be THE MIRACLES' year. (I HOPE so, anyway). Here's why I say that:

1) There's been a LOT of media attention surrounding the group in the wake of their receiving a star on THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME this past March.

2)There has ALSO been a lot of media attention surrounding MOTOWN RECORDS this year...as 2009 is the label's 50'th anniversary...and The MIRACLES were the label's first artists...and the first stars.
3) There's also been a lot of publicity surrounding their new 2-CD SET "THE MIRACLES:DEPEND ON ME"...which, interestingly, is the FIRST new release on this group in DECADES in which the group's ORIGINAL name/billing has been restored...being simply billed as "THE MIRACLES"...NOT "SMOKEY ROBINSON" and THE MIRACLES.And, all SIX original members are on the cover...including MARV TARPLIN and CLAUDETTE ROBINSON.

4)THE IMPERIALS and THE MIRACLES were good friends, and often toured together, and ANTHONY mentioned and acknowledged them on IMPERIALS' induction this year. That , and with SMOKEY being their inductor, once again cast media attention on the group.

5) A recent article that I just read on the group,posted just 3 days ago, which hinted that induction might be just around the corner . the article is on this site: http://www.blurt-online.com/features/view/438/

6) A new 50th Anniversary Motown exhibit at THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME'S MUSEUM ...just launched a short time ago.

....Of course,all of this could mean everything ...and it could mean nothing . I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Posted by Bill G. on Monday, 08.31.09 @ 07:50am

excerpt rom the "Blurt online" website article, "GONNA TAKE SOME MIRACLES" : dated August 28, 2009- written by Rick Allen:

"There is no more damning truth of the utter worthlessness of the "honor" of being in the so-called Rock and Roll Hall of Fame than that Smokey Robinson was not inducted until 1987 and the Miracles as a group not until the end of the first decade of the 21st century almost fifty years after "Shop Around" earned them and Motown Records their first certification for a million selling single." (end of quote).
...Does Rick know something that we don't? Are The Miracles FINALLY going in after 22 years of being ignored? (I'm sure they're starting to feel like Susan Lucci by now).

The complete article can be read at this site: http://www.blurt-online.com/features/view/438/

Posted by Bill G. on Monday, 09.7.09 @ 09:12am

Bill G...I truly do sympathize with what you're saying, but the fact of the matter remains that the induction should've been "Smokey Robinson & the Miracles"...period. Smokey's solo work was actually pretty lame, and if they're talking about his songwriting prowess, then he should've been inducted as a "non-performer". I don't know that the Miracles' work (which I'm very familiar with) without Smokey is strong enough to warrant induction...they deserved to be inducted with him...another induction that we'll label "just plain stupid".

The biggest disappointment is the fact that Smokey should never have stood for it...

Posted by Gitarzan on Monday, 09.7.09 @ 09:47am

Hi, Gitarzan !! Good to hear from you again. Yes, the way this whole thing was done was stupid, and made no sense. I think that all parties involved were wrong.

But, that said , I also think that ,based on the numerous comments made by the bloggers on this site,there is an inaccurate public perception about this group. They were NOT always called "Smokey Robinson and The Miracles"...simply "The Miracles"...and Robinson was included as a member of the group.People are still looking at the Miracles and Smokey as separate entities. They were not.Their accomplishments were synonymous. They even made the same money for record royalties and live concerts. NO WAY did The E Street Band make as much as Springsteen!!
Unlike what some have posted, there is no comparision between The Miracles and The E Street Band...because Bruce Springsteen did not start his career as a member of that group...The E Street Band didn't come until later.Nor was there ever a E Street Band album where Springsteen's name WASN'T put upfront.Smokey, however,DID start his career as a member of The Miracles. He was in the group from Day One.

Motown Records, after over four decades, has finally seen, and corrected the problem. The group's new 2009 5 album, 2 CD compilation," The Miracles: Depend On Me"(the early albums). finally restores the group's original name/billing....WITHOUT Robinson's name upfront...and all of the group's original members are on the cover...including Robinson. There has NEVER been an E Street Band album featuring Springsteen where his name WASN'T upfront.
There were PLENTY of Miracles albums featuring Smokey that DIDN'T feature his name upfront...5 of them are featured in this collection. Also,and please correct me if I'm wrong,but I don't ever recall an album or CD by The E Street Band apart from Bruce. The Miracles recorded 7 albums without Smokey...featuring Billy Griffin: Renaissance, Do It Baby, Dont-Cha Love It,The Power Of Music,Love Crazy,The Miracles,and Greatest Hits.They also recorded 9 charting singles.Two of those singles went Gold and 1 Platinum (the #1 hit "Love Machine"). Their "City Of Angels" album also went Platinum.They proved that they could have hits without Robinson. The E Street Band never had any hits without Springsteen. Again, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Posted by Bill G. on Monday, 09.7.09 @ 11:11am

Hey, Bill...I definitely agree with you. It's kinda like when David Ruffin was pushing for the Temptations being renamed "David Ruffin & the Temptations". The Miracles should've remained as such...just like the Temps.

Posted by Gitarzan on Monday, 09.7.09 @ 11:26am

Exactly. Usually, this sort of thing happens when original members of a group leave. The lead singer gets top billing. The Four Seasons, The Animals, and The Supremes are all examples of this.But, it never should have happened to The Miracles simply because , as a fellow blogger recently stated to me on the Amazon website, NONE OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS HAD LEFT. It was also the Robinsons,(Smokey & Claudette),her cousin Bobby Rogers,Pete Moore, Ronnie White, and Marv Tarplin. This "putting Smokey's name upfront" thing may be the biggest single reason why he got inducted...alone..but , it DOESN'T explain why other Motown groups, like Gladys & The Pips, and Martha & The Vandellas...not to mention non Motown acts , like Elvis Costello & The Attractions got inducted collectively.There is clearly a hidden issue here.
If indeed, there had been problems between the Miracles members in the past, they are appearently solved now. They were together on The Miracles' DVD, and when the group got their star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame this past March. This is Motown Records' 50th Anniversary year.It would be great if the label's first and most inportant act got an RRHOF nomination and induction. Maybe it will even result in a Miracles' reunion tour...something fans have hoping to happen for 37 years.

Posted by Bill G. on Monday, 09.7.09 @ 12:21pm

This is Motown Records' 50th Anniversary.(1959-2009). The RRHOF HAS to acknowledge that in some form or fashion. They have set up an entire "Motown 50" commerative exhibit at the Hall recently. Someone from the legendary label HAS to go in this year. The RRHOF is also highly political. They pay close attention to awards recently given by others. If anyone from Motown is inducted, it will HAVE to be an artist or group from the label's classic 60's golden era...which rules out later Motown artists such as RICK JAMES, THE COMMODORES, OR LIONEL RICHIE (solo). that leaves MARY WELLS, JR WALKER & THE ALL-STARS (the original hit line-up, Jr Walker, Willie Woods, James Graves and Vic Thomas),THE MARVELETTES,(Wanda, Gladys, Katherine,Georganna,and Wyanetta,(Juanita?)), or THE MIRACLES (collectively, which would mean, again , the original line-up, Bobby Rogers, Ronnie White, Pete Moore,Claudette Robinson, Marv Tarplin,and a second induction for Smokey, this time as part of the group, and possibly also Billy Griffin).Out of all of these,THE MIRACLES,in my opinion, would be the most likely to be inducted. They just got a star on the HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME barely 6 mo ago, and they were the label's first,and most important act. Plus , SMOKEY just inducted THE IMPERIALS this year,and , with their acceptance speech,they acknowledged The Miracles. I could be wrong, But I think that if ANYONE from Motown is inducted...it's going to be THE MIRACLES.

Posted by Bill G. on Monday, 09.7.09 @ 19:57pm

OK, so...the RRHOF now has a really cool Motown 50 exhibit. That's nice. and , they've put BOBBY ROGERS' SUIT in the Hall of Fame...HIS SUIT. Well, WHOOP-DE-DOO!! They're willing to put The Miracles' CLOTHES in the Hall Of Fame....BUT NOT THEM !!! What an insult .

