PBS To Air All-Star Tribute To Smokey Robinson

PBS will be airing an all-star tribute to Smokey Robinson as a part of its Black History Month programming.

Titled Smokey Robinson: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the special was filmed during Robinson's receiving of the prestigious Gershwin Prize back in November. Robinson now joins a list of other recipients that include Stevie Wonder; Sir Paul McCartney; Paul Simon; Carole King; Billy Joel and Willie Nelson.

Along with witnessing Robinson receive the honor, the TV airing will also include performances from Aloe Blacc; Gallant; CeeLo Green; JoJo; Ledisi; Tegan Marie; Kip Moore; Corinne Bailey Rae; Esperanza Spalding; The Tenors; BeBe Winans; and, of course, Robinson himself. Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, also makes an appearance and, to top it all off, Samuel L. Jackson serves as the host.

Smokey Robinson: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song will drop on Friday, February 10, 2017.

Along with this special on Robinson, PBS will be showing a documentary on famed civil rights leader John Lewis.

Titled John Lewis – Get in the Way, the documentary will chronicle Lewis’ life from being born as the son of a sharecropper to becoming the civil rights leader he will forever be known as. But what makes Get in the Way truly special is that Lewis serves as the narrator throughout the documentary, recounting stories of his youth and leading the Bloody Sunday march in Selma, Alabama.

"Atlanta and the state of Georgia have played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement," Teya Ryan, CEO and President of Georgia Public Broadcasting, said in a statement. "Through the years we’ve shared the stories of many of the movement’s greatest heroes with Georgia ties, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Andrew Young. We are thrilled to bring a film that so eloquently captures the legacy of John Lewis to a national audience through PBS."

John Lewis – Get in the Way will also premiere on February 10, 2017.