Carol Ann Decker (born 10 September 1957) is an English singer. She is the lead vocalist of the pop band T'Pau, which had international success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Although Decker is mainly associated with the group, she also released "One Heart", a solo single, in 1995, and sometimes performs solo at shows and festivals.
Carol Decker | |
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Decker in 2022 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Carol Ann Decker |
Born | Liverpool,[1] Lancashire, England | 10 September 1957
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Years active | 1986–present |
Labels | |
Member of | T'Pau |
Decker's personal record label is GnatFish.[3]
Life and career
editCarol Ann Decker was born