Who Is Frances Glandney, Smokey Robinson’s Wife?

Frances Glandney (born 1970) is the wife of Smokey Robinson, a popular singer, songwriter, producer and former executive. Smokey Robinson and Frances Glandney got married in 2002 

Interior designer, entrepreneur, and winemaker: these are just a few of the roles that Frances Glandney expertly juggles. More popularly known as the wife of a legendary soul singer and the man who helped build Motown records into the institution that it is, Smokey Robinson. Originally from Detroit, Robinson would overcome a childhood of want to become one of the greatest crooners, songwriters, and record-label executives that the world has ever seen.

Of course, this journey hasn’t been an easy one, and he has had to fall back on the love and support of several people along the way. One of them is his second wife, Frances Glandney. Having been together since the dawn of the new millennium, Glandney has been by her husband’s side as he continues to work on his evergreen career. The couple has also headed into new ventures and are living their best life.

Frances Glandney is the Wife of One of The Greatest Singers of All Time – Smokey Robinson

Not many details exist about Frances Glandney’s life before she became the wife of Smokey Robinson, but it is known that she has American nationality and African-American ancestry. She is also well educated, and given how well-spoken she is, Frances has recorded some individual achievements. In contrast, her husband’s story is the stuff of legends. Originally from Detroit, Smokey Robinson grew up in the housing projects, and his prospects further declined after his mom passed away when he was 10.

With a father that was always on the road, Robinson went to live with his elder sister. The young boy indulged in his love for music by listening to his mom’s records. He then began singing with several informal groups as a teen, and by the age of 15, he had assembled his first group known as The Five Chimes.

The Five Chimes would metamorphose into THE MIRACLES, and by 1960, Robinson convinced songwriter Berry Gordy to form his own record label. The result was Motown records, and Smokey Robinson was part and parcel of the team that built it up from scratch. He not only penned but also sang with the label’s first act, The Miracles.

He also penned hit tracks for other artists on the Motown labels, such as The Temptations and Marvin Gaye, thus enabling the company’s overall growth. There was an all-around success for Smokey Robinson, both as a record label boss and a musician, but the whole thing eventually took a toll.

He stepped away from the music for two years and returned in 1973. He has since dropped bestselling solo albums such as Smokey and Pure Smokey. He has also sold numerous records and has collected several accolades. They include the National Medal of Arts, Kennedy Center Honors, and induction into the Rock and Roll and Songwriters Halls of Fame.

Glandney and Smokey Robinson Tied the Knot in May 2002

While some celebrity couples avoid making joint red carpet appearances, Frances Glandney and Smokey Robinson have no such problem. The couple usually looks dashing during major award ceremonies, but they draw the line at spilling intimate details of their love life. Robinson has, however, stated that they casually knew each other as far back as the ’90s. They later became closer after Glandney was hired as an interior decorator for Robinson’s homes. The pair developed easy comradeship during the work and became good friends. Things later turned romantic, and they finally tied the knot in a ceremony in May 2002.

The marriage is ostensibly Glandney’s first known union, but it is a second walk down the aisle for her husband, Robinson. The crooner was formerly married to singer and fellow Miracles member Claudette Rogers from 1959 to 1986. They had some good times during that time, but they also encountered several issues, including Robinson’s drug usage. The singer also embarked on some extramarital affairs.

All of these inevitably contributed to the crash of the marriage in 1984, and the divorce was finalized two years later. Following the divorce, Robinson and Rogers have maintained exemplary warm relations. However, they engaged in a legal battle back in 2014 when Rogers claimed a share of royalties for her ex-husband’s writing credits.

The Couple Has Been Married For 21 Years And Run Several Businesses Together

Frances Glandney and Smokey Robinson have been married for nearly two decades now and make their home in Pittsburgh. They do a lot of stuff together, including walking the red carpet and attending industry events. Glandney has also been by her husband’s side during every award ceremony, and the singer remains crazy about her, asserting that he still dreams of taking her to see all the best spots he has seen in the world. The couple has not given any reasons for their longevity, but it may well be that Smokey Robinson has learned from the past mistakes and is working not to repeat them.

Glandney and her famous husband have also gone into business together. The couple owns a skincare line in conjunction with a leading skincare company, Skinphonic. The line was initially borne out of their desire to formulate a product that would be good for their colored and textured skin. They learned that numerous other people of color face such an issue and decided to extend it to the buying public. The line comes in two variants, men and women, and they are titled after Robinson’s tracks, such as My Girl and Get Ready. The skincare line includes cleansers, day creams, and night creams.

Glandney and her husband also co-own a winery in their massive Pittsburgh home. Known as the Smokey Robinson Wines, Glandney was the one that put her husband in touch with their business partners in 2017. They now produce vintage wines representing everything the singer stands for, namely classy, ionic, and legendary. The company has several brands and series of wines, with some named after Robinson’s most famous hits, including My Girl Chardonnay, Being with You Pinot Noir, Second That Emotion Cabernet, and Crusin Bordeaux Blend.

They Don’t Have Any Kids, But Robinson Has Three Children from Past Relationships

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Frances Glandney and Smokey Robinson commenced their romance relatively late in life, and this may have ruled out the chance of them having kids together. It is not a major blow for them, as they can shower all their love on Robinson’s kids from past relationships. During the singer’s marriage to Claudette, she suffered several miscarriages due to her busy schedule. They got medical help and were able to have two children, namely son, Berry (b. 1968), and daughter – Tamla (b. 1970).

The couple’s marriage later crashed, and part of the reason was due to a son named Trey (b.1984) that Robinson had with a lady named Kandi. Such circumstances and the divorce would have wrecked any close relations, but Smokey Robinson has managed to be on good terms with all of his kids. The kids are also quite close to each other. They often post pictures of get-togethers with each other and their dad on social media. Smokey also joined them during Claudette’s birthday celebrations in 2021, showing that they are a united front.

FAQs about Smokey Robinson

1. Who is Smokey Robinson’s wife and what is their age difference? Smokey Robinson is married to Frances Glandney Robinson, who was born in September 1948, making her 74 years old in 2023. Smokey is currently 82 and will be 83 years in 2024, making him about eight to nine years older than Frances. They have been married since May 2002.
2. What is Frances Glandney Robinson’s profession? Frances is an accomplished interior designer and entrepreneur. In 2017, she and Smokey launched a skin care line for people of color named Get Ready and My Girl, named after two of Smokey’s hit songs.
3. Do Smokey Robinson and Frances Glandney have any children together? No, they do not have children together. However, Smokey has two children, Berry and Tamla, from his first marriage to Claudette Rogers, and a third child, Trey, from another relationship.
4. What songs did Smokey Robinson perform at the Grammy Awards? At the Grammy Awards, Smokey Robinson performed alongside Stevie Wonder and Chris Stapleton. They played “The Way You Do The Things You Do”, “Tears Of A Clown”, and “Higher Ground”.
5. What is Smokey Robinson’s net worth? As of April 2023, Smokey Robinson has an estimated net worth of $150 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. This estimate comes from the success of his music as well as other business ventures.
6. Does Smokey Robinson have any business ventures outside music? Yes, Smokey has been involved in several business ventures beyond his music career. In addition to the skincare line he developed with his wife Frances, Smokey has also made and sold wine from his Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania address since 2017/18.
7. How long has Smokey Robinson been in the spotlight? Smokey Robinson has been in the spotlight since the early 1950s. Over the years, he has tied the knot twice and has continued to make significant contributions to the music industry.