Initial career and success The group that later became the Miracles was formed in 1955 by five teenage friends from
Detroit, Michigan, under the name the Five Chimes. Three of the founding members,
Smokey Robinson,
Warren "Pete" Moore, and
Ronnie White, had been singing together since they each were around the age of eleven. The group, influenced by acts such as
Billy Ward and His Dominoes and
Nolan Strong & the Diablos, featured Clarence Dawson and James Grice in the original lineup. All of the group's original members attended Northern High School in Detroit. After Dawson quit the group and Grice dropped out to get married, they were replaced by Emerson "Sonny" Rogers and his cousin
Bobby and changed their name to the Matadors. Coincidentally, both Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers were born in the same hospital on the same date (February 19, 1940), despite not actually meeting each other until they were fifteen. In 1957, Sonny Rogers left to join the
United States Army and
Claudette Rogers, his sister, who had been singing with the sister group the Matadorettes, joined them shortly afterwards, and in 1958, the group became the Miracles. Following two years of courtship, Smokey and Claudette married in November 1959. The group's extensive work with
Berry Gordy and
Tamla Records gave the parent label Motown Record Corporation its first million-selling hit record with the 1960
Grammy Hall of Fame smash, "
Shop Around", and further established themselves as one of Motown's top acts with the hit singles "
You've Really Got a Hold on Me", "
What's So Good About Goodbye", "
Way Over There", "
I'll Try Something New", "
Mickey's Monkey", "
Going to a Go-Go", "
(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need", "
The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage", "
If You Can Want", "
More Love", "
I Don't Blame You at All", "
Ooo Baby Baby", the multi-award-winning "
The Tracks of My Tears", "
My Girl Has Gone", "
Special Occasion", "
I Second That Emotion", "
Baby Baby Don't Cry", the number-one Pop smashes "
The Tears of a Clown" and "
Love Machine", "
Do It Baby", and "
That's What Love Is Made Of", among numerous other hits. The group auditioned for
Brunswick Records in front of Alonzo Tucker (an original member of
the Midnighters who had since left the group to join Jackie Wilson's management team), Nat Tarnopol (
Jackie Wilson's manager) and one of the label's staff songwriters,
Berry Gordy, who remained quiet during the audition. Tucker was unimpressed by the audition, stating that because there was
the Platters that "there couldn't be two groups in America like that with a woman in the group." After the Tarnopol and Tucker rejection, Gordy followed them and soon agreed to work with the group after discovering Robinson's notebook full of songs he had written and having been impressed with Robinson's singing voice. Gordy recorded their first single, "Got a Job", an answer song to
the Silhouettes' "
Get a Job" in January 1958. In 1960, the Miracles again reached the charts with "
Way Over There", their second national Pop hit, which Robinson wrote and based on
the Isley Brothers' "
Shout". Later that year, the Miracles released "
Shop Around", backed with "
Who's Lovin' You", which became the group's first smash hit, reaching No. 1 on the R&B charts, No. 2 on the
Billboard Hot 100, and No. 1 on the
Cash Box Magazine "Top 100" Pop Chart, and was the first Motown single to sell a million copies. Both sides of this record became classics, and standards for R&B and rock musicians alike for several decades afterwards. As a result of this success, the Miracles became the first Motown act to appear on
Dick Clark's "
American Bandstand" on December 27, 1960. The Miracles had modest success with their next few singles, including "Ain't It Baby", "Mighty Good Lovin'", "Brokenhearted" and "
Everybody's Gotta Pay Some Dues", as 1961 continued. During this early period, the group suffered some problems as Robinson caught
Asian Flu and had to be bedded for a month, leaving wife Claudette Robinson to lead the Miracles on tour until he recovered. Claudette herself had her share of problems, having suffered her first miscarriage that occurred after a car accident and Pete Moore was
drafted to serve in the United States Army. The group's next charted successes included "
What's So Good About Goodbye", and the string-laden "
I'll Try Something New". The Miracles have been awarded many top music industry honors over the years. In 1997, the group received the Pioneer Award at the
Rhythm and Blues Foundation for their musical achievements. Four years later, in 2001, they were inducted to the
Vocal Group Hall of Fame. In 2004, they were ranked No. 32 on the
Rolling Stone magazine's
list of The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, retaining that same position seven years later, in 2011. Four of their hit songs were inducted into the
Grammy Hall of Fame (The most of any Motown group). In 2009, the group received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame. Throughout their careers, the Miracles were also enshrined with honors for their songwriting by both
BMI and
ASCAP. In 2008,
Billboard listed them at No. 61 on their 100 most successful Billboard artists ever list.