Posted by Bill G. on Monday, 01.4.10 @ 11:49am

From "The Village Voice" Friday, Oct. 30 2009

"Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Celebration"
Madison Square Garden
Thursday, October 29

Article by By Kory Grow

Meanwhile, soul legend Smokey Robinson, who sang "Tracks of My Tears" with Wonder, expresses remorse that his band, the Miracles, aren't members. None of the musicians take the Rock Hall lightly--except David Crosby, who compares it to the way his cinematographer father used his Oscar as a doorstop.

Posted by Bill G on Saturday, 01.30.10 @ 20:59pm

Will Smokey Robinson be included as an inductee when the Miracles are inducted? They better not do something stupid like induct them in the sidemen category without Robinson!

Posted by Roy on Sunday, 01.31.10 @ 02:03am

...Let's hope that The MIRACLES even GET INDUCTED. The Hall has BLACKLISTED and IGNORED THEM FOR 22 YEARS !!! All one has to do is click on their Wikipedia link and read their site to see that their accomplishments as a GROUP exceed many artists and groups that HAVE been inducted !!! Smokey and Bobby will be 70 years old next month. Claudette is just a couple of years younger, and Marv Tarplin will be 69. Pete Moore will soon be 71... Billy Griffin is almost 60 and Ronnie White has already left us. People all over the web and all around the world have been pondering this question..."HOW MUCH LONGER DO THE MIRACLES HAVE TO WAIT ?"

Posted by Bill G. on Sunday, 01.31.10 @ 22:00pm

What is the explanation from the Rock Hall for not inducting Smokey Robinson and the Miracles as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles? Did Smokey Robinson record albums as Smokey Robinson before he recorded albums as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles?

The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops, and Gladys Knight and The Pips were all inducted. Why are The Miracles being treated like Wings, The Silver Bullet Band, The E Street Band and The Revolution?

Posted by Roy

I think you have to ask Smokey this question? Just like you have to ask Bruce why the E. Street band wasn't inducted.

Posted by Dameon

Smokey NEVER recorded a SINGLE SONG as a solo artist prior to 1972. All of his 50's ,'60's ,and early '70's recordings were as a member of THE MIRACLES. In fact,the group WAS NOT originally known as "Smokey Robinson" & The Miracles. They originally were known simply as "THE MIRACLES" for the first 10 years of their existance. According to the group's 2006 MOTOWN DVD release: "SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES: THE DEFINITIVE PERFORMANCES", the only reason for the name change, was because it was a marketing move on the part of MOTOWN RECORDS head, BERRY GORDY JR, to expand the group's fan base . According to MIRACLES members SMOKEY ROBINSON, BOBBY ROGERS, and PETE MOORE,(who were all interviewed on the DVD), MOTOWN'S market research revealed that whenever a lead singer's name was put in front of a group's name , the group made more money for performance fees because the public was able to connect with that lead singer.This is the same reason why THE SUPREMES' name was changed to "DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES" . and MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS' name was changed to MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS. SMOKEY also made it clear that,despite the name change,ALL of THE MIRACLES continued to make AN EQUAL SHARE for concerts and record royalties. SMOKEY didn't make any more or less money than the other MIRACLES . In fact, he didn't need to . HE WAS THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF MOTOWN RECORDS, and ALREADY MADE AN EXECUTIVE'S SALARY. So,he didn't need it.

Posted by Bill G.

That still doesn't explain why they were not inducted. When the Miracles get inducted, will they be inducted as main performers or in the sidemen category? Will Smokey be inducted a second time?

Posted by Roy

They should, and will, be MAIN PERFORMERS.They were MOTOWN'S FIRST GROUP. That makes them historically important . THE MIRACLES, in fact , are the single MOST IMPORTANT GROUP ON THE MOTOWN LABEL.They had the label's FIRST MILLION- SELLING RECORD, OVER 50 CHART HITS and have 4 SONGS IN THE GRAMMY HALL OF FAME. Smokey didn't do this all by himself. If inducted , SMOKEY WILL THEN BE A DOUBLE INDUCTEE,just as CURTIS MAYFIELD (inducted solo , and as a member of THE IMPRESSIONS ), MICHAEL JACKSON (inducted solo, and as a member of the JACKSON FIVE) , and ERIC CLAPTON, (INDUCTED 3 TIMES , SOLO, With CREAM, AND WITH DEREK & THE DOMIMOS). THE MIRACLES as a GROUP ,are scheduled to get a STAR on the HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME in early 2009.

Posted by Bill G

To answer your other question,Roy,the only reason , or reasons, that THE MIRACLES haven't yet been inducted can ONLY be attributed to TWO THINGS .... STUPIDITY AND POLITICS !!! There is NO WAY that a group with their credentials, level of influence, and historical importance (they were THE BEGINNING OF THE ENTIRE MOTOWN PHENONOMON,not to mention their over 50 chart hits)can be TOTALLY IGNORED YEAR AFTER YEAR, FOR TWO DECADES,while 80's RAPPERS, MTV STARS, and ONE-HIT WONDERS CONTINUE TO BE INDUCTED YEAR AFTER YEAR) can be blamed on ANYTHING ELSE !!

Posted by Bill G

Posted by Roy on Sunday, 02.14.10 @ 05:27am

Two of The MIRACLES turned 70 years old yesterday, Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers. let's hope The Miracles don't get inducted into the RRHOF posthumously.

Posted by Bill G on Saturday, 02.20.10 @ 14:31pm

The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops, and Gladys Knight and The Pips were all inducted. Why are The Miracles being treated like Wings, The Silver Bullet Band, The E Street Band and The Revolution, and not being treated like the Pips?

Posted by Roy on Sunday, 02.28.10 @ 09:02am

The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops, and Gladys Knight and The Pips were all inducted. Why are The Miracles being treated like Wings,s?

Posted by Roy on Sunday, 02.28.10 @ 09:02am


Since they are all the same band in many ways they should be..IN LOL

Posted by mrxyz on Sunday, 02.28.10 @ 09:07am

1961 - The first year The Miracles charted a single as The Miracles

1963 - The first year The Miracles charted an album as The Miracles

1967 - The first year the group charted as Smokey Robinson & the Miracles on both the albums and singles charts. 1967-1987 - That's only 20 years, not 25 years!!

1973 - The first year Smokey Robinson charted on both the singles and albums charts as a solo artist, and he was inducted in 1986. That's 13 years, not 25 years!!

It is still not clear if a Miracles induction will be in the main performers category and include Smokey Robinson, which would make the Rock Hall look stupid for not inducting them as the Miracles in the first place in 1987, or if the Miracles will be inducted without Smokey Robinson in either the main performers category or the sidemen category, which would look stupid as well!!

Posted by Roy on Sunday, 02.28.10 @ 09:32am

The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame's blacklisting of The Miracles is one of the greatest (of many) acts of unfair treatment that organization has ever committed . Not inducting the group, INTACT , back in 1987, has sent shockwaves among Motown fans , and music lovers in general,around the world, and even Smokey has protested their decision. using his time in the Miracles to count for his 25 year qualification/induction into the RRHOF,as a solo artist, while discarding the other original Miracles, BOBBY ROGERS, PETE MOORE , CLAUDETTE ROGERS ROBINSON, MARV TARPLIN, and the late RONNIE WHITE, and the group's first and most important replacement member, BILLY GRIFFIN , is a black mark on this organization and an issue that is NOT GOING TO GO AWAY until this influential and universally- loved group GETS INDUCTED. The Miracles have accomplished TOO MUCH in their career, set TOO MANY MILESTONES,and given us TOO MANY great songs ...(many of which have taken on the stature of classics), to simply be ignored and relegated to the footnotes of history, while dozens of less-deserving artists continue to be nominated and inducted year after year. Roy is correct.Since Smokey didn't release his first solo recording until 1973,1998 would have been the FIRST year he would have qualified as a performer. Only in the NON-PERFORMER category , as a writer/ producer/ record executive , would he have qualified to have been inducted sooner. Motown founder and first president , BERRY GORDY JR, said ,at the group's Hollywood Walk of Fame Induction ceremony on 3/20/2009, "WITHOUT THE MIRACLES, MOTOWN WOULD NOT BE THE MOTOWN IT IS TODAY".

