Motown Legend Drops New Album of Timeless Songs at Age 85

Music icon Smokey Robinson just put out What The World Needs Now, mixing old favorites with new songs on April 25, 2025. At 85, he's back in the recording booth, showing his voice still carries the magic.

His new work brings fresh takes on "Lean on Me," "Three Little Birds," and "What a Wonderful World." The album wraps up with "Be Kind To The Growing Mind," where he teams up with The Temptations.

"My publishing partners in New York sent me a list of inspirational songs," said Robinson to CBS Mornings. "I want people to be inspired to care about each other and to love each other."

The Detroit-born star keeps performing live shows. After staying away from music for three years, he's jumped back in with both feet. His words ring true: "I can't find anything that replaces it for me. I don't get that joy or that feeling anywhere else in my life."

This release lines up with 50 years since his hit "Quiet Storm" first played on radio. He's marking both occasions with the Legacy Tour, where fans can hear his classic hits mixed with new material.

Six decades of making music, and he's still going strong. When asked what he wants to leave behind on CBS Mornings, he stayed modest, saying that he hopes to leave a legacy of being "a good human being who recognized the fact that you don't get any bigger than being a human being."