“It is an honor to have Smokey Robinson on our label,” said Paul Sizelove, President of Sun Label Group. “His work has inspired and uplifted generations, and it’s truly special to have him continue his legacy at Gaither Music.”

Robinson’s “Be Thankful For What You’ve Got” and “Lean On Me” simmer with slinky grooves, breezy harmonies, and his signature dreamy vocals which sound as heavenly and pristine as they did decades ago. "Be Thankful For What You’ve Got" is a soul classic originally written and performed by William DeVaughn back in 1974, while “Lean On Me” is a timeless anthem of solidarity and support, written and performed by Bill Withers in 1972. Bursting with positive and uplifting vibes, both songs are perfectly suited to Robinson’s outlook on life and faith.

“I have always felt the presence of God in my life,” said Robinson. “Gratitude is key to a relationship with God. ‘Be Thankful For What You’ve Got’ stands out to me because it’s about gratitude.”

Smokey dazzles and inspires on his upcoming album, What The World Needs Now, which features a tracklist of evergreens and originals. The 10-track album includes heartfelt renditions of "Lean on Me," "What a Wonderful World,” and more. These songs are reminders of the boundless beauty in everyday life. Warryn Campbell produced What The World Needs Now; he is best known for his work with Mary Mary, Kanye West, Yolanda Adams, Jennifer Hudson, and Stevie Wonder. 

Robinson has been uplifting generations for decades with his high tenor voice, impeccable timing, and profound lyrics. Bob Dylan once pronounced Robinson America’s “greatest living poet.” Robinson has won numerous awards, including three GRAMMY Awards, a GRAMMY Living Legend Award, the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize, and a NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award. He’s earned an Honorary Doctorate at Howard University, Kennedy Center Honors, a BET Lifetime Achievement Award, and the National Medal of Arts Award from the President of the United States. In addition, Robinson has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame—once as a solo artist, and again as a member of the Miracles—and he’s also been inducted to the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. Robinson has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Six decades on, Robinson is going strong — with more than 4,000 songs to his credit and sold-out shows around the world. 2025 promises to be a special year for Robinson. He will celebrate his 85th birthday on February 19th, and this year marks the 50th anniversary of his 1975 breakthrough solo album, A Quiet Storm. His upcoming “Smokey Legacy Tour” will highlight the album anniversary and celebrate all his top hits throughout the decades. 

Track List: 

1. Be Thankful For What You’ve Got 

2. What A Wonderful World 

3. Three Little Birds

4. Everything is Beautiful 

5. What The World Needs Now

6. Lean On Me

7. I’ll Take You There  

8. You’ve Got a Friend  

9. Be Kind To The Growing Mind (Smokey Robinson Original)  

10. Food For Thought (Smokey Robinson Original)  

Smokey Robinson’s album, What the World Needs Now, will be available on CD and Vinyl at Gaither.com. 

About Smokey Robinson 

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson’s career spans over six decades of hits. He has received numerous awards including the GRAMMY Living Legend Award, GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award, Honorary Doctorate (Howard University), Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, and inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame and the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. 

Born and raised in Detroit, Robinson founded the Miracles while still in high school. The group was Berry Gordy’s first vocal group and their single of Robinson and Gordy’s “Shop Around” became Motown’s first million seller. It was at Robinson’s suggestion that Gordy started Motown. In the years following, Robinson continued to pen hits for the group including “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me,” “Ooo Baby Baby,” “The Tracks of My Tears,” “Going to a Go-Go,” “More Love,” “Tears of a Clown” (co-written with Stevie Wonder), and “I Second That Emotion.” In addition to writing hits for the Miracles, Robinson wrote and produced hits for other Motown artists including Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye, Brenda Holloway. He wrote the Temptations’ signature song, “My Girl,” their first No. 1 hit which recently crossed 1Billion streams. 

As the Vice-President of Motown Records, Robinson served as an in-house producer, A&R, and songwriter until the sale of the company, shaping the label’s success with his friend and mentor Berry Gordy. As an artist, he released several successful solo albums through Motown. His album Quiet Storm sparked a whole new genre of music and a radio format of melodic R&B with jazz, pop, fusion elements for late night listening. This year, Quite Storm celebrates its 50th Anniversary. He continued his impressive touring career around the world performing his chart-topping solo hits “Just to See Her,” “Cruisin’,” and “Being with You” and more. 

In the last few years, Robinson co-wrote for and/or appeared on Anderson .Paak, Rita Wilson, The Temptations and other artist projects. His last album was released in 2023 and he created his own channel “Smokey’s SoulTown” on SiriusXM that he hosts and curates with interviews and performances. 

During the course of his 60-year career in music, Robinson has accumulated more than 4,000 songs to his credit and continues to thrill sold-out audiences around the world with his high tenor voice, impeccable timing and profound sense of lyric.

Find the Smokey Robinson playlist here.

About Gaither Music Group:     

One of the largest independent Christian music companies in the world and a household name for millions of fans, Gaither Music Group (part of Sun Label Group, which encompasses Gaither Music, Sun Records, Green Hill, emeraldwave by Green Hill, and Rural Rhythm), in partnership with Primary Wave Music Publishing, is known worldwide for its award-winning and top-selling recordings, including the Gaither Gospel Series, of which 133 products have been certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum.   

These recordings, which encompass more than 200 video copyrights, showcase gospel music pioneers; many of the finest performers in the gospel and country genres; up-and-coming acts; and country artists including The Oak Ridge Boys, Jimmy Fortune, Joey+Rory, Alabama, Alan Jackson, The Statler Brothers, George Jones, Vince Gill, Josh Turner, Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Isaacs, and others.    

The Gaither Music Group brand has partnered with established artists including The Estate of Whitney E. Houston, Sandi Patty, Gloria Gaynor, Steven Curtis Chapman, and a host of acclaimed talent from various fields of music. Gaither Music Group has garnered sales of more than 40 million DVDs and CDs, including such PBS stalwarts as Billy Graham: God’s Ambassador, the only authorized video autobiography of Reverend Billy Graham; The Gospel Music of Johnny Cash; and three Elvis Presley projects, including He Touched Me and The Gospel Music of Elvis Presley, in conjunction with the Elvis Presley Estate.   

Gaither Music Group developed a strategic partnership with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® in 2008; and its alliances with Capitol Christian Music Group, Virgin Music Label & Artist Services, Universal Music Group, and Time Life Music remain bedrocks for the company. Most recently, the Gaither Music TV YouTube channel crossed the 3.7 billion life-to-date streaming benchmark and hosts more than 3.5 million subscribers.