Smokey Robinson Says He Nearly Died of COVID-19

Motown legend Smokey Robinson, 81, is opening up about his scary battle with COVID-19.

In an interview with DailyMail.com, Robinson revealed that he was hospitalized for 11 days after contracting the virus in December.

Along with noting that he is a “COVID survivor,” he shared, “I was not sure that I would ever be able to sing again because it took my voice. I could barely even talk. 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 said he was feeling “weird and funny after coming in off the road” when he decided to test for COVID-19. While the results were negative at first, he eventually tested positive and was “rushed to the hospital.”

Though he didn’t lose his sense of taste or smell or have to go on a ventilator, he “lost all of [his] energy.” He revealed, “[I] could not walk from the bed to the bathroom without being exhausted.”

Robinson discussed his road to recovery, saying, “I had to work on my vocal cords and get myself back together. I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life, and it was possible, so I did it… They told me that it was lucky for me, especially at my age, that I’d taken care of myself; but for the grace of God and that fact, I probably would not be here talking right now.”

Through hard work, Robinson is able to perform again. He said, “I have done three full-blown concerts and am back 95 percent.”

Smokey added, “None of this really scared me until after I came home. When I was there trying to get well, while weak, I never thought about dying. I was thinking, ‘I am going to get well.’ I looked back and knew that I could’ve died, because it was that severe. Then it scared me.”