"The Showstoppers" (L-to-R) Pete Moore, Bobby Rogers, Ronnie White, and Smokey Robinson The group reached the Top 10 again with "
You've Really Got a Hold on Me" (another
Grammy Hall of Fame-inducted hit) in 1962, featuring lead vocals by Smokey Robinson and
Bobby Rogers. (This song actually began life as the "B" side to the group's
intended "A" side, "
Happy Landing", but the nation's Dee Jays flipped the song over, because they liked "Hold on Me" better). The Miracles hit the Top 10 still a third time the following year with the exciting
Holland-Dozier-Holland-written-and-produced song "
Mickey's Monkey". The group's exciting live performances were so well received, they were often referred to as "The Showstoppers". The Miracles' success paved the way for all future Motown stars, and, as Motown's first group, they would serve as the prototype for all other Motown groups to follow. The Miracles had become a national sensation, and their success catapulted them to the position of Motown's top-selling act, making them headliners at the nationwide
Motortown Revue package touring shows, which showcased Motown artists, and that started around late 1962. The Miracles were also the first Motown act to receive coaching and instruction from famed choreographer
Cholly Atkins, who had previously worked with
Little Anthony & the Imperials,
the Cadillacs, and future Motown act
Gladys Knight & the Pips. (Bobby Rogers, the Miracles' best dancer, did choreography for the group prior to Atkins' arrival). Through his association with the Miracles, Atkins came into Motown at their insistence, and soon became the official in-house choreographer for
all of the company's acts, including
the Temptations,
the Marvelettes,
the Four Tops,
the Contours,
Martha & the Vandellas, and
the Supremes.
Songwriting In addition to penning their own material, Miracles Robinson, White, Rogers, Tarplin, and Moore wrote for many of their labelmates as well. Motown hits written, but not recorded, by members of the Miracles include songs for the Temptations ("
The Way You Do The Things You Do", "
My Girl", "
Don't Look Back", "
Since I Lost My Baby", "
It's Growing", "
Get Ready", "
My Baby"), Mary Wells ("
My Guy", "
The One Who Really Loves You", "
What Love Has Joined Together", "
Two Lovers"), Marvin Gaye ("
I'll Be Doggone", "
Ain't That Peculiar", "
One More Heartache"), the Marvelettes ("
Don't Mess With Bill", "
My Baby Must Be a Magician", "
The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game"), The Contours ("
First I Look at the Purse"), and Brenda Holloway ("
When I'm Gone"). Unlike other Motown artists, whose songs were written for them by staff songwriters, the Miracles were one of the few Motown acts that composed their own songs, adding to the group's already impressive reputation. Around 1964, Smokey Robinson became Motown's vice president, while the other members of the Miracles also began to work staff jobs with the company. Smokey and Claudette Robinson made plans to begin a family, but the rough life of touring caused Claudette to have several miscarriages. In early 1964, Claudette decided to retire from the road and remain at home in Detroit after another miscarriage, her sixth. From this point on, Claudette did not tour with the Miracles or appear in any official group photographs or on television, although she remained as a non-touring member of the Miracles, and continued to sing backup with the group in the studio until 1972. After Claudette Robinson's departure, the remaining Miracles appeared on
the T.A.M.I. Show, a landmark 1964 concert film released by
American International Pictures that included performances by numerous popular
rock and roll and
R&B musicians from the United States and England, filmed and recorded live at the
Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on October 28 and 29, 1964. This film had theatrical release in theatres across the United States, and also included performances by fellow Motown artists
the Supremes and
Marvin Gaye, along with
Chuck Berry,
Lesley Gore,
the Beach Boys,
the Rolling Stones, and
James Brown and
the Famous Flames. The Miracles' performance was one of the show's highlights, called "athletically electrifying" by critics. Miracles chart hit singles that year included "
That's What Love Is Made Of" and "
