Smokey Robinson Reveals Details About His COVID Battle: ‘I Was Not Sure I Would Ever be Able to Sing Again’

Smokey Robinson revealed details about his severe battle with COVID-19 last December, which almost left him unable to sing. 

The 81-year-old Motown legend spent 11 days in a Los Angeles hospital with a severe case of coronavirus. During his COVID battle, he lost his voice, which he wasn’t sure he would ever get back.

“I was not sure that I would ever be able to sing again because it took my voice. I could barely even talk,” Robinson told the Daily Mail in an interview. “Even when I got home, I was hoarse; I could not try to sing because I was afraid. It was one of the most frightening fights I have ever had.”

Robinson told the outlet he wasn’t sure how he contracted the virus but began experiencing symptoms before Christmas. He initially tested negative, but a subsequent test came back positive. 

After the positive test, he moved into his guest house to quarantine away from his wife. But just two days later, he began experiencing breathing difficulties and was rushed to the hospital. 

“Fortunately, I never had to use the ventilator,” he said. “I never lost my taste or smell, but it wiped me out.”

Robinson’s doctors attributed his good physical health as a factor in why he could fight the virus. The COVID scare has him even more committed to his physical health, and he is back to working out.