In 2006, five individuals were honored as American icons at Washington, D.C.’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Kennedy center, arguably our country’s most prestigious stage, doesn’t hand out its awards lightly. Being recognized there is comparable to receiving a knighthood in England. Past honorees include Leonard Bernstein, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope and Luciano Pavarotti. And the five in 2006? Dolly Parton, Zubin Mehta, Steven Spielberg, Andrew Lloyd Webber…
…And Smokey Robinson.

Well, Washington, D.C. has nothing on us. We have a prestigious performing arts center too, the Britt Pavilion, right here in Jacksonville. And on Saturday, September 17, that stage will host (applause please)…

…Smokey Robinson. The same Smokey Robinson. We couldn’t be more excited.

Smokey (his first name is William, but he hasn’t used it since he was a kid) was born in Detroit where, just after high school, he met a guy named Barry Gordy. Within a couple of years the two had started a little project that changed the course of American music. They called it “Motown Records.” Barry ran the place; Smokey wrote, sang and produced the songs. And what songs! Over 4000 of them have fallen from Robinson’s pen, including “The Tracks of My Tears,” “I Second That Emotion,” “The Tears of a Clown,” “My Guy,” “Shop Around” and “The Way You Do the Things You Do.” The list grows as wide as it is long when you consider the performers who’ve covered the tunes. The Beatles scored an early hit with Smokey’s “You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me.” And the other “cover artists” are no slouches either: Diana Ross, Petula Clark, Phil Collins, The Jackson Five, Linda Ronstadt, Rod Stewart, Gladys Knight, Michael McDonald, UB40 , Boyz II Men…. Consider the miracle of “My Girl.” Since Robinson wrote this anthem of romance for The Temptations, it’s been recorded by Dolly Parton, Michael Bolton, La Toya Jackson, Otis Redding, The Rolling Stones…and on into infinity. We’d venture to guess that even you’ve sung it (if only in the shower). Who among us can resist his memorable lyrics, “I’ve got sunshine, on a cloudy day…” Yes, Smokey, you do, and we thank you for sharing those rays with us.
And don’t forget, it was Robinson who sang many of these songs first, so as the melodies sing softly through the canyons of your mind, that velvety (smokey?) tenor tone you “hear” is, most likely, that of the man himself. The one coming soon to this very stage near you!

Okay. That’s the good news. Here’s the flip side:

When the echo of this September 17 show settles into madrone-muffled silence, the Britt’s hilltop houselights will dim for the final time this season. Maybe it’s a case of “time flies when you’re having fun,” but we can’t believe it’ll be over. What a season it’s been! After rockin’ with Michael Franti and Charlie Daniels, and swaying with Bobby McFerrin and k.d. lang, we’re craving more. Sadly, we managed to savor only six of the seven classical concerts (sorry, Liszt); we pledge to make all of them next year. Britt Executive Director Jim Fredericks, along with Angela Warren, Mike Sturgill, Peter Bay, their staff of professionals and volunteers, and all of the Britt Society Members (You know who you are!), made this the best season in recent memory. As a community, we owe it to them, and to ourselves, to catch the final show of this season—and to plan ahead for the next.

Because it’s summer evenings at the Britt—Jacksonville’s own.

An American icon indeed.

Paula and Terry Each have long impressive-sounding resumes implying that they are battle-scarred veterans of life within the Hollywood studios. They’re now happily relaxed into Jacksonville.