Smokey Robinson Bares His Soul in Gospel Foray

04/28/2004 7:05 AM, Reuters
Dean Goodman

"Are you a believer? ... Do you believe in God, at all? ... Do you think you're just flesh and blood, and that's it?"

No, it's not a missionary dropping in at dinner time. It's an enthusiastic pitchman named William Robinson Jr. He is known best as soul music icon Smokey Robinson , one of Motown's foremost figures who co-wrote such hit tunes as "Shop Around," "You Beat Me to the Punch," "My Girl" and "The Tears of a Clown."

Bob Dylan once said Robinson was "America's greatest living poet."

In a 45-year career, Robinson's name has ended up on more than 4,000 songs. His mailbox overflows with royalty checks, some for songs he has forgotten about. But he sees himself as merely the conduit and his songs "gifts from God."

Which brings us to the opening salvo, as he attempts to bring God into the life of an interviewer. For Robinson, 64, is on the campaign trail for his first album of religious music.

"Food for the Spirit" features nine self-penned inspirational tunes, such as the unambiguous "Standing on Jesus" and "I Praise & Worship You Father," all sung with the mellifluous high vocals that catapulted Robinson to fame in the 1960s as frontman with the Miracles. It was released on April 20 via Minneapolis-based indie label Liquid 8 Records.

Even when he speaks, he might as well be back on stage, such is the hypnotic rhythm and soothing melody of his voice. His enthusiasm is so infectious that Satan himself might be persuaded to change teams. His green eyes twinkling, Robinson shares his faith with church groups, students, prisoners, rehab patients, gangsters -- and the occasional reprobate journalist.

"NOT RELIGIOUS"

"I'm not a religious man," Robinson said at the outset of a recent interview. "But I have a great relationship with God."

As he became a multifaceted superstar in the 1960s, rising to become Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr.'s second-in-command, Robinson insists he never swerved from his faith or let fame go to his head.

Even with all those screaming women in the audience?

"That still happens," he interrupted, more matter-of-factly than immodestly. "Everywhere I go. But that doesn't let me think, 'OK, this is Smokey Robinson and I am hot stuff."'

Robinson's world did collapse in the mid-1980s when he became a cocaine addict and his 27-year marriage to Claudette, his high-school sweetheart and former Miracle, broke up. But somebody was evidently looking out for him. He said a preacher ultimately drove out his demons, and he has been clean ever since. He also recently remarried.

These days, his only vice is golf. He plays whenever he can, and collects golf memorabilia like old books and clubs.

He started writing the songs on "Food for the Spirit" about the time of his meltdown. His original plan was to pitch them to friends in the gospel community like Yolanda Adams , Kirk Franklin and Donnie McClurkin.

"I kept stockpiling them, and the Lord impressed upon me just to sing them myself and let it be known," he said. "Had I not come out with an inspirational CD, you perhaps would have never known that I feel like I feel, that all songs, all the music I've ever done is a gift from God."

IN ELVIS' STEPS

Plenty of secular artists have crossed over. Notably Elvis Presley , a walking encyclopedia on church music, won his three Grammys for gospel recordings. Bob Dylan's first solo Grammy was for a gospel song. But for all his success, Robinson has just one competitive Grammy to his name, for the 1987 track "Just to See Her."

While many gospel songs threaten hellfire and damnation, Robinson doesn't want to frighten people.

His positive outlook comes through on the track "Jesus Told Me To Love You," whose love-thy-enemy theme is central to Robinson's expression of faith.

"I love the guys in the Ku Klux Klan as one of my human brothers," he said. "But I don't have to like them ... If one of them was in a burning lake, or something like that, and I was there and I had the chance to save them, I would."

But don't start calling him a saint.

"I'm just a follower of Jesus. And a real follower of Jesus would do that."