Posted by Bill G on Sunday, 02.28.10 @ 13:27pm

THE MIRACLES as a GROUP, qualified in the very first year of RRHOF inductions... but NOT Smokey as a solo artist. All of the other major Motown groups that have been inducted, were inducted INTACT. Gladys Knight & The Pips, Martha & The Vandellas, The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops , and The Jackson Five. But,it was THE MIRACLES that opened the doors and paved the way for ALL of these groups , and ALL OTHER Motown acts that followed them. They were the Motown label's first recording artists,the first stars, and the label's first singer-songwriters, and without the money their hit records recorded from the label's founding in 1959 until 1964 generated, the label would not have SURVIVED for Gordy to discover , sign, and develop the many acts that followed them .

The Miracles also have the distinction of having more GRAMMY HALL OF FAME-inducted songs than ANY other Motown group, and are BY FAR, the MOST - COVERED Motown group of all time.

Posted by Bill G. on Sunday, 02.28.10 @ 13:44pm

Bill G...it's just a hunch, but I think Smokey himself had an awful lot to do with getting inducted on his own...his solo career really doesn't warrant it. I think he'd like everyone to believe he WAS the Miracles. With that way of thinking, I don't think they can get in by themselves. I think it would've been just as much of a travesty if Littl Anthony would've been inducted without the Imperials...

Posted by Gitarzan on Sunday, 02.28.10 @ 13:49pm

1961 - The first year The Miracles charted a single as The Miracles.

posted by Roy.


Actually, Roy, 1961 was the year of The Miracles' first million-seller, "Shop Around" . But their first national charting single on the Bilboard Pop Hot 100 was in 1959 , with "Bad Girl". They charted on the R&B charts even before that , in 1957 with "Got A Job",among others.

Bill G...it's just a hunch, but I think Smokey himself had an awful lot to do with getting inducted on his own...his solo career really doesn't warrant it. I think he'd like everyone to believe he WAS the Miracles. With that way of thinking, I don't think they can get in by themselves. I think it would've been just as much of a travesty if Littl Anthony would've been inducted without the Imperials...


Posted by Gitarzan on Sunday, 02.28.10 @ 13:49pm

I sincerely hope that's not true, Gitarzan, because if it is , then The Miracles would have no chance of ever making it in. I would like to think that they have a chance to get in one day soon.

Since the RRHOF has had a history of having done this to other groups as well, I'd like to think it's their fault ...but on the other hand, Smokey may or may not know more than he's telling.


The RRHOF HAS , SO FAR. INDUCTED :

SMOKEY ROBINSON without THE MIRACLES
BILL HALEY without THE COMETS
BUDDY HOLLY without THE CRICKETS
HANK BALLARD without THE MIDNIGHTERS
BOBBY WOMACK without THE VALENTINOS
JAMES BROWN without THE FAMOUS FLAMES
DION DiMUCCI without THE BELMONTS
BRUCE SPRINGSTTEN without THE E STREET BAND

So, Gitarzan ,as you can see, the RRHOF has shown a pattern of inducting lead singers of groups in the past, while ignoring the groups that made them famous. They later changed this stupid policy, but never went back and retroactively inducted there earlier groups .
Stupid? incredibly so. Will they make it right ?

Who knows .

Posted by Bill G . on Monday, 03.1.10 @ 00:18am

Ok, Bill.... Bobby without the Valentinos? Seriously? That's like complaining about Linda Ronstadt being inducted without the Stone Poneys (if she ever gets inducted)... the Valentinos as a group don't merit it.

The Belmonts... really you could leave or take... both incarnations had an equal number of BIG NAME songs that are well remembered, but solo Dion also had a lot more minor hits, plus his solo career was more pronouncedly different than the Belmonts, who were a relatively late-arriving doo-wop group with little that distinguished them.

Famous Flames... probably more deserving as Side-Men... same as the JB's.

Posted by Philip on Monday, 03.1.10 @ 16:21pm

They inducted Bob Marley, but not The Wailers.

Posted by The_Claw on Tuesday, 03.2.10 @ 03:59am

I think what The Claw meant to say is that they didn't induct The Wailers but they DID induct Bob Marley

Posted by Joker on Tuesday, 03.2.10 @ 17:52pm

The difference between the Miracles and all those other groups is that the Miracles started out as the Miracles and it lasted for almost 10 years!

Posted by Roy on Wednesday, 03.3.10 @ 02:33am

Thanks, Roy! I,ve been trying to TELL people that all along .

If anyone doesn't believe it, Please pick up the group's new 2-CD SET: THE MIRACLES: DEPEND ON ME

This 50th Anniversary collection has The MIRACLES' first 5 albums..with a foldout containing THE FRONT AND REAR COVERS OF ALL 5 ALBUMS... and you'll SEE what Roy and I have been saying is true: The group was originally billed as THE MIRACLES... not "SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES....and you'll hear some great Early Motown music besides!!!
I also urge everyone that has been voting against The Miracles...or are just unfamiliar with the group,to pick their Motown DVD "SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES: THE DEFINITIVE PERFORMANCES" (available on AMAZON, the HIP-O SELECT website , and elsewhere) You'll be able to see a fascinating 70 minute interview with Miracles PETE MOORE, SMOKEY ROBINSON, and BOBBY ROGERS...where they discuss the beginnings of Motown (The Miracles were Motown's first recording act) , histories behind their greatest hits ...and the reason for the NAME CHANGE( it's not the reason that you think).
(This DVD has been awarded Certified Gold status by the RIAA).
Smokey mentions that ,even with the name change, he NEVER made any more or less than the other Miracles. All of the group's members made an EQUAL SHARE for concerts and record royalities. A fascinating video account

Posted by Bill G. on Wednesday, 03.3.10 @ 10:39am

Also, of ALL of these groups listed, THE MIRACLES had ,BY FAR, the LONGEST CHART RUN. They charted on the BILLBOARD HOT 100 for 19 CONSECUTIVE YEARS !!! 1959-1978. None of these other acts even COME CLOSE!!
And they charted on the BILLBOARD R&B CHARTS even BEFORE that...as early as 1957, with "Got A Job"....which means they had a 21 year Billboard R&B chart run .
The more you learn about this group,the more you realise just how STUPID their omission from the RRHOF is !!! Politics or no....THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN KEPT OUT !!!

Posted by Bill G. on Wednesday, 03.3.10 @ 10:56am

A wonderful band of artist They should have already been in

Posted by L-7 on Wednesday, 03.3.10 @ 10:59am

The Miracles

Smokey Robinson
Donald Griffin
Bill Griffin
Claudette Rogers
Bobby Rogers
Emerson Rogers
Ronald White
Clarence Dawson
James Grice

Posted by Roy on Wednesday, 03.3.10 @ 16:29pm

The Miracles

Smokey Robinson
Warren "Pete" Moore
Donald Griffin
Bill Griffin
Claudette Rogers
Bobby Rogers
Emerson Rogers
Ronald White
Clarence Dawson
James Grice

Which members will be inducted?

Posted by Roy on Wednesday, 03.3.10 @ 16:35pm

Grice, Dawson , and Emerson left the group early on, when they were still known as THE MATADORS. When they offically became known as THE MIRACLES, on their first album, Motown Records listed the original members as : WILLIAM "SMOKEY" ROBINSON
CLAUDETTE ROGERS ROBINSON
WARREN "PETE" MOORE
RONALD "RONNIE" WHITE
ROBERT "BOBBY" ROGERS
and MARVIN "MARV" TARPLIN.

also the group's most important replacement,
WILLIAM "BILLY" GRIFFIN'
who took Smokey's place in 1972,and recorded 7 albums with the group, including their biggest album ever, the Platinum "CITY OF ANGELS" LP,and their biggest single ever, the multi- million seller, "LOVE MACHINE". These are most likely , the members that will be inducted...(if it ever happens).

Posted by Bill G on Wednesday, 03.3.10 @ 18:55pm

MARVIN TARPLIN IS NOT LISTED AS A MEMBER ON ALL MUSIC GUIDE, THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED, BUT HE IS MENTIONED IN THE BIO I THINK.

