One night, my baby and I were cookin’ – in the kitchen. A little wine, a lot of TGIF, and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles on the stereo. We were cruisin’. And then we wondered, mid-dance and giggling, what does Smokey Robinson get down to?
“I love all kinds of music,” laughed Robinson in Fort Worth last summer, Motown’s ultimate song snuggle. “I’ve got everyone from Nelly to Mantovani. You know what I mean? My wife’s from Pittsburgh, so we bought a house there a couple years ago, and she’s there now. Her daughters live in Pittsburgh. I talked to her today, and they’re getting all dolled up for a Maxwell show. That’s who they’re going to see tonight.
“I love Maxwell. I’m so sorry I’m not there [laughs]. She didn’t want to talk to me. ‘Baby, I’m getting ready.'”
Again Robinson bursts out laughing.
“I tell people all the time, speaking of Maxwell. They’re talking about, ‘Well, the artists today ….’ No.
“No, no, no. There’s some wonderful young artists out there now, wonderful, making some great music. See, but our world operates off the negative. Negative gets all of the attention. All they’re talking about is the war: How many people got killed. Even negative music gets attention: ‘Well, you know music these days is so terrible because the kids have taken over.’
“No! That’s one little portion of music. There’s a whole lot of wonderful young artists out there, Maxwell being one of them! I’m so sorry I’m not in Pittsburgh tonight [laughs]. I know once the music starts here tonight I’m going to have a ball. I’m going to love it!
“But I would love to be seeing him tonight, because I love Maxwell.”
This article appears in March 19 • 2010.
