Motown legend Smokey Robinson is set to headline the Rochester International Jazz Festival next month. But the singer faces allegations of abuse from four women who previously worked for him.
Last week, the women — identified as Jane Does 1 through 4 — filed a lawsuit against the 85-year-old singer that claimed he repeatedly sexually assaulted them while they worked as housekeepers at homes he owned in California and Nevada.
The four women are seeking $50 million in damages.
The suit also claims that Robinson’s wife, Frances, knew about the abuse but did not stop it. In addition to the abuse, the suit accuses both Robinsons of false imprisonment, failing to pay the women minimum wage and creating a hostile work environment.
Robinson’s lawyer denied the allegations, telling “The New York Times” in a statement that the lawsuit is “an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon.”
Robinson is scheduled to perform at this year’s Jazz Festival June 20 at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. He’s one of five headliners, along with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, The Wood Brothers, Rickie Lee Jones and Thundercat.
A spokesperson for the Jazz Festival said Robinson’s show will go on as planned.
Robinson’s career is lengthy, and his musical influence is wide-ranging. In the mid-1950s, he founded the R&B and soul group The Miracles in Detroit, and the outfit became one of the most successful on the roster of Berry Gordy’s Motown record label. By the ’70s, Robinson had launched a likewise influential solo career centering around romantic soul music.
The singer celebrated the release of a new album, “What the World Needs Now,” in late April. As part of the “Smokey Robinson: Legacy Tour,” he’s also set to perform at Chautauqua Institution the night before his Jazz Festival show and has concerts lined up throughout the summer, including some in the United Kingdom.
The singer made no mention of the allegations over the weekend at his first concert since the lawsuit was filed, per “The New York Times.”
Patrick Hosken is CITY’s arts reporter. He can be reached at patrick@rochester-citynews.com.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