Posted by Roy on Thursday, 03.4.10 @ 02:21am

The Miracles

Smokey Robinson
Warren "Pete" Moore
Donald Griffin
Bill Griffin
Claudette Rogers
Bobby Rogers
Emerson Rogers
Ronald White
Clarence Dawson
James Grice
Marvin Tarplin

Posted by Roy on Thursday, 03.4.10 @ 04:44am

Yes , Roy. Marv Tarplin is definately an original member of THE MIRACLES. His contributions to the group were monumental.

I dont see that the RRHOF would consider Clarence Dawson
James Grice or Claudette's brother
Emerson Rogers, as they were only with the group a short time , and weren't present on any of the group's hits. They weren't even known as the Miracles back then .

Posted by Bill G on Thursday, 03.4.10 @ 16:12pm

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gpfoxqe5ldae

Any idea why Marv Tarplin is not mentioned at all on the Miracles All Music Guide page?

Posted by Roy on Thursday, 03.4.10 @ 16:22pm

Dont know. He's listed everywhere ELSE....including Motown Records offical liner notes on the Miracles' albums. Has his own site in Wikipedia , too. You can find it under his own name... and on their site " The Miracles members".

Posted by Bill G. on Thursday, 03.4.10 @ 23:52pm

Gassman- the Miracles are not inducted. Smokey was inducted alone.

Posted by Bill G on Friday, 03.26.10 @ 07:33am

Yeah I know, I just figured I put the two together

Posted by Gassman on Friday, 03.26.10 @ 11:07am

A lot of people simply don't realise that, between the beginning of Motown Records in 1959, until 1964, THE MIRACLES W E R E MOTOWN.

Nobody else on the label had any hits ... or they simply weren't signed to the label yet.

Where do you think that Berry Gordy got the money to sign,develop, and promote all of the other acts on the label ? Without The Miracles,it just wouldn't have happened . Their hits literally kept the label ALIVE during those critical early years.
Nobody had even HEARD of The Supremes, Temptations , or 4 Tops prior to 1964...but EVERYBODY had heard of The MIRACLES !!

Posted by Bill G on Saturday, 04.10.10 @ 11:07am

This is crap too! along with not inducting Connie Francis, The "great hall" has bypassed The Miracles. The Miracles are one of the greatest groups of all time and Smokey Robinson's vocal and compositional skills are still unbeatable! The fact that they aren't in the hall of fame, But Jimmy Cliff is blows my mind! This hall is nothing but a piece of shit!

Posted by Batiste on Thursday, 04.29.10 @ 01:27am

Smokey's "vocal and compositional skills" are inducted. Only without The Miracles.

Posted by The_Claw on Thursday, 04.29.10 @ 01:40am

Every thing that The Miracles ever did, they did TOGETHER. Smokey didn't write all of those hits by himself. They wrote together, recorded together , performed together, the whole 9 yards. They should have been INDUCTED together . All of The other major Motown groups were inducted intact . The MIRACLES should have been as well.
Smokey should have been inducted in the NON- PERFORMER CATEGORY as a writer /producer/record executive ...and them THE MIRACLES SHOULD HAVE GONE IN AS A GROUP.

The Miracles also proved they could write hits apart from Robinson. The City of Angels album and it's hit single , LOVE MACHINE, both went PLATINUM. Smokey was nowhere around when THOSE were written.
The Miracles had 9 charting singles and several hit albums without Robinson. They would probably have had even MORE , if not for corporate politics within Motown . ( read "Lack of Promotion), which is probably why they eventually left the label for Columbia in the late 70s.

Posted by Bill G. on Friday, 05.7.10 @ 13:30pm

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame biography

Smokey Robinson (vocals; born February 19, 1940)

Save for founder Berry Gordy, no single figure has been more closely allied with the Detroit-based recording empire known as Motown than William “Smokey” Robinson. In addition to leading the Miracles, Robinson served as a Motown producer, songwriter, talent scout and Gordy’s most trusted confidant and right-hand man.

”He reminded me of me - so excited and passionate about his music,” Gordy wrote in his autobiography, To Be Loved. Robinson’s Miracles were the second act signed to Gordy’s management and production company. Everything at Motown was a family affair in those days. The Supremes (first known as the Primettes) wound up auditioning at Motown because Diana Ross was a neighbor of Robinson’s, and Primettes guitarist Marv Tarplin became an accompanist, arranger and cowriter in the Miracles.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles scored twenty-seven pop-soul hits at Motown between 1960 and 1971, including the classics “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me,” “Mickey’s Monkey,” “Going to a Go-Go” and “I Second That Emotion.” They also explored the sweeter side of soul with a string of exquisite ballads sung by Robinson in a satiny falsetto. The Miracles’ brightest moments on record - “Ooh Baby Baby,” “The Tracks of My Tears” and “The Tears of a Clown” foremost among them - still kindle memories for those who came of age in the Sixties.

The Miracles began as the Matadors, a five-member harmony group who sang original songs by the prolific, teenaged Robinson. Their lineup included Robinson, Ronnie White, Warren Moore, and siblings Bobby and Claudette Rogers. The Matadors charmed Gordy at an impromptu audition, and the renamed group’s first single ("Got a Job” b/w “My Mama Done Told Me") was released on Robinson’s eighteenth birthday in 1958. The Miracles’ first hit, “Shop Around,” established Gordy’s Tamla label on the national scene and paved the way for Motown’s family of labels and artists. “Shop Around,” which had a rawer, bluesier feel than much of the Miracles’ later work, sold a million copies in early 1961.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles were founded upon devotion and constancy. The Miracles recorded on Tamla through 1976, and Robinson remained allied with Motown’s original imprint as a solo artist through the mid-Eighties. Robinson married Claudette Rogers in 1959, and their union lasted twenty-seven years. She withdrew from the Miracles’ touring lineup in 1965, leaving them a quartet, but continued to sing on every Miracles record until Robinson’s departure from the group in 1972.

Robinson’s words mingled sincerity and eloquence, often describing love with unique metaphors. Bob Dylan once pronounced him America’s “greatest living poet.” As a singer, Robinson could evoke joy, sadness and their bittersweet combination with his velvety high tenor. Legend has it that audience members would break into tears when Robinson and the Miracles sang “The Tracks of My Tears.” Even the notoriously hard-to-please Berry Gordy proclaimed the song a masterpiece. It also presaged another tear-streaked classic, “The Tears of a Clown,” which in 1970 became the Miracles’ first Number One pop hit. The period 1963 to 1966 found the group operating at a creative and commercial peak, including the release of their best album, the hit-filled Going to a Go-Go.

Excluding compilations, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles released fifteen albums for Motown,. On his own Robinson recorded sixteen albums for Tamla and Motown. He also wrote and produced for numerous other Motown artists, including Marvin Gaye ("Ain’t That Peculiar,” “I’ll Be Doggone"), the Temptations ("Get Ready,” “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” “My Girl"), Mary Wells ("My Guy,” “You Beat Me to the Punch") and the Marvelettes ("Don’t Mess With Bill,” “The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game").

In July 1972, Robinson parted ways with the Miracles, and both entities enjoyed continued success. Robinson’s biggest solo hits - “Cruisin’” (#4) and “Being With You” (#2) - came in the late Seventies and early Eighties. A fixture at Motown, he served as vice-president until the company’s sale to MCA in 1988. He remained with the label as an artist for two more years after that. In the late Eighties he beat an addiction to cocaine, documented in his autobiography In My Life. After Motown, Robinson continued to record, re-emerging on Motown in 1999 with Intimate. The born-again singer released his first gospel album, Food for the Spirit, in 2004.

Posted by Roy on Monday, 05.10.10 @ 08:05am

He didn't write 'em or sing 'em alone...so he shouldn't have been inducted alone.

Posted by Bill G. on Monday, 05.10.10 @ 16:11pm

*** RE-DIRECTED FROM THE "2011 PREDICTIONS" SITE:***

Also I don't think the Miracles will ever get their due either. An induction for the Miracles will garner little mainstream attention, press, and ticket sales, so the HOF isn't going to waste this potential to go back and correct a now 23 year old mistake. That's unfortunate but, it's the way it is. I wouldn't even be surprised if the HOF didn't try to induct the Miracles as sidemen, which would be a disgrace, but I feel the same about Wanda Jackson getting in as an Influence, when she clearly should've been in the Performers category."


