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Smokey Robinson is known as the King of Motown, but who is his queen? Smokey Joe shot up to celebrity status after he formed the group The Miracles, which is best known for its hits “The Tracks of My Tears,” “Shop Around,” “I Second That Emotion,” “Baby Baby Don’t Cry,” and “Tears of a Clown.”
Since leaving The Miracles in 1972, Smokey has thrived as both a solo artist and music executive, writing hits for icons like Mary Wells and The Temptations. Through the decades, he’s had times when a woman stood beside him, and others when he navigated his legendary career solo. From his first marriage to Claudette Rogers to his admitted affair with Diana Ross, Smokey’s relationships have been as notable as his music career.
In 2023, Smokey joined fellow legends Stevie Wonder and Chris Stapleton for a special performance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, where he walked the red carpet with his current wife, Frances Glandney—he in a bold turquoise tuxedo, and she stunning in a sparkling suit.
Here’s everything to know about Smokey’s current wife, his past relationships, and his love life over the years.
Claudette Rogers Robinson
Claudette Rogers Robinson had a name for herself aside from being Smokey’s wife. She was a member of the music group The Miracles along with her husband. In fact, she even has her own title as The First Lady of Motown. Both a singer and songwriter, she first got her start in a group called The Matadorettes while her brother Sonny Rogers was in a band called The Matadors. When he left the group to serve in he military she took his place and the group became The Miracles– that’s how she met Smokey.
Claudette and Smokey tied the knot in 1959 and had two kids together. Their first child, Berry Robinson, named after Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, was born in 1968. His younger sister Tamla Robinson was born a year later in 1969.
The two had plenty of ups and downs in their marriage. In 2023, Smokey admitted to having an affair with Diana Ross while married to Claudette. “We were working together and it just happened. But it was beautiful. She’s a beautiful lady, and I love her right till today,” he confessed to The Guardian in an interview published on April 27, 2023. He added that the affair lasted one year. “She’s one of my closest people,” the “Cruisin’” hitmaker continued about Diana. “She was young and trying to get her career together. I was trying to help her. I brought her to Motown, in fact. I wasn’t going after her and she wasn’t going after me. It just happened.”
He said Diana ended their affair because she knew it wasn’t right. “After we’d been seeing each other for a while, Diana said to me she couldn’t do that because she knew Claudette, and she knew I still loved my wife,” the music icon remembered. “And I did. I loved my wife very much.”
It’s not clear what year Smokey and Diana had their affair, but his ex-wife, Claudette, first caught him cheating in 1974. They separated that year, and the time apart inspired his song, “The Agony & The Ecstasy.” He cheated on her again, which resulted in getting another woman pregnant and the birth of his son, Trey, in 1984. That was the final straw for their relationship, and he filed for separation — they later divorced in 1986.
Frances Glandney
Frances may not be a Motown legend, but she has certainly made her own mark on the world. The 73-year-old is a successful interior designer but prefers to stay out of the limelight. She also launched a skincare line with Smokey in collaboration with Skinphonic. Their collections are called The Get Ready and My Girl, named after his songs for The Temptations, and were specifically made for people of color.
Frances and Smokey dated for a while before they decided to tie the knot in May 2002. They have been married for 23 years and seem to still be going strong as life partners and business partners. The two currently reside together in their home in Pittsburgh.
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