Las Vegas Weekly

July 29, 2009 · 11:24 AM

Photo Gallery: Smokey Robinson surprises with Human Nature

By Robin Leach

Smokey Robinson makes a surprise appearance onstage with Human Nature at the Imperial Palace Showroom.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

It was the night Las Vegas had been waiting for weeks to happen! At first, everybody bet the bank that on opening night at the Imperial Palace Showroom, Motown mastermind Smokey Robinson would join his Australian discoveries Human Nature for an onstage performance.

Instead, Smokey just introduced them and then hung out at his VIP booth with ex-Supremes member Mary Wilson to watch the show as they sang and danced along with the sensational four-man Aussie group.

Last night, an unsuspecting audience had the treat of their lives. Human Nature’s show came to a sudden stop at the halfway point, and the quartet introduced Smokey as he walked onstage. The audience immediately cheered and gave the superstar legend a standing ovation.

Then together they all performed his classic “Tracks of My Tears,” and the audience was back on its feet again with another standing ovation at the end of the number. It was only one song, but one of those very magic moments of Strip showbiz!

Our contributing photographer Erik Kabik was right there to record this historic photo gallery. Smokey and the members of Human Nature -- Toby Allen, Phil Burton and brothers Michael & Andrew Tierney -- all agreed that it was an extraordinary and memorable experience.

Click HERE for our opening night coverage of Human Nature and our interview with Smokey. He has been in negotiations with President Don Marrandino and the show’s producer for him to make Strip appearances at the Human Nature showroom on Fridays when the boys take their night off. Negotiations haven’t concluded in getting dates set and ticket prices established, but last night may have been the first step in that coming to fruition.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter HERE.

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