"Bill G: I am impressed with your consistent advocation for inducting the rest of The Miracles into the RRHOF. Indeed, it does remind me of mine and others' advocacy for an induction for Peter Gabriel; an advocacy that is paying off, and continues to pay off. I will say, though, that if the rest of The Miracles were to be inducted, it already would have happened by now. I think that a 23 year gap between inducting Smokey Robinson, and then The Miracles, is a bit of a problem. As I mentioned before regarding Bruce Springsteen with respect to The E Street Band, it seems that a Miracles induction effectively (though not in actuality) took place when Robinson was inducted. It may not be correct, but there it is".

For those who don't think that The MIRACLES are a "name act", or that they've been forgotten by the public at large, consider this:

Here is a list of all of the "name acts" that ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE ranked BELOW The MIRACLES in it's list of "THE IMMORTALS: THE 100 GREATEST ARTISTS OF ALL TIME (the Miracles are ranked at #32):(Don't take MY word for it...go to the 'IMMORTALS" page on this site and read it for YOURSELVES):



33.The Everly Brothers
34.Neil Young
35.Michael Jackson
36.Madonna
37.Roy Orbison
38.John Lennon
39.David Bowie
40.Simon and Garfunkel
41The Doors
42.Van Morrison
43.Sly and the Family Stone
44.Public Enemy (2012)
45.The Byrds
46.Janis Joplin
47.Patti Smith
48.Run-DMC
49.Elton John
50.The Band
51.Howlin' Wolf
52.The Allman Brothers Band
53.Eric Clapton (3 time RRHOF Inductee)
54.Dr. Dre (2017)
55.Grateful Dead
56.Parliament/Funkadelic
57.Aerosmith
58.Sex Pistols
59.Louis Jordan
60.Joni Mitchell
61.Tina Turner
62.Etta James
63.Phil Spector
64.The Kinks
65.Al Green
66.Cream
67.The Temptations
68.Jackie Wilson
69.Carl Perkins
70.The Police
71.Frank Zappa
72.AC/DC
73.Radiohead (2017)
74.Hank Williams
75.The Eagles
76.The Shirelles
77.Beastie Boys (2007)
78.The Stooges
79.The Four Tops
80.Elvis Costello
81.The Drifters
82.Eminem (2021)
83.N.W.A. (2012)
84.James Taylor
85.Black Sabbath
86.Tupac Shakur (2016)
87.Gram Parsons (1992)
88.Miles Davis
89.The Yardbirds
90.Carlos Santana
91.Ricky Nelson
92.Guns N' Roses (2011)
93.Booker T. and the MG's
94.Nine Inch Nails (2014)
95.Lynyrd Skynyrd
96.Martha and the Vandellas
97.Diana Ross and the Supremes
98.Roxy Music (1995)
99.Curtis Mayfield
100.Lee "Scratch" Perry (1994)

Almost ALL of the artists are ALREADY IN THE RRHOF. Why not the MIRACLES ??

Keep in mind , that this is the SAME Rolling Stone Magazine that has denied the MIRACLES entry into the RRHOF FOR THE LAST 23 YEARS !!!

The Miracles are ALSO on BILLBOARD MAGAZINE'S AND VH-1'S ALL- TIME TOP 100 ARTIST'S LISTS.

If the Miracles have been "forgotten" by the public at large, then WHY...
1. Did their 2006 "Definitive" DVD go CERTIFIED GOLD ?
2. Did they get a STAR on the Hollywood Walk of Fame ...20 years AFTER Smokey got his individual star?
3. Do they have FOUR SONGS in the GRAMMY HALL OF FAME ... THE MOST OF ANY MOTOWN GROUP (yes, even more than The Supremes and Temptations.
4.Over 50 of their songs have been covered by hundreds of other acts ...IN VIRTUALLY EVERY musical genre...including JAZZ, COUNTRY & WESTERN, EASY LISTENING, POP, ACAPELLA,RAP/HIP HOP,ROCK,BLUEGRASS,REGGAE, R&B/SOUL, AND MORE

I don't know about YOU, but THE MIRACLES look like a HALL OF FAME worthy group to ME !!!

Posted by Bill G. on Friday, 08.13.10 @ 07:34am

****** 50TH ANNIVERSARY MIRACLES TRIBUTE******


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6rr0EXntiI

Many thanks to CLAUDETTE ROBINSON, SMOKEY ROBINSON,PETE MOORE, BOBBY ROGERS, MARV TARPLIN. and BILLY GRIFFIN for 50 YEARS OF GREAT MOTOWN MUSIC and MEMORIES ... from the Miraculous MIRACLES !!!

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 08.14.10 @ 13:54pm

....AND R.I.P. to the late great RONNIE WHITE.

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 08.14.10 @ 14:18pm

I guess when The Miracles get inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in the main performers category with Smokey Robinson, the Rock Hall can tell us that the induction of Smokey Robinson in 1987 was an early induction for his solo career. HA HA!

Posted by Roy on Wednesday, 08.18.10 @ 10:09am

THE 1987 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME
THE 1990 SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME
THE 2001 VOCAL GROUP HALL OF FAME
THE 2006 KENNEDY CENTER HONORS
THE 2009 HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME


THE 1987 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME BIOGRAPHY

Smokey Robinson (vocals; born February 19, 1940)

Save for founder Berry Gordy, no single figure has been more closely allied with the Detroit-based recording empire known as Motown than William "Smokey" Robinson. In addition to leading the Miracles, Robinson served as a Motown producer, songwriter, talent scout and Gordy's most trusted confidant and right-hand man.

"He reminded me of me - so excited and passionate about his music," Gordy wrote in his autobiography, To Be Loved. Robinson's Miracles were the second act signed to Gordy's management and production company. Everything at Motown was a family affair in those days. The Supremes (first known as the Primettes) wound up auditioning at Motown because Diana Ross was a neighbor of Robinson's, and Primettes guitarist Marv Tarplin became an accompanist, arranger and cowriter in the Miracles.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles scored twenty-seven pop-soul hits at Motown between 1960 and 1971, including the classics "You've Really Got a Hold on Me," "Mickey's Monkey," "Going to a Go-Go" and "I Second That Emotion." They also explored the sweeter side of soul with a string of exquisite ballads sung by Robinson in a satiny falsetto. The Miracles' brightest moments on record - "Ooh Baby Baby," "The Tracks of My Tears" and "The Tears of a Clown" foremost among them - still kindle memories for those who came of age in the Sixties.

The Miracles began as the Matadors, a five-member harmony group who sang original songs by the prolific, teenaged Robinson. Their lineup included Robinson, Ronnie White, Warren Moore, and siblings Bobby and Claudette Rogers. The Matadors charmed Gordy at an impromptu audition, and the renamed group's first single ("Got a Job" b/w "My Mama Done Told Me") was released on Robinson's eighteenth birthday in 1958. The Miracles' first hit, "Shop Around," established Gordy's Tamla label on the national scene and paved the way for Motown's family of labels and artists. "Shop Around," which had a rawer, bluesier feel than much of the Miracles' later work, sold a million copies in early 1961.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles were founded upon devotion and constancy. The Miracles recorded on Tamla through 1976, and Robinson remained allied with Motown's original imprint as a solo artist through the mid-Eighties. Robinson married Claudette Rogers in 1959, and their union lasted twenty-seven years. She withdrew from the Miracles' touring lineup in 1965, leaving them a quartet, but continued to sing on every Miracles record until Robinson's departure from the group in 1972.

Robinson's words mingled sincerity and eloquence, often describing love with unique metaphors. Bob Dylan once pronounced him America's "greatest living poet." As a singer, Robinson could evoke joy, sadness and their bittersweet combination with his velvety high tenor. Legend has it that audience members would break into tears when Robinson and the Miracles sang "The Tracks of My Tears." Even the notoriously hard-to-please Berry Gordy proclaimed the song a masterpiece. It also presaged another tear-streaked classic, "The Tears of a Clown," which in 1970 became the Miracles' first Number One pop hit. The period 1963 to 1966 found the group operating at a creative and commercial peak, including the release of their best album, the hit-filled Going to a Go-Go.

