Smokey Robinson Married His Second Wife, Frances Gladney, After Years of Friendship

Acclaimed songwriter and singer Smokey Robinson, real name William Robinson, Jr., has lived most of his life in front of the world. He began his music career at 15 as the lead singer of Smokey Robinson and The Miracles before embarking on his solo career and songwriting run.

Smokey's personal life also changed with his career, though he had managed to keep most of the details close to his chest. However, over the years, fans have asked about his personal life. So, is Smokey married? Here's what we found out!

Smokey is married to interior designer Frances Gladney. The couple met through a mutual friend group, and Smokey told Pittsburgh Quarterly that he didn't see Frances romantically at first due to him being 12 years older than her. However, he said they hit it off after realizing they had a few things in common, and he eventually made the first move by asking her for dinner.

"We share the same birthday, February 19th," he explained. "Then, one year, all of our friends got together and said, 'We’re going to take you both out for your birthday'...one of the items on the menu was coconut shrimp...and it turned out that I loved it. Frances loved it, too. A week or so later...Frances and I were on the phone laughing and talking...when I said, 'Hey, let’s go get some coconut shrimp.'"

"That was the beginning for us, and I tell her all the time, “You do realize that I married you because of coconut shrimp?"

Smokey and Frances married in 2002 and have been together ever since. During their marriage, they've gone into business together, including their skincare line, Skinphonic.

Frances is Smokey's second wife. Before they wed, he was married to Claudette Rogers Robinson for 27 years after meeting as teens in Detroit, Mich. Claudette was also a member of Smokey's group, The Miracles. Claudette is known as the First Lady of Motown, as the Miracles' success allowed Berry Gordy to create the renowned music company. The OG power couple divorced in 1986 following a period of personal turmoil in their marriage.

Smokey and Claudette's marriage ended due to his infidelity. According to Rock N Heavy, the "Tears of a Clown" artist fathered a child outside of their marriage with his mistress, a woman he named in his memoir, Smokey: Inside My Life, as "Kandi," forcing his wife of nearly 30 years to file for divorce. At the time, the couple already had two children: his oldest son, Berry Robinson, born in 1968, and his only daughter, Tamla Robinson, born in 1971. His third child, Trey, was born in 1984.

Although his extramarital affair and the birth of his third child resulted in his and Claudette's divorce, Smokey remained active in his children's lives. He and his daughter are especially close, as they worked on an initiative to create the holiday “Father Daughter Day” to celebrate the special relationship between a father and his daughter. And while Smokey's sons have remained out of the limelight, Tamla is pretty active on social media and posts updates of her with her dad or brothers.