SXSW Announces 2010 Keynote Speaker

It's America's greatest living poet, natch.

By Blurt Staff

This just in: Smokey Robinson will deliver the keynote address at the 2010 South By Southwest Music Conference. The address will kick off SXSW activities at the Austin Convention Center on Thursday, March 18, 2010. It markes the 24^th annual SXSW.

You may have, er, heard of Smokey Robinson - Motown Sound, Kennedy Center Honors, member of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Grammy winner alongside multiple other awards. Bob Dylan called Robinson "America's greatest living poet," and his work as an executive at Motown was central in establishing a unique chapter in popular music history.

More recently, Robinson has been mentoring "American Idol" contestants in 2009 and releasing a new CD, "Time Flies When You're Having Fun," this past August on his own Robso Records and the songs sound as fresh and timeless as his pioneering work from the 60's.

For more information on South By Southwest, visit www.sxsw.com - they're already open for registrations.

Read our recent feature on Robinson and his early band The Miracles here. And for a review of Robinson on his current concert tour, go here.