SOUL MAN The legendary Smokey Robinson brings Christmas center stage
There’s another kind of Miracle on 34th Street as SMOKEY ROBINSON joins the Parade
By DIANE HERBST
S MOKEY Robinson, the legendary singer, tunesmith, record producer and writer of such classics as “My Girl,” “Tears of A Clown,” and so many more, is bringing his soulful voice to the streets of Manhattan.
Robinson, now 77, has just released his first solo Christmas album, consisting of seven holiday favorites and three originals, including the title track “Christmas Everyday,” which he’ll be singing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
“I didn’t want it to be a traditional Christmas album,” says Robinson. “I wanted it to be ear-catching. Something different. So people would say, ‘Oh, that song?’”
Robinson has worked on Christmas albums in the past, but he chose to pursue this one thanks to Amazon, who approached him with the idea.
“I had never done one as a solo artist and they presented the proposition to me,” he says, “and I thought it was a great idea.”
These days, Robinson says he is “most thankful for life itself.”
“Just to be here and just to be healthy and feel good and be strong, I thank God every day for that,” he says. “It’s a job, you have to work on that. You can’t automatically be like when you were when you were 19 and 20.”
Robinson maintains his health in part with a vegan diet adopted 26 months ago. He hasn’t had red meat since 1972. “I started for health reasons,” he says of giving up all animal products. “It’s been great for me as far as my system and how I feel and all those things.”
At Thanksgiving — to be celebrated after the Parade this year with his wife Frances’ family in Pittsburgh — Robinson still enjoys the holiday favorites, such as stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans and candied yams.
“All the other stuff except for the turkey,” he says. “Thanksgiving is an eating day. It’s just being with family and eating.”
While there may be music at the Robinson family Thanksgiving, the Motown legend doesn’t have an ideal Thanksgiving soundtrack.
“I love music. I might be listening to Bach or Beethoven, something soothing all day long, or I might be listening to Muddy Waters,” he says. “Whoever I feel like listening to at that time. There’s no pattern for me.”
Growing up in Detroit, Thanksgiving for Robinson was always a celebration of connection with family and, of course, good food, despite, he says, growing up poor “in the hood.”
“We went into each other’s homes and ate and had a good festive time,” he says. “I was always blessed enough with being able to eat.”