Excluding compilations, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles released fifteen albums for Motown,. On his own Robinson recorded sixteen albums for Tamla and Motown. He also wrote and produced for numerous other Motown artists, including Marvin Gaye ("Ain't That Peculiar," "I'll Be Doggone"), the Temptations ("Get Ready," "The Way You Do the Things You Do," "My Girl"), Mary Wells ("My Guy," "You Beat Me to the Punch") and the Marvelettes ("Don't Mess With Bill," "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game").

In July 1972, Robinson parted ways with the Miracles, and both entities enjoyed continued success. Robinson's biggest solo hits - "Cruisin'" (#4) and "Being With You" (#2) - came in the late Seventies and early Eighties. A fixture at Motown, he served as vice-president until the company's sale to MCA in 1988. He remained with the label as an artist for two more years after that. In the late Eighties he beat an addiction to cocaine, documented in his autobiography In My Life. After Motown, Robinson continued to record, re-emerging on Motown in 1999 with Intimate. The born-again singer released his first gospel album, Food for the Spirit, in 2004.

TIMELINE

February 19, 1940: William "Smokey" Robinson is born in Detroit, Michigan.

1955: Smokey Robinson forms a group - first named the Matadors, then the Miracles - at Detroit's Northern High School.

February 19, 1958: "Got a Job," the first single by the Miracles, is released on the End label. Its release coincides with leader Smokey Robinson's eighteenth birthday.

November 7, 1959: Smokey Robinson marries fellow Miracle Claudette Robinson. The marriage will last twenty-seven years and yield two children, Berry and Tamla.

October 15, 1960: "Shop Around," credited to "The Miracles (featuring Bill "Smokey" Robinson)," is released. The first national hit for Berry Gordy's Tamla label, it tops the R&B chart for eight weeks.

June 16, 1961: Hi We're the Miracles, the first album by the Smokey Robinson-led group, is released.

November 2, 1962: The first live "Motortown Revue," featuring such Motown artists as the Miracles, opens in Boston.

December 29, 1962: "You've Really Got a Hold On Me," by the Miracles, enters R&B chart, where it will become the group's second Number One R&B hit.

March 6, 1965: "My Girl," written by Smokey Robinson and Ronnie White of the Miracles, becomes a #1 hit for the Temptations.

November 1, 1965: Going to a Go-Go, by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, is released. It reaches #8 and yields four hits: "Ooo Baby Baby" (#4 R&B, #16 pop), "The Tracks of My Tears" (#2 R&B, #16 pop), "My Girl Has Gone" (#3 R&B, #14 pop) and "Going to a Go-Go" (#2 R&B, #11 pop).

January 27, 1967: The release of "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage" marks a change in artist credit from "The Miracles" to "Smokey Robinson and the Miracles." The song will peak at #20.

April 1968: Greatest Hits, Vol.2, by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, reaches #7. It will be the highest-peaking album of the group's career.

December 12, 1970: "The Tears of a Clown," by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, reaches Number One for the first of two weeks.

July 14-16, 1972: Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' concert performances in Washington D.C. are recorded for the album 1957-1972, which ends Robinson's quarter century with the band he founded. Robinson graduates to a solo career, and the Miracles replace him with Billy Griffin.

November 15, 1972: Smokey Robinson's final single with the Miracles, "I Can't Stand to See You Cry," is released.

1974: The Miracles' "Love Machine," the group's biggest hit of the post-Smokey Robinson era, reaches Number One.

April 19, 1975: A Quiet Storm, the third solo album by Smokey Robinson, is released. The title would be adapted as both the name of a radio format and a romantic subgenre of soul, as defined by Robinson.

March 21, 1981: The biggest hit of Smokey Robinson's solo career, "Being With You" (#1 R&B, #2 pop), is released.

January 21, 1987: Smokey Robinson is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the second annual induction dinner. Daryl Hall and John Oates are his presenters.

February 1994: Motown issues The 35th Anniversary Compilation, a four-CD overview of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' remarkable career.

February 27, 1997: Smokey Robinson reunites with the Miracles to be honored at the eight annual Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Pioneer Awards in New York.

February 24, 1999: Smokey Robinson receives a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 41st annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

April 2004: Smokey Robinson releases Food for the Spirit, his first gospel album and first album of any kind in five years.


THE 1990 SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME BIOGRAPHY

Legendary Grammy winner, Smokey Robinson is the only man in musical history to simultaneously be in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame and honored by NARAS as a "Living Legend."

In many respects, Smokey Robinson, writer of over 1,000 songs, qualifies for the title, "Mr. Motown." The celebrated Detroit native played a key role in helping transform the motor city and the record company named after it, into an international center popular music.

Robinson's hit recordings, with his wonderful and memorable vocal group, The Miracles, while produced in Detroit with that very recognizable Motown sound, cross all contemporary boundaries and cultures. Motown was pop music, the kind that dominated best-selling and radio performance charts. For much of that period of the early 60s and 70s, Smokey Robinson was the inspiration for and creator of the biggest songs of the day.

Since the age of six, Robinson has been writing music. His initial success came as a first-grader writing a song for an elementary school play. With this one slight taste of success under his belt, Robinson continued writing, after the nightly demands of homework had been met, until three years later, as a teenager, he had the good fortune of an accidental meeting with Berry Gordy, Jr., the founder and head of Motown Records. Gordy became the producer for Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, and the combination of talents resulted in many hit recordings, including "Way Over There," the first record released on the Motown subsidiary label, Tamla Records, and "Shop Around," which went to number one on all national charts.

Across the years, Robinson's writing efforts resulted in a bevy of major hits for The Miracles, like "I Second That Emotion," "Going to a Go Go," "You Really Got a Hold on Me," "Tears of a Clown," and one of the most memorable, "The Tracks of My Tears."

But writing for The Miracles ultimately became a kind of springboard for other songwriting successes. Robinson is well-remembered for "My Guy" and "Two Lovers" for Mary Wells; "The Way You Do the Things You Do," for the remarkable and enduring Temptations; "Ain't That Peculiar" and I'll Be Doggone," for the late Marvin Gaye; and "Don't Mess with Bill" and "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game," for The Marvelettes.


THE 2001 VOCAL GROUP HALL OF FAME BIOGRAPHY

Of all the R&B vocal groups formed in Detroit, Michigan, USA, in the mid-50s, the Miracles proved to be the most successful. They were founded at the city's Northern High School in 1955 by Smokey Robinson (b. William Robinson, 19 February 1940, Detroit, Michigan, USA), Emerson Rogers, Bobby Rogers (b. 19 February 1940, Detroit, Michigan, USA), Ronnie White (b. 5 April 1939, Detroit, Michigan, USA, d. 26 August 1995) and Warren 'Pete' Moore (b. 19 November 1939, Detroit, Michigan, USA). Emerson Rogers left the following year, and was replaced by his sister Claudette, who married Smokey Robinson in 1959. Known initially as the Matadors, the group became the Miracles in 1958, when they made their initial recordings with producer Berry Gordy. He leased their debut, 'Got A Job' (an answer record to the Silhouettes' major hit 'Get A Job'), to End Records, produced a duet by Ron (White) And Bill (Robinson) for Argo, and licensed the classic doo-wop novelty 'Bad Girl' to Chess Records in 1959.

The following year, Gordy signed the Miracles directly to his fledgling Motown Records label. Recognizing the youthful composing talents of Smokey Robinson, he allowed the group virtual free rein in the studio, and was repaid when they issued 'Way Over There', a substantial local hit, and then 'Shop Around', which broke both the Miracles and Motown to a national audience. The song demonstrated the increasing sophistication of Robinson's writing, which provided an unbroken series of hits for the group over the next few years. Their raw, doo-wop sound was further refined on the Top 10 hit 'You Really Got A Hold On Me' in 1962, a soulful ballad that became a worldwide standard after the Beatles covered it in 1963. Robinson was now in demand by other Motown artists: Gordy used him as a one-man hit factory, to mastermind releases by the Temptations and Mary Wells, and the Miracles' own career suffered slightly as a result.

