Free Republic

Iconic singer Smokey Robinson has been hit with a slew of sickening allegations including rape, sexual battery, and false imprisonment in a bombshell lawsuit from his former employees. The 85-year-old R&B star, whose real name is William Robinson Jr., is alleged to have created a hostile work environment, with his wife Frances Robinson also named in the legal document filed in California Superior Court on Tuesday. The accusations include assault and gender violence, with four female former housekeepers claiming the singer would systematically target them around his Chatsworth, Los Angeles mansion, between 2007 and 2024. The complainants are suing for...

‘Shop Around’ is an absolutely vital part of the early development of Motown, and on February 12, 1961 it became their first million-seller.It was one of the first collaborations between Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy, not just as flagship artist and label boss, but credited as co-writers. “Shop Around” is an absolutely vital part of the early development of Motown, and on February 12, 1961, it sent the message that they really meant business, when it became their first million-seller. Robinson really did use his mother’s time-honored advice as the lyrical inspiration for the song. He had originally intended to...

The 1964 Motown classic joins an elite group of megahits on Spotify.“My Girl,” the 1964 hit from The Temptations, has just crossed a major streaming milestone. Today, the track hit one billion listens on Spotify. By far the group’s most-streamed song, “My Girl” joins the elite group of less than 1,000 high-streamers, and becomes one of the oldest songs on the list. “My Girl” was the first number-one hit from The Temptations, though many more would follow throughout the 1960s and 70s. Written by Smokey Robinson, a beloved artist in his own right, and singer Ronnie White, “My Girl” was...

The Motown singer and prolific songwriter — who once fronted Smokey Robinson and the Miracles — is still going strong despite a recent bout with COVID-19 in 2020. “I was very sick — I was in the hospital for 11 days with it — but I came through,” Robinson said down the line from his L.A. home. The Detroit-born songwriter behind such classics as Shop Around — Motown’s first million-selling hit record — You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me, I Second That Emotion, The Tears of a Clown and The Tracks of My Tears, says the key to staying...

Wanda Young, one of the original Marvelettes on Motown’s Tamla label in the 1960s and later the group’s lead singer, has died. She was 78 and passed on Dec. 15 in Garden City, Michigan from complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to her daughter. Young joined the Marvelettes as they signed their first record deal with Motown. The group scored Motown’s first song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1961. The song also was No. 1 on the R&B chart. “Please Mr. Postman” became the Marvelettes signature, and has since been covered by...