Caroline Lesley Crawley (8 August 1963 – 4 October 2016) was an English singer, best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of the band Shelleyan Orphan, and for her contributions to the 4AD collective This Mortal Coil.
Early Life and Career
Crawley was born on 8 August 1963 in Bournemouth, England. She co-founded Shelleyan Orphan alongside guitarist Jemaur Tayle, whom she met in Bournemouth. The pair shared an appreciation for the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and the band's name derives from Shelley's poem "Spirit of Solitude." Crawley served as the lead vocalist for the group.
Shelleyan Orphan released four albums: Helleborine (1987), Century Flower (1989), Humroot (1992), and We Have Everything We Need (2008).
This Mortal Coil
In 1991, 4AD Records founder Ivo Watts-Russell invited Crawley to contribute to the third This Mortal Coil album, Blood. She performed on four tracks, delivering her own interpretations, and appeared in the music video for the band's cover of Syd Barrett's "Late Night."
Babacar
In the early 1990s, Crawley formed the band Babacar with bassist Roberto Soave, guitarist Rob Steen, and drummer Boris Williams (formerly of The Cure). The group made their live debut at the 4AD Records 13 Year Itch celebration on 22 July 1993 at the ICA in London. They released one self-titled album, Babacar (1998), which also featured guitarist Porl Thompson, and were later joined by Jemaur Tayle.
Death
Crawley died on 4 October 2016 at the age of 53 after a long illness. She was survived by her daughter.