They continued to enjoy success in a variety of different styles, mixing dancefloor hits such as 'Mickey's Monkey' and 'Going To A Go-Go' with some of Robinson's most durable ballads, such as 'Ooh Baby Baby' and 'The Tracks Of My Tears'. Although Robinson sang lead on almost all the group's recordings, the rest of the group provided a unique harmony blend behind him, while guitarist Marv Tarplin - who co-wrote several of their hits - was incorporated as an unofficial Miracle from the mid-60s onwards. Claudette Robinson stopped touring with the group after 1965, although she was still featured on many of their subsequent releases.

Exhausted by several years of constant work, Robinson scaled down his writing commitments for the group in the mid-60s, when they briefly worked with Holland/Dozier/Holland and other Motown producers. Robinson wrote their most ambitious and enduring songs, however, including 'The Tears Of A Clown' in 1966 (a belated hit in the UK and USA in 1970), 'The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage', and 'I Second That Emotion' in 1967. These tracks epitomized the strengths of Robinson's compositions, with witty, metaphor-filled lyrics tied to aching melody lines and catchy guitar figures, the latter often provided by Tarplin.

Like many of the veteran Motown acts, the Miracles went into a sales slump after 1967 - the year when Robinson was given individual credit on the group's records. Their slide was less noticeable in Britain, where Motown gained a Top 10 hit in 1969 with a reissue of 'The Tracks Of My Tears', which most listeners imagined was a contemporary record. The success of 'The Tears Of A Clown' prompted a revival in fortune after 1970. 'I'm The One You Need' became another reissue hit in Britain the following year, while 'I Don't Blame You At All', one of their strongest releases to date, achieved chart success on both sides of the Atlantic.

In 1971, Robinson announced his intention of leaving the Miracles to concentrate on his position as vice-president of Motown Records. His decision belied the title of his final hit with the group, 'We've Come Too Far To End It Now' in 1972, and left the Miracles in the unenviable position of having to replace one of the most distinctive voices in popular music. Their choice was William 'Bill' Griffin (b. 15 August 1950, Detroit, Michigan, USA), who was introduced by Robinson to the group's audiences during a 1972 US tour. The new line-up took time to settle, while Smokey Robinson launched a solo career to great acclaim in 1973. The group responded with Renaissance, which saw them working with Motown luminaries such as Marvin Gaye and Willie Hutch. The following year, they re-established the Miracles as a hit-making force with 'Do It Baby' and 'Don'tcha Love It', dance-orientated singles that appealed strongly to the group's black audience. In 1975, 'Love Machine' became the Miracles' first US chart-topper, while the concept album City Of Angels was acclaimed as one of Motown's most progressive releases.


THE 2006 KENNEDY CENTER HONORS BIOGRAPHY

To hear Smokey Robinson shine his way through his "The Tears of a Clown" is to understand a lovely, perfect moment in American music. A Detroit native and the very soul of Motown, a singer's singer, a poet's own poet, everyone's giving, loving clown—do these begin to describe the miracle that is Smokey Robinson- Fellow Kennedy Center Honoree Bob Dylan once rapturously called Robinson "America's greatest living poet." That is an unguarded, disarmingly emotional response to a musician whose emotions never fail to ring true. Think not only of his lyrics to "Tears of a Clown," but also of "The Track of My Tears," "Shop Around," "You've Really Got A Hold On Me," "My Guy," "The Way You Do the Things You Do," "Get Ready," "It's Growing," "I Second That Emotion," "Sweet Harmony," "Baby Come Close," "Baby That's Backatcha," "I Am I Am," "The Agony And The Ecstasy," "Open," "Quiet Storm," and "Let Your Love Shine On Me." Impressive by any standards as a string of hits, taken together they add up to a body of work that has transformed and defined American music across any pop, soul, R & B, or Rock and Roll divide. Perhaps Bob Seeger put it best in Rolling Stone magazine, when he recalled nostalgically how "I used to go to the Motown revues, and the Miracles always closed the show. They were that good, and everybody knew it. Not flash at all. The Supremes had bigger hits. The Temptations had the better dance moves. The Miracles did it with pure music. Back then the radio played the rougher stuff, [but] Smokey Robinson – they played him all day. Everybody loved his songs, and he had a leg up on all the other singers, with that slightly raspy, very high voice. Smokey was smoky."

That he wrote his own songs seemed like so much icing on a sweet cake. Everybody loved his songs, everybody still does. Together with The Supremes, The Temptations and the Four Tops, Smokey Robinson—with the Miracles and on his own as a composer, producer and hit-maker—was a powerful and influential creative force alongside Motown's visionary Berry Gordy in combining the naïve sweetness of mainstream American pop with the gritty sensuality of the most daring of rhythm and blues. Doo-wop came of age, and the Motown sound was born.

William Robinson was born and raised in Detroit, where as a child he was nicknamed "Smokey" because of his love of Westerns. He was just 15 when he founded a doo-wop group called The Five Chimes with four friends from Northern High School. Playing Detroit clubs, they renamed the group The Matadors in 1957, and were joined by Bobby Rogers, Pete Moore; Ronnie Whites and Smokey Robinson's future wife, Claudette Rogers. They changed names again, to the Miracles, and they met up with the young Berry Gordy, Jr., who in 1958 co-wrote for them the single "Got A Job," a humorous, nevertheless very positive answer song to The Silhouettes' hit "Get a Job." The song came true: young Smokey really got a job. Gordy founded Tamla Records in 1959, soon reincorporating it as Motown Records, with his friend and protégé Smokey Robinson as vice-president by 1961. The rest, it is not exaggeration to note, is music history. The Miracles bridged the worlds of doo-wop and soul, with Robinson as their guiding light. After what proved to be a warm-up single called "Way Over There," Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' second release for Motown, "Shop Around," established a sound that would cool and caress a generation. It was their first million-seller. Throughout the 1960s and early '70s, music and musician alike grew in assurance, from elegant ballads to easy, throbbing dance numbers like "Mickey's Monkey" and "Going To A-Go-Go." Robinson's activity was not limited to The Miracles, either. As a generous songwriter and producer, he created "My Guy" for the sassy Mary Wells, and "My Girl" for the inimitable Temptations. But it was Robinson's own voice, the silky cooing and wooing of everything from "Ooo Baby Baby" right through the immortal "Tears Of A Clown" that forever marked the soundtrack of Baby Boomers' lives.

After Motown's glory days, Robinson continued to thrive on his own. His final hit with The Miracles was 1972's "We've Come To Far To End It Now" and—like the Supremes' bittersweet "Some Day We'll Be Together"—it signaled the end of an era but also the dawn of reinvigorated artistic maturity. Smokey Robinson grew jazzier, perhaps mellower, certainly never a slave to the disco fashion but very much in touch with the pulse of music lovers. His work became more subtle, still yielding unforgettable hits such as "Sweet Harmony" and "Just My Soul Responding." His album A Quiet Storm turned out to be the apotheosis of a golden era of R & B even as a new generation's hip-hop and rap peered not far in the horizon. It was with A Quite Storm that Robinson gave notice that smooth, lush and gorgeous ballads could never be out of place in our hearts. "As a kid, this is what I wanted my life to be," Smokey Robinson once said, confessing that "Not in my wildest dreams did I ever dare to dream that it would be this." He was voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. In 1991, he won a Soul Train Music Award for Career Achievement. Never one to rest on his laurels, this poet laureate of love released his first Gospel album, Food for the Spirit, in 2004. In 2006, Howard University conferred on Smokey Robinson an honorary Doctor of Music degree.


THE 2009 HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME BIOGRAPHY

The Miracles were honored with the 2,381st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Leron Gubler presided over the ceremony. Guests included Berry Gordy and Stevie Wonder.

7060 Hollywood Boulevard on March 20, 2009.

The star honorees are the original Miracles' lineup: Bobby Rogers, Ronnie White (posthumously), Pete Moore, Smokey Robinson, and the First Lady of Motown, Claudette Robinson. Gloria White, wife of the late Ronnie White and Billy Griffin, former lead singer of The Miracles were also on hand for the celebration.

