Smokey Robinson

William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief songwriter and producer. He led the group from its 1955 origins, when they were called The Five Chimes, until 1972, when he retired from the group to focus on his role as Motown Records vice president. Robinson returned to the music industry as a solo artist the following year. He left Motown in 1999.

19 February 1940

Born on the same birth date (19 February 1940): Bobby Rogers • Saparmurat Niyazov

Born on the same birth day (19 February): Andrew Ross Sorkin • Barry Lloyd • Cyrus Chothia • Dave Stewart (baseball) • Doug Aldrich • Froben Christoph of Zimmern • Harriet Bosse • Hovhannes Tumanyan • Jean-Antoine de Baïf • Johan Pitka • Kosta Perović • Leslie David Baker • Mabel (singer) • Reynhard Sinaga • Steve Cherundolo • Władysław Bartoszewski • Álvaro Obregón

Born in the same month (February 1940): Gene Pitney • George A. Romero • Hamzah Haz • John Lewis • Kenny Rankin • Luke Graham (wrestler) • Mary Rand • Peter Gethin • Petr Hájek • Pierre Duchesne • Sophie Kanza • Ted Koppel • Thomas M. Disch • Vicente Fernández • İsmail Cem