The Miracles

The Miracles is an American R&B/soul group from Detroit, Michigan, notable as the first succesful group act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records. The Miracles went on to become one of Motown's signature acts of the 1960s, during which time their original lead singer and founding member Smokey Robinson became one of the most successful songwriters and record producers of all time.

History

Early years

The Miracles began with two young Detroit students, William Robinson and Ronald White, who had become friends and started singing together while in the fifth grade. Robinson, nicknamed "Smokey" because of his love of cowboy movies, started a doo-wop group called The Five Chimes in 1955 at Northern High School with himself, White, bass singer Pete Moore, Clarence Dawson, and James Grice. Within a half a year, Dawson and Grice had been replaced by cousins Emerson and Bobby Rogers, and the group's name had been changed to The Matadors. Emerson Rogers was drafted in 1956, and replaced by his sister Claudette Rogers. In 1960, the group added guitarist Marv Tarplin, who had originally been the accompanist for The Primettes (later known as The Supremes).

Related Topics:
William Robinson - Ronald White - Cowboy - Doo-wop - 1955 - Bass - Pete Moore - Bobby Rogers - Drafted - 1956 - Claudette Rogers - 1960 - Guitarist - The Supremes

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In 1958, local songwriter Berry Gordy and colleague Tyrone Carlo (cousin of Jackie Wilson) wrote a song called "Got a Job" as an answer song to The Silhouettes' hit single "Get A Job". Gordy, an admirer of the Matadors, took the song to the group, and got them a deal with End Records. At this time, they changed their named to The Miracles (as "Matadors" had a masculine sound to it, and the group now included a girl). Gordy became the group's main outside collaborator, and he and Robinson wrote another Miracles single, "Bad Girl". Issued on Chess Records, "Bad Girl" became the group's first charting single, peaking at #93. After a suggestion from Robinson, Gordy founded Tamla Records (later Motown) in 1959, and signed The Miracles as one of his first acts. By 1961, Robinson would be appointed vice-president of the corporation.

Related Topics:
1958 - Berry Gordy - Jackie Wilson - Answer song - The Silhouettes - End Records - Chess Records - Motown - 1959 - 1961

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Motown success years

After three unsuccessful singles, The Miracles' fourth Tamla single, "Shop Around" (1960), became their first Motown hit, and was the first Motown song to reach #1 on the R&B charts. Its b-side, "Who's Lovin' You", "You Really Got a Hold on Me" (1962), "Mickey's Monkey" (1963), "Going To A Go-Go" (1965), "The Tracks Of My Tears" (1965), and their signature song, "Ooo Baby Baby" (1965). During this period, The Miracles were the most popular group on the label, and as its lead singer, Smokey Robinson became a popular teen idol. Behind the scenes, Robinson handled most of the songwriting and production for not only the Miracles, but for most of the acts on Motown during this early period. During the first half of the 1960s, Robinson tutored both The Supremes and The Temptations, and he and various members of the Miracles penned hits for the Temptations ("The Way You Do The Things You Do", "My Girl", and "Since I Lost My Baby", among several others), Mary Wells ("My Guy", 1964), and Brenda Holloway ("When I'm Gone", 1965).

Related Topics:
Shop Around - 1960 - B-side - Who's Lovin' You - You Really Got a Hold on Me - 1962 - 1963 - 1965 - The Tracks Of My Tears - Ooo Baby Baby - Teen idol - 1960s - The Temptations - The Way You Do The Things You Do - My Girl - Since I Lost My Baby - Mary Wells - My Guy - Brenda Holloway

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Smokey Robinson and Claudette Rogers were married in 1959, and made plans to begin a family. The rough life of touring caused Claudette to have several miscarriages, and she decided to retire from the road and remain at home in Detroit. From this point on, Claudette did not tour with the Miracles or appear in any offical group photographs or on television, although she continued to sing backup wit hthe group in the studio until 1972. Acknowledging Smokey Robinson's prescence upfront, the Miracles changed their name to Smokey Robinson & the Miracles with the release of the Going to a Go-Go album in 1965, although their singles continued to be credited to "The Miracles" until the release of "The Love I Saw in You was Just a Mirage" in 1967.

Related Topics:
1959 - Miscarriage - 1972 - 1965 - 1967

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After scoring a few more major hits such as "I Second That Emotion" (1967), The Miracles' career began faltered somewhat during the late 1960s. Constantly away from home and his family, Smokey Robinson began planning to leave the group for a solo career, which would allow him more time to remain at home more often and concentrate on his role as vice-president of Motown. Robinson told White, Moore, and Rogers of his intentions in 1969, but Robinson decided to stay for three more years when the group's 1970 single "The Tears of a Clown" became the group's biggest hit to date. "The Tears of a Clown" had in fact been recorded in 1966, and became the group's first US #1 hit (and their only #1 hit with Smokey Robinson) after becoming a hit in the United Kingdom.

Related Topics:
I Second That Emotion - 1960s - 1969 - 1970 - The Tears of a Clown - 1966 - United Kingdom

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Exit Smokey Robinson, enter Billy Griffin

In 1972, Robinson decided that he would indeed leave the Miracles, and the group began a six-month farewell tour of the United States. Robinon's final performance as a Miracle was on July 16, 1972 at the Carter Barron Amphitheater in Washington, DC. For this performance, Claudette Robinson rejoined the group onstage for the first time in eight years. At the conclusion of the concert, which Motown later released as a live album entitled 1957–1972, Robinson introduced the group's new lead singer, Billy Griffin.

Related Topics:
1972 - July 16 - Washington, DC

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The Miracles continued, scoring two more Top 40 hits: 1973's #13 hit "Do It Baby", and 1976's #1 hit "Love Machine (Part 1)", the biggest hit of the group's existence. However, the group's other releases failed to match the success of "Love Machine", and The Miracles never managed to regain their former fame. In 1977, they left Motown for Columbia Records, where their releases failed to make an impact.

Related Topics:
1973 - 1976 - Love Machine (Part 1) - 1977 - Columbia Records

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Later years

In 1978, Billy Griffin and Pete Moore retired from performing to concentrate on songwriting, and Billy Griffin and Bobby Rogers recruited new member Dave Finley. After reuniting with Smokey Robinson on the Motown 25 television special in 1983, the Miracles essentially disbanded and did not perform.

Related Topics:
1978 - Motown 25 - 1983

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Motown held a 35th anniversary retrospective for them in 1993, and Ronnie White and Bobby Rogers decided to reunite the Miracles. The two of them and Dave Finley recruited Sidney Justin (formerly of Shalamar) as the new fourth member, and began making personal appearances and touring. White, the last remaining founding member of the group, died of leukemia in 1995, and the other three members carried on as a trio for some time.

Related Topics:
1993 - Shalamar - Leukemia - 1995

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Today, the Miracles are comrpised of Bobby Rogers (the only member from the group's classic Motown era), Dave Finley, Tee Turner, and new lead singer Mark Scott. The group continues to tour and perform, and in 2001, were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Related Topics:
2001 - Vocal Group Hall of Fame

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