The Motown Sound began in 1959 with The Miracles, the very first of Berry Gordy's massively-successful pool of performers. From their unpolished start, they were special, diamonds in the rough. Gordy, already a successful songwriter with hits by the likes of Jackie Wilson and Etta James, heard it in their voices and in the songs scribbled in Smokey's notebook.

With Gordy, The Miracles launched the "Sound of Young America," and the rest is musical history. From their doo-wop roots, with songs like "Bad Girl" and "Got A Job," to the 60's and 70's smashes "Shop Around," "You Really Got A Hold On Me," "Ooo Baby, Baby," "Tears Of A Clown," "Do It Baby" and "Love Machine," The Miracles tore down barriers of intolerance, and got the people of the world dancing.The group's songwriting talents, close harmonies, precise choreography, and the smooth lead tenor sounds of Smokey Robinson was a combination equivalent to musical dynamite. Add the premier guitar work and songwriting of Marvin Tarplin, career-long companion to The Miracles, and you've got the soundtrack of a generation.

The music has never stopped. Fifty years after they began, original member and beloved tenor/baritone Bobby Rogers still tours and records with a new lineup. Founding members Claudette Robinson and Pete Moore occasionally join them for special performances. She's that lilting voice on the top of the harmonies - her beauty and sweetness made her the crush of countless teenage boys. And yes, she really was the first girl singer ever signed to Gordy's hit-making company. Pete is that irreplaceable smooth, deep bass on the bottom, which made songs such as 'Doggone Right' and 'Got A Job' unforgettable.

Smokey Robinson performs non-stop as a solo artist, his falsetto and charm intact, causing another generation of girls to swoon. Always, all perform in memory of late member Ronnie White.

Even the oldest songs are fresh today. When they began, little did they know that they were singing and writing songs that would become music standards. Everywhere we go in the 21st century, their voices and those songs are heard daily.

Posted by Roy on Thursday, 08.19.10 @ 07:53am

Smokey Robinson inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Smokey Robinson inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, Smokey Robinson receives the Kennedy Center Honors, The Miracles are enshrined with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Posted by Roy on Thursday, 08.19.10 @ 12:37pm

Smokey Robinson is enshrined with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Smokey Robinson is inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Smokey Robinson is inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles are inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, Smokey Robinson receives the Kennedy Center Honors, The Miracles are enshrined with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

THE 1983 HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME (Smokey Robinson)
THE 1987 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME (Smokey Robinson)
THE 1990 SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME (Smokey Robinson)
THE 2001 VOCAL GROUP HALL OF FAME (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles)
THE 2006 KENNEDY CENTER HONORS (Smokey Robinson)
THE 2009 HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME (The Miracles)

I guess when The Miracles get inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in the main performers category with Smokey Robinson, the Rock Hall can tell us that the induction of Smokey Robinson in 1987 was an early induction for his solo career. HA HA!

Posted by Roy on Thursday, 08.19.10 @ 12:59pm

http://www.futurerocklegends.com/artist.php?artist_id=Smokey_Robinson

Smokey Robinson

Posted by Roy on Thursday, 08.19.10 @ 13:03pm

The MIRACLES' blacklisting from the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME is one of the WORST examples of discriminatory politics that organization has ever committed .They deserved to have been inducted 2 DECADES AGO.

THEY ARE THE HIGHEST- RANKING MOTOWN GROUP on ROLLING STONE'S list of the TOP 50 IMMORTALS, and have MORE GRAMMY HALL OF FAME inducted songs than ANY OTHER MOTOWN GROUP.

Posted by Bill G. on Thursday, 08.19.10 @ 13:18pm

Did you read all the biographies yet, Bill G.?

Posted by Roy on Thursday, 08.19.10 @ 13:32pm

"Did you read all the biographies yet, Bill G.?"

Posted by Roy

Yep. sure did, Roy. Thanks for posting them .

Did you ever get The Miracles' Motown DVD ?

Posted by Bill G. on Thursday, 08.19.10 @ 15:22pm

Not Yet.

Posted by Roy on Thursday, 08.19.10 @ 15:58pm

Smokey Robinson's 1983 enshrinement on the Hollywood Walk of Fame didn't come with a biography.

Posted by Roy on Thursday, 08.19.10 @ 16:02pm

THE MIRACLES DVD: CERTIFIED GOLD BY THE R.I.A.A !!

http://www.reelinintheyears.com/pr17.html

Posted by Bill G. on Thursday, 08.19.10 @ 19:44pm

***REDIRECTED FROM THE "2011 PREDICTIONS"THREAD***

I thought we already addressed this " Miracles vs. E-Street Band" issue a LONG TIME AGO. There is NO COMPARISON between the two. THE MIRACLES were NOT "sidemen" for Smokey. He was simply a member of the group, just like all of the others,Pete,Ronnie, Bobby, Claudette, and Marv.They all started together.They all made the SAME MONEY for record royalties and personal appearences.Smokey NEVER recorded as a solo artist until AFTER HE LEFT THE MIRACLES in 1972. "Smokey Robinson" was NOT a SEPARATE ENTITY from "The Miracles" .They were all EQUAL MEMBERS of the SAME GROUP. The E-Street Band, on the other hand , WERE SIDEMEN. Bruce Springsteen DID NOT BEGIN his career as a member of this group, as Smokey did with The Miracles. He started as a SOLO artist, and The E-Street Band didn't come until later. They were NOT equal partners with Springsteen,nor did they share equal royalties.

Posted by Bill G. on Friday, 08.20.10 @ 07:34am

The Miracles started out as The Miracles. Get it? They were the Miracles for 8 years, and charted as The Miracles for 8 years. Then they became Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Claudette Rogers of The Miracles was called the First Lady of Motown. A Miracles induction better include her! I'm sure the Rock Hall won't forget, even though she was not a part of the group when they became Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, she qualifies for induction. She was inducted with the Miracles in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Posted by Roy on Friday, 08.20.10 @ 08:03am

They'd better induct MARV TARPLIN too!! He is an ORIGINAL MEMBER, yet, The Hollywood Chamber Of Commerce dissed him when the rest of the group was honored. How they could honor BILLY GRIFFIN, who isn't an original member, (though he does deserve it) , while ignoring MARV , who IS an original, just doesn't make sense, any more than it did for the RRHOF to induct Smokey alone . The "Soul Patrol" website protested Marv's exclusion (the Chamber also initially excluded Billy , but THAT decision was reversed:

http://www.soul-patrol.com/soul/smokey.htm

Posted by Bill G. on Friday, 08.20.10 @ 14:00pm

1.Bobby and Claudette are NOT siblings. They are cousins.

2."Excluding compilations, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles released fifteen albums for Motown".

The Miracles recorded far more than 15 albums. Check Wikipedia".

"Add the premier guitar work and songwriting of Marvin Tarplin, career-long companion to The Miracles, and you've got the soundtrack of a generation."

Marv Tarplin was NOT a "career-long companion" of The Miracles. He WAS a member of The Miracles...plain and simple. Motown Records' official liner notes on the Miracles' albums SAY SO.
If the group ever gets inducted, Marv and Claudette should be inducted with them.

(I wish these so-called biographers would get their facts straight).

Posted by Bill G. on Saturday, 08.21.10 @ 07:59am

http://songwritershalloffame.org/index.php/exhibits/bio/C176

1990 Songwriters Hall of Fame

Posted by Roy on Monday, 08.23.10 @ 07:27am

http://rockhall.com/inductees/smokey-robinson/bio/

1987 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Posted by Roy on Monday, 08.23.10 @ 07:30am

http://www.vocalgrouphalloffame.com/inductees/smokey_miracles.html

2001 Vocal Group Hall of Fame

Posted by Roy on Monday, 08.23.10 @ 07:32am

http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/?entity_id=16268&source_type=A

2006 Kennedy Center Honors

Posted by Roy on Monday, 08.23.10 @ 07:35am

http://www.hollywoodchamber.net/index.php?module=wof&s=nor&p=1&sname=Miracles&wof_id=701

2009 Hollywood Walk of Fame

Posted by Roy on Monday, 08.23.10 @ 07:39am