I Like It Like That". In early 1965, the group released Motown Records' first double album,
The Miracles Greatest Hits from the Beginning, which was a success on ''Billboard's
Pop and R&B Album Charts. Also in 1965, the Miracles released their landmark Top 10 album, Going to a Go-Go, under the new group name of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
. This album launched four Top 20 singles into the Billboard
Hot 100, including the landmark million-selling Grammy Hall of Fame'' single, "
The Tracks of My Tears", "
Ooo Baby Baby", "
Going to a Go-Go" and "
My Girl Has Gone", all of which became Top 10 R&B hit singles as well. During this period, their music had also made its way abroad, influencing several British groups along the way. The effects of this influence soon became even more pronounced when
the Beatles,
the Hollies,
the Zombies,
the Who, and
the Rolling Stones all began recording covers of Miracles hits. Members of the Beatles, in particular, publicly stated that the music of the Miracles had greatly influenced their own. The year 1968 brought a second "greatest hits" collection,
The Miracles Greatest Hits, Vol. 2, which was the group's second Top 10 album, which featured the most popular singles from their successful
Going to a Go-Go,
Away We A Go-Go and
Make It Happen albums of the 1965–67 period. Also in 1968, the group released their hit album
Special Occasion which spawned three Top 40 singles, including the smash "
If You Can Want", which the group performed on their first appearance on
CBS'
The Ed Sullivan Show, at the time considered television's top talent and entertainment showcase. '', a 1970 ABC Television special. (L-to-R)
Bobby Rogers,
Smokey Robinson,
Ronnie White.(
Pete Moore was sidelined with a leg injury) However, due to constant changes in the music industry and Motown, by 1969, Smokey Robinson sought to leave the Miracles and the stage, to settle for continued work as Motown's vice president as well as become more of a family man to his wife Claudette and their children. The year 1969 had brought a second
Ed Sullivan Show appearance for the group, singing their then-current singles "
Doggone Right", and their hit cover of
Dion's "
Abraham, Martin and John". Robinson's departure plans however, were thwarted after the group's 1969 song "
Baby Baby Don't Cry" hit the
Billboard Pop Top 10, and when the Miracles' 1967 song, "
The Tears of a Clown",(their
fourth Grammy Hall of Fame-inducted hit) was released as a single in 1970, it became a number-one hit in the UK. It was subsequently released in the U.S., where it duplicated its UK success, reaching No. 1 on the
Billboard
Hot 100 Pop Chart and selling over 3 million copies. As a result, the Miracles became hotter than ever, and Robinson decided to stay with the group for another two years. In 1970, the group were given their own
ABC television special,
The Smokey Robinson Show, which starred the Miracles, with guest stars
the Supremes,
the Temptations,
Stevie Wonder, and
Fran Jeffries. In 1971, they scored one more Top 20 hit with 1971's "
I Don't Blame You at All". In 1972, Robinson made good on his promise to leave the Miracles, starting a six-month tour which ended in July 1972 at Washington, D.C., later introducing
Billy Griffin as his official replacement. This series of final live Miracles concerts with Robinson was released by Motown on the double album
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: 1957–1972 (Tamla TS320). About that final tour, Miracle Pete Moore stated: "We had 12 farewell engagements playing to sold-out houses. It was amazing." Also released that year was the group's last studio album with Smokey,
Flying High Together, with its lead single "
We've Come Too Far to End It Now" reaching the
Billboard R&B Top 10 (their 23rd visit to the Top 10 of that chart). After Smokey's retirement, Billy Griffin was introduced to national television audiences on
NBC's
The Midnight Special, on an episode guest-starring the Miracles and hosted by Smokey Robinson, broadcast on July 13, 1973. Within a year afterwards, Marv Tarplin also decided to leave the group and continued working with Robinson on his solo material, while Claudette, who had essentially retired from the Miracles' live performances in 1963, permanently left the Miracles when her husband Smokey did, retiring from recording with them as well.
