Trivia

McCrae grew up as Gwen Mosley in Pensacola, Florida, into a church-going family. Her mother played piano in the church and Gwen started singing in the choir at age seven.

Gwen continued to perform and record until she suffered a stroke in 2012 that impaired her ability to walk and sing.

She continued performing as a teen, and began planning a career in music after high school.

Gwen began as a background singer at TK record labels before cutting a few tracks for the Florida label's subsidiary, Cat.

At age 20, she met fellow Florida resident George McCrae and the two married and began performing together professionally in the mid 60s.

Despite her lack of success in the US, Gwen remained popular in Europe, and continued recording and performing there in the 80s.

In 2005, McCrae teamed up with the Soulpower organization, which is also responsible for the comebacks of Marva Whitney, Lyn Collins, Martha High, Bobby Byrd and RAMP. Her collaboration with Soulpower resulted in various live performances with the Soulpower All-Stars.

From 1963, she recorded as a duo with her husband George; the couple got a recording contract with Henry Stone's TK Records. In 1967, singer Betty Wright helped get them signed to Stone's Alston record label.

In 1972, she recorded the song "Always on My Mind". The song was later popularized by Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, and the Pet Shop Boys and also covered by several other artists.

She began performing in local clubs as a teenager, and singing with local groups like the Lafayettes and the Independents.

Survived by her four children: Wanda, Sophia, Leah, and Alex, and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.