The summer

concert series at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater is kicking off

with a bang this weekend as pop legend Smokey Robinson comes to town.

Robinson has

more than 4,000 songs credited to him, is in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of

Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame with his former group the Miracles

and also won a Grammy Legend award. Robinson was one of the biggest building

blocks for Motown Records in its early years and has wooed audiences with

hit songs in six decades.

William "Smokey"

Robinson was born in Detroit, Mich. in 1940. His love of music led him

to start performing with some friends in a group called The Miracles in

1958. Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records, loved their sound and signed

the group in 1960. The Miracles' first hit was "Shop Around"

in 1961, it reached number one on the R&B charts and number two on

the pop charts. The group followed that song up with more hits, including

"You Really Got A Hold On Me" and "Mickey's Monkey."

By 1967, the

group was called Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. They recorded some

of their biggest hits in the final four years as a group, including "The

Way You Do The Things You Do," "Tracks Of My Tears," "I

Second That Emotion" and their final number one hit, "Tears

Of A Clown."

The group parted

ways in 1971 having recorded over 24 Top 40 hits and in 1972, Robinson

embarked on a solo singing career.

During this

time, Robinson was also vice president of Motown Records, helping acts

like Mary Wells and The Temptations with some of their hit songs. Robinson

co-wrote and/or co-produced both "My Guy" and "My Girl."

In 1979, Robinson struck it big on the charts again with the song "Cruisin',"

which reached number four on both the pop and R&B charts.

In 1987, he

released the album "One Heartbeat," which included the Grammy

winning song "Just To See Her." That was the same year Robinson

was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Three years later, he

would be presented with the Grammy Legend Award.

In 1990, Robinson

left the Motown label, continuing to tour and record music. Nine years

later he returned to the empire he helped build and recorded the Grammy-nominated

album "Intimate," with executive producer Berry Gordy. Since

then, Robinson has toured on the strength of his most recent album. He

and The Miracles were also recently inducted into the Vocal Group Hall

of Fame.

Robinson will

bring his repertoire of hits and his soulful blend of rhythm and blues

songs to the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater this Friday and Saturday,

April 20 and 21. The show will start at 8 p.m. and tickets are $35. Call

770-631-0630.

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