Smokey Robinson

Many of Robinson's famous were first recorded by his group The Miracles, which became a featured act for Motown, but had an inauspicious start: When they played the Apollo theater in the '50s, Robinson says they were so bad the owner asked for his money back.

Robinson married the female member of The Miracles, Claudette Rogers, in 1957. They were married until 1986; when they split, legal entanglements ensued over Claudette's rights to Robinson's royalties - she left The Miracles in 1964 to raise their two children.

Smokey named his first two children Berry and Tamla after Motown head Berry Gordy and one of his record labels, Tamla.