record_label pure smokey
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a hall of fame and museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland , Ohio , United States . The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was established on April 20 , 1983 , by ___MASK47___ founder and chairman Ahmet Ertegun to recognize and archive the history of the best - known and most influential artists , producers , engineers , and other notable figures who have had some major influence on the development of rock and roll . In 1986 , Cleveland was chosen as the hall of fame ' s permanent home . Since opening in September 1995 , the " Rock Hall "  part of the city ' s redeveloped North Coast Harbor  has hosted more than 10 million visitors and had a cumulative economic impact estimated at more than $ 1 . 8 billion . " The Tracks of My Tears " is a song written by Smokey Robinson , Pete Moore , and Marv Tarplin . It is a multiple award - winning 1965 hit R & B song originally recorded by their group , The Miracles , on ___MASK91___ ' s Tamla label . In 1967 , Johnny Rivers covered the song and his version was a number 10 hit on the " Billboard " Hot 100 . Linda Ronstadt recorded a hit cover of her own in 1975 that reached number 25 on the Hot 100 chart . Numerous other artists have recorded the song over the years . William " Smokey " Robinson , Jr . ( born February 19 , 1940 ) is an American singer , songwriter , ___MASK8___ producer , and former ___MASK8___ executive . Robinson was the founder and front man of the ___MASK91___ vocal group the Miracles , for which he also served as the group ' s chief songwriter and producer . Robinson led the group from its 1955 origins as the Five Chimes until 1972 when he announced a retirement from the group to focus on his role as ___MASK91___ ' s vice president . Marvin " Marv " Tarplin ( June 13 , 1941  September 30 , 2011 ) was an American guitarist and songwriter , best known as the guitarist for the Miracles from the 1950s through the early 1970s . He was one of the group ' s original members and co - wrote several of their biggest hits , including the 1965 " Grammy Hall Of Fame " inducted " The Tracks of My Tears ". He is also a winner of the BMI Songwriter ' s Award , and the ASCAP " Award Of Merit ", and was a 2012 posthumous inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Miracles . Pure Smokey is Smokey Robinson ' s second post - Miracles album , released in 1974 . This release contains the unique and emotionally compelling hit single `` Virgin Man '' . Several songs were written by Robinson and co - written by fellow Miracle Marv Tarplin , who left the group a year after Robinson ' s departure to join him in California and assist him in his solo projects . ___MASK91___ is an American record company . The record company was founded by Berry Gordy , Jr . as Tamla Records on January 12 , 1958 , and was incorporated as ___MASK91___ Record Corporation on April 14 , 1960 , in Detroit , Michigan . The name , a portmanteau of " motor " and " town ", has also become a nickname for Detroit . ___MASK91___ played an important role in the racial integration of popular music as an African American - owned record label that achieved significant crossover success . In the 1960s , ___MASK91___ and its subsidiary labels ( including Tamla ___MASK91___ , the brand used outside the US ) were the most successful proponents of what came to be known as the ___MASK91___ Sound , a style of soul music with a distinct pop influence . During the 1960s , ___MASK91___ achieved spectacular success for a small record company : 79 records in the Top Ten of the " Billboard " Hot 100 record chart between 1960 and 1969 . The Miracles ( also known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972 ) were an American rhythm and blues vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy ' s ___MASK91___ Records , and one of the most important and influential groups in pop , rock and roll , and R & B music history . Formed in 1955 by Smokey Robinson , Warren " Pete " Moore , and Ronnie White , the group started off as the Five Chimes , changing their name to the Matadors two years later . The group then settled on the Miracles after the inclusion of Claudette Robinson in 1958 . The most notable Miracles line - up included the Robinsons , Moore , White , Bobby Rogers and Marv Tarplin . After a failed audition with Brunswick Records , the group began working with songwriter Berry Gordy , who helped to produce their first records for the End and Chess labels before establishing Tamla Records in 1959 and signing the Miracles as its first act . The group eventually scored the label ' s first million - selling hit record with the 1960 " Grammy Hall of Fame " smash , " Shop Around ", and further established themselves as one of ___MASK91___ ' s top acts with the hit singles " You ' ve Really Got a Hold on Me ", " What ' s So Good About Goodbye ", " Way Over There ", " I ' ll Try Something New ", " Mickey ' s Monkey ", " Going to a Go - Go ", "( Come ' Round Here ) I ' m the One You Need ", " Just A Mirage ", " If You Can Want ", " More Love ", " I Don ' t Blame You at All ", " Ooo Baby Baby ", " The Tracks of My Tears ", " Special Occasion ", " I Second That Emotion ", " Baby Baby Don ' t Cry ", the number - one Pop smashes " The Tears of a Clown " and " Love Machine ", " Do It Baby ", and " My Girl Has Gone ", among numerous other hits . A songwriter is an individual who writes the lyrics , melodies and chord progressions for songs , typically for a popular music genre such as rock or ___MASK71___ . A songwriter can also be called a composer , although the latter term tends to be used mainly for individuals from the classical music genre . The pressure from the music industry to produce popular hits means that songwriting is often an activity for which the tasks are distributed between a number of people . For example , a songwriter who excels at writing lyrics might be paired with a songwriter with a gift for creating original melodies . Pop songs may be written by group members from the band or by staff writers  songwriters directly employed by music publishers . Some songwriters serve as their own music publishers , while others have outside publishers .