Randy Crawford

Randy Crawford

Randy Crawford is the performing name of Veronica Crawford, a US singer from Macon, Georgia, known for jazz, R&B and soul recordings. Born in 1952, she builds a career that moves between pop soul, quiet storm, R&B and smooth soul, and she is also associated with smooth jazz.

Early career

She develops her singing style through club work in cities including Cincinnati and St. Tropez before making her name in New York in the mid-1970s. During this period she sings with jazz musicians including George Benson, appearing on his 1975 album Big Man, and with Cannonball Adderley.

Breakthrough and key recordings

Crawford reaches a wider audience with The Crusaders on Street Life in 1979. She then releases a series of solo recordings that become closely associated with her name, including One Day I’ll Fly Away in 1980, You Might Need Somebody in 1981 and Rainy Night in Georgia in 1981. These songs become soul standards. One Day I’ll Fly Away also wins the Grand Prize at the Tokyo International Music Festival.

Albums and later work

Her album Secret Combination remains on the Billboard album chart for 60 weeks, although her profile then declines for a period. She returns to the Top 10 with Almaz in 1986. Naked and True, released in 1995, returns her to her roots and includes a version of Benson’s Give Me the Night. The album also features Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell and The Fred Wesley Horns.

Legacy and performance

Her work continues to be recognised through later covers, including a worldwide hit version of You Might Need Somebody by Shola Ama in 1997. Crawford continues to perform at jazz festivals around the world and remains known for a body of work that links jazz, R&B and soul.