*“Did you want to talk about The Miracles Rebirth?,” said Claudette Annette Rogers Robinson (The Miracles) during our interview about her attendance at a “Motown 65” celebratory event held recently at the Pendry West Hollywood hosted by Frankie Ross and attended by Smokey Robinson.
“The Miracle Rebirth is a group of young babies, well they are babies to me even though they are all over 25 – Lyric (Ontiveros) is my grandchild – I have three grandchildren; Alia (Rose) is Tina Marie’s daughter; Imani (Archer) is D’Angelo’s daughter, and Trace (Austin) is Otis Williams of the Temptation’s grandson. They are a group in the making, they have lots of energy.”
I told Claudette that I really wanted to talk about her being an honoree at the event celebrating 65 years of Motown Records and about her title The First Lady of Motown.
“Berry gave me that title,” Claudette Robinson said with a slight laugh. “I was the first. There were no other females, and the group (The Miracles) was the first group…first million-selling group.”
“Motown was formed in 1959. We were out on the road,” Robinson recalled. “That was the year Smokey, and I were married. My brother (Bobby Rogers, founding member) sang in The Miracles, but he joined the Army…and he asked me to join because there was an audition and sometimes, I sang for them.”
Claudette said she and the other members of The Miracles (Billy Griffin, Marv Tarplin, Ronnie White, and William ‘Smokey’ Robinson, Jr.) went to the audition. Claudette was a Marine Corps Reservice Sharpshooter at the time, but she went anyway. She said they didn’t score too well at the audition, but there was a guy there that would change their lives. They did not know at the time that he was Berry Gordy.
“They did not like our group. A guy said he did like the girl…saying she should be in the lead. But a guy listening in the audition…was Berry Gordy…he said, ‘I’d like to work with you guys…you need a name,’” Claudette recalled. “Our first record was ‘Got a Job’, an answer to a single that was out called ‘Get a Job.’ We were on the End label and Berry was our manager.”
“I wanted to be a teacher. I was shy,” Claudette said when I asked if this was her dream job.
“Mr. Gordy came out and said, ‘You guys have any more of those songs and Smokey said, ‘Yes!’,” she continued.
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Claudette told me that Berry came from a family of well-known Detroit business owners. Soon after Berry became their manager, they released their debut single on the End Record label of George Goldner (1957-1962).
After that successful release, Berry Gordy launched Motown Records with his oldest sister as Vice President. He immediately signed The Miracles as its first act.
“I never knew of the Gordy (family), but I heard they were great entrepreneurs. She added that they had grocery stores and printing shops for a long time,” she added.
Even though the group already had a name, The Matadors, Claudette said, “We put names in a hat, and I pulled out the name The Miracles. Smokey says he put that name in the hat,” she laughed.
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So, The Miracles set out to make the Motown sound with the help of Smokey Robinson and Claudette as songwriters. Claudette, a New Orleans native, co-wrote such Motown hits with Smokey as “My Girl,” “Oooo Baby Baby,” and “You Really Got a Hold on Me.”
Other song credits of The Miracles penned by Smokey include “Tears of a Clown” (with Stevie Wonder), “Who’s Loving You,” and “The Tracks of My Tears” (with Marv Tarplin).
“It’s been a wonderful journey,” Claudette Robinson said as she recalled those magical times.
Claudette and Smokey were married for 27 years from 1959 to 1986.
Though divorced they seem to still be friends. They had two children together – Berry Williams Robinson and Tamla Claudette Robinson.
“At that time everyone was singing. Everybody could sing…if you had a voice or not. So singing was nothing unique. It was a fun time, how you entertained yourself…we didn’t have all the things kids have today,” she pointed out to me.
“I feel so grateful, blessed, and honored,” The First Lady of Motown Records concluded.
The Miracles, formed in Detroit, garnered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honor in 2012, the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009, and a Lifetime Achievement Award via Billy Griffin in the 1970s. www.MotownRecords.com
SYNDICATED COLUMN: Dr. Eunice Moseley has an estimated weekly readership of over one million with The Pulse of Entertainment. She is also a Business Management/Public Relations Strategist and Consultant at Freelance Associates and is Promotions Director (at-large) for The Baltimore Times. www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com. EVENTS: “Uplifting Minds II” Entertainment Conference (ULMII), founded by Eunice in 1999, is into its 25th year. Next events are coming to Baltimore via Zoom Saturday April 20, 2024, presented by Security Square Mall and The Baltimore Times, and Los Angeles via Zoom Saturday, November 9, 2024. The ULMII event is a free entertainment conference offering a Professional Panel Q&A Session, a Professional Talent Showcase and National Talent Competition (vocal, songwriting, dance and acting) where aspiring artists have a chance to receive over $19,000 valued in prizes/product/services. Log onto www.UpliftingMinds2.com RSVP for Zoom Access at EventBrite.com or email [email protected].
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