Getty Images; Courtesy of Tamla Robinson/Instagram
Motown Singer Smokey Robinson Is a Proud Father of 3! Meet His Kids and Blended Family
Motown became widely successful in the late ‘50s thanks to Smokey Robinson and his good friend Berry Gordy. Their friendship has spanned more than six decades and left a lasting impact on the music industry. The father of three even named two of his children after the record label and his longtime pal. Scroll below to get to know Smokey’s kids.
Who Is Smokey’s Son Berry Robinson?
Smokey, who has always been known for his incredible songwriting, founded the Miracles, the first of many successful acts that signed with Tamla Records. Berry believed in the Michigan native from the very beginning and encouraged him to go on and write hits for other talented artists like the Temptations and Marvin Gaye. The label later became known as Motown and led to the discovery of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and many more.
Often crediting Gordy for his successful career, Smokey paid him the ultimate honor by naming his firstborn son after him. Berry Robinson was born in 1968 to the “Being With You” singer and his then-wife, Claudette Rogers. The couple got married in 1959 after performing together in the Miracles.
Though Berry has stayed out of the public eye for most of his life, he did pose for a photo with his father and younger sister in December 2018. “Daddy stopped by today,” she captioned the post. Berry also has his own private Instagram account and is a father of twins, a boy and girl. Over the years, he has shared some photos of his two kids on Facebook including a sweet snap with Smokey in May 2013 at a soccer game.
Who Is Smokey’s Daughter Tamla Robinson?
Tamla Robinson, born in 1971, was named after Motown’s original moniker, Tamla Records. Gordy was named her godfather after she was born. Tamla has always kept a close relationship with her father, older brother and the Gordy family. She often posts photos with her famous family on Instagram.
In October 2019, Smokey and Tamla appeared in a campaign together to announce the launch of Father-Daughter Day, a new holiday to help celebrate the special bonds that fathers make with their daughters.
“My dad and I, we’re best friends. We’ve always been like best friends,” she said in the video. “I’m grateful that I have him to call whenever there’s something going on in my life. And I think it just made me feel more confident knowing that someone like my father accepted me for who I am.”
Tamla is a mom to daughter Lyric, whom she shares a very close-knit bond with. In May 2019, Smokey and Tamla were there to celebrate Lyric’s graduation from the University of Southern California, which was documented in several beautiful Instagram photos.
Who Is Smokey’s Youngest Son Trey Robinson?
In 1989, the Grammy winner told the story of his life in Smokey: Inside My Life. In the book, he revealed that he fathered a third child named Trey Robinson in 1984 out of wedlock. As a result, his marriage to Claudette ended in 1986 after 27 years together.
In an April 1989 interview with People, Smokey shared that he often made trips to see all three of his children regularly. And though his marriage to the singer did not work out, he was still grateful that she kept a cordial relationship with Trey’s biological mother, whom he referred to as “Kandi,” in the book.
“Most wives wouldn’t want anything to do with [Kandi], but I’m telling you, Claudette is a rare sort of beautiful person,” he said. “I think this is the best period ever for me. For the first time in a long while, I have good relationships with all the people in my life.”
Trey has chosen to live his life out of the spotlight and not much is known about his personal life.
