Biography
Who is Randy Crawford?
Early life and career beginnings
Born Veronica Crawford in Macon, United States, the singer began her professional music path performing at various clubs. Her early career path took her from gigs in Cincinnati to performances in Saint-Tropez. By the mid-1970s, she established herself in the New York City music scene.
During this period, she collaborated with prominent jazz musicians including George Benson and Cannonball Adderley. Her professional recording debut arrived in 1972 with the release of the single Knock On Wood and If You Say the Word through Columbia Records. She later contributed vocals to Adderley's album titled Big Man: The Legend Of John Henry in 1975.
Rise to international fame
The singer achieved significant international success, particularly within the United Kingdom and Europe. A major career milestone occurred in 1979 when she provided lead vocals for the song Street Life by the band The Crusaders. This track became a transatlantic hit and later appeared in the soundtracks for films such as Sharky's Machine and Jackie Brown.
In 1980, Randy Crawford received the Most Outstanding Performer award at the Tokyo Music Festival. That same year, she released the song One Day I'll Fly Away, which reached number two on the UK charts. Her 1981 album Secret Combination remained on the UK Albums Chart for sixty weeks, strengthening her status as a popular recording artist across the Atlantic.
Collaborations and later recordings
Throughout her career, she worked with an extensive range of musicians and bands. Her collaborations include projects with artists such as Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau, Rick Springfield, Steve Hackett, and Zucchero. She also recorded with groups like the Spanish band Presuntos Implicados and the Norwegian jazz-rock band Lava.
In 1995, she released the album Naked And True, which featured contributions from Funkadelic members Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, and the Fred Wesley Horns. Later, she appeared on the 2017 album Time and the River by David Sanborn, providing lead vocals for the song Windmills of my Mind. She also participated in a live session for the program Live from Abbey Road with Joe Sample in 2007.
Awards and attempted retirement
Despite her American nationality, the singer was honored at the 1982 Brit Awards where she won Best British Female Solo Artist. This recognition stemmed from her consistent popularity with audiences in the UK. She later received two Grammy Award nominations during the late 2000s.
The singer planned a final concert series titled The Farewell South Africa tour, scheduled for October 2018 in Cape Town and Pretoria. However, the tour was cancelled after she suffered a stroke, preventing what would have been her final scheduled performance before her retirement from the music industry.
Birthday and age
Randy Crawford was born on February 18, 1952, which makes Randy 74 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Randy shares the date with 28 other famous people.
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