Happy Birthday Smokey Robinson (February 19)!

The man Bob Dylan once called one of America's greatest poets began mastering his trade inauspiciously, writing poems at Detroit's Dwyer Elementary while avidly listening to soul and classic popular music.  He continued honing his writing skills in high school and formed a local singing group called the Matadors.  But it was his chance meeting with fellow Detroiter Berry Gordy that changed Smokey's life.  Gordy signed the Matadors (then called the Miracles) and mentored Smokey on songwriting skills, helping the young protege turn clever but disjointed rhymes into three minute short stories.  The result was the best songwriter in America during the early 60s, churning out classic cuts for the Miracles, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye and others.  While his songwriting star at Motown would later be eclipsed by Holland-Dozier-Holland, it is amazing to see Robinson's output between 1962-66.  During that time he penned songs like "My Girl," "Ooh Baby Baby," "The Way You Do The Things You Do," "My Guy," "It's Growing" and dozens of other soul classics.