A Celebration Of Smokey

Last fall Motown legend Smokey Robinson joined an esteemed group of songwriters, including Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Billy Joel, when he was awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.  The all-star ceremony, hosted by Samuel L. Jackson, can be seen Friday at 9 p.m. on WVIZ-PBS.

Robinson, born in Detroit in 1940, told ideastream’s Dee Perry in 2011 that his neighborhood was filled with musicians.

“Diana Ross grew up four doors down from me. Aretha Franklin lived right around the corner.  There was a guy I sang with in the Miracles named Pete-The Four Tops grew up next door to him,” Robinson said.

To hear more of their conversation, including Robinson talking about the importance of the studio musicians known as the Funk Brothers, listen to Hear and Now featuring the Sound of Applause, Thursday, February 9 at 1:50 p.m.