originally published: 02/23/2024
(NEWARK, NJ) -- Motown Icon Smokey Robinson will return to New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Friday, December 6, 2024 at 8:00pm. Once pronounced by Bob Dylan as America's "greatest living poet," acclaimed singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson's career spans over four decades of hits.
He has received numerous awards, including the Grammy Living Legend Award, NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award, Honorary Doctorate (Howard University), Kennedy Center Honors, and the National Medal of Arts Award from the President of the United States. He was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame, holds a BET Lifetime Achievement award and honorary Doctor of Music degrees from Howard University and the Berklee College of Music. Throughout his career, Smokey Robinson has written over a thousand songs, many of which were top 40 hits. Among his long list of honors.
Smokey Robinson is an American Treasure born and raised in Detroit, Michigan; Robinson founded The Miracles while still in high school. The group was Berry Gordy’s first vocal group, and it was at Robinson’s suggestion that Gordy started the Motown Record dynasty. Their single of Robinson’s “Shop Around” became Motown’s first #1 hit on the R&B singles chart. In the years following, Robinson continued to pen hits for the group, including “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me,” “Ooo Baby Baby,” “The Tracks of My Tears,” “Going to a Go-Go,” “More Love,” “Tears of a Clown” (co-written with Stevie Wonder), and “I Second That Emotion.”
“If a great writer is a poet, and a great poet is a genius, then Smokey Robinson is a miracle.” ~ Diana Ross
Tickets range from $49.50-$169.50 and are available for purchase online, by calling 888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722) or by visiting the NJPAC Box Office at 1 Center Street, Newark, New Jersey. VIP meet and greet packages available through Ticketmaster.com.
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, N.J., is America’s most diverse performing arts center, and the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey – where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state’s and the world’s best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, which have reached almost 2 million children, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted more than 10 million visitors since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.
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