CAROLYN CRAWFORD: A ’64 MOTOWN STAR MEMORY


CAROLYN CRAWFORD (age 13) won a 1963 talent contest staged by radio station WCHB in Detroit, the prize being a contract with the city’s biggest label, Motown Records. Her debut single, which she wrote,Forget About Me,” proved unsuccessful at the time (1963). But she had a minor US hit in 1964 (R&B; #39) with Smokey Robinson’sMy Smile Is Just A Frown (Turned Upside Down).” Her third release,When Someone’s Good To You,” flopped in the USA, but became a cult record among British soul fans. I’ll Come Running,” written by her as well, would be Carolyn Crawford’s last single she would record for the Detroit label. Crawford would depart from Motown Records sometime before the end of 1964. (Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin)

DETROIT FREE PRESS Wednesday, July 8, 1964. In this newspaper ad, Carolyn Crawford is denoted having been the named winner, previous year, of the WCHB Talent Contest in 1963.


Loading