Later career In 1973, the Miracles, with Griffin, re-emerged with the critically acclaimed album,
Renaissance – their first without Smokey Robinson on lead vocals, which included the
Marvin Gaye composition, "I Love You Secretly", "
What Is a Heart Good For" (the intended first single), and the charting single,"Don't Let It End (Til You Let It Begin)". The following year, in 1974, after releasing the much-covered single "
Give Me Just Another Day", the group had their first Top 20 hit in three years with the million-selling
funk song, "
Do It Baby". This was followed by the Top 10 R&B hit, "Don't-Cha Love It". Late that following year, the group recorded the
disco smash, "
Love Machine", which came off their self-written-and-produced hit album,
City of Angels. "Love Machine" reached number-one on the Hot 100 in early 1976, the Miracles' first since "Tears of a Clown", and later sold over 4.5 million copies. The Miracles, who had long been written off by the music industry, had proven that they could have big hits
without Robinson. Despite this success, however, in 1976, the Miracles' relationship with Motown imploded during contract renewals after their contract with the label had expired. When Motown, then going through a contract issue with
Stevie Wonder, advised the group to wait "six months" to discuss a new contract, the group took on an offer to sign with
Columbia Records, signing with them in 1977. By this point, Billy Griffin's brother Donald, who had begun providing guitar on Miracles studio recordings shortly after Marv Tarplin's departure, had officially joined the group on lead guitar. The group immediately had problems after signing with Columbia, starting with the release of their first Columbia single, "Spy For Brotherhood". Expecting controversy from the single as well as possible threats from the
FBI, Columbia pulled the song from the airwaves. The group failed to have a hit during their short Columbia run and in 1978, Pete Moore decided to retire from the road while Billy Griffin wanted to return to his solo career, leading the group to disband. In 1980, Ronnie White and Bobby Rogers decided to carry on with the Miracles as a touring unit replacing Pete Moore and Billy Griffin with Dave Finley and Carl Cotton, which carried on for three years as "The New Miracles". This version of the Miracles was short-lived though after White decided to retire from show business following the death of his wife Earlyn, who died from breast cancer in 1983, disbanding the group again. Around this same time, most of the original Miracles including Smokey Robinson and Claudette Robinson as well as Pete Moore, Marv Tarplin, and Bobby Rogers reunited to perform a medley of their songs on the 1983
NBC television special,
Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. Ron White was attending his wife Earlyn's funeral around this time, and did not participate in the reunion. Following his exit from the Miracles, Smokey Robinson enjoyed a successful solo career; in 1979, he and Tarplin co-wrote his
signature hit, "
Cruisin'". Following his reunion with the original Miracles on
Motown 25, Robinson became
dependent on cocaine, which affected his life and career. He broke the addiction in the late 1980s and revived his singing career, with the Grammy-winning Top 10 hit single, "
Just to See Her". In 1986, Smokey's marriage with Claudette Robinson ended in divorce while Bobby's marriage to
Marvelettes member
Wanda Young ended in 1975. After the release of a 35th anniversary commemorative
compilation album in 1993, Ronnie White and Bobby Rogers decided to regroup the Miracles yet again, with Dave Finley returning to the fold and
Sidney Justin, a former NFL player and former member of
Shalamar, as lead singer. Rogers replaced Justin with
Mark Scott, who toured the world as lead singer of the group. Both Justin and Scott lead separate Miracles groups. Two years later, Ronnie White died from a longtime bout with
leukemia, leaving the remaining Miracles as a trio until Tee Turner joined the group in 2001. Following White's death in 1995, Rogers continued to tour with different members. In 2009, the group received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame with Bobby Rogers, Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Pete Moore, Claudette Robinson, and Billy Griffin in attendance. Following another PBS appearance, Rogers was forced into retirement due to health issues, dying less than two years later. Former members Carl Cotton, Marv Tarplin and Donald Griffin are also deceased (in 2003, 2011, and 2015 respectively). == Accolades, awards and honors ==