One of the contributing celebrities is the legendary Smokey Robinson, whose recollections start in the late 1950s.
“When we went for an audition for Motown, we were calling ourselves the Matadors,” said Robinson. “We were just singing locally then and it didn’t look like we were going to get a break.
“At that time there were a lot of groups in Detroit. Claudette sang in a sister group called the Matadorettes. We used to rehearse at her house and she knew our songs. So we called her and said, ‘Will you do this with us?’ Berry liked two of our songs and he liked Claudette.”
He continued, “We had to change our name to one that fit guys with a girl, so we put a bunch of names into a hat. I happened to put in ‘the Miracles.’ We shook the hat up, pulled out a name and it was the Miracles.
“The reason that Motown only happened in Detroit? I have a belief. I believe that in every city, ratio-wise, there is the same amount of talent that was in Detroit. Our edge, the reason that we became what we became, was because we had Berry Gordy. He had a dream. His dream made so many dreams come true.”
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