Keren Woodward
As a cornerstone of Bananarama, she helped craft a cheeky, DIY brand of pop that outlasted trends and defined an era of independent-minded girl groups.
Born 1961 (age 65)·English singer·Birthday: April 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Keren Woodward, alongside her childhood friend Sara Dallin, didn't just join the pop scene of the early 80s; they rewrote its rules for women. Bananarama emerged from the London club scene not as polished puppets, but as a gang of friends who sang about fun, heartbreak, and social issues with a winking, street-smart attitude. They played their own instruments (rare for a girl group at the time), chose their own clothes, and co-wrote their hits, projecting a relatable, sisterly image. Woodward's clear, distinctive vocals were a constant as the group navigated global fame with 'Venus' and 'Love in the First Degree', endured member changes, and adapted to shifting musical landscapes. While the pop world churned around them, she and Dallin maintained Bananarama as a steadfast project, a testament to friendship and artistic control. Their longevity, touring and recording for over four decades, cemented them not as a nostalgia act, but as pioneering architects of a resilient pop legacy.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Keren was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Keren Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Keren's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Achieved a US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single in 1986 with Bananarama's version of 'Venus'.
- Held the Guinness World Record for the all-female group with the most chart entries in the UK for decades.
- Co-wrote many of Bananarama's biggest hits, including 'Robert De Niro's Waiting' and 'I Heard a Rumour'.
- Has been a continuous member of Bananarama since its formation in 1979, sustaining the group's career over four decades.
Did You Know?
She was in a long-term relationship with Wham! member Andrew Ridgeley for over 25 years, and they have a son together.
Before Bananarama, Woodward worked as a secretary at the BBC.
She and Sara Dallin have been best friends since they were 11 years old.
“We were just three friends who wanted to make records and have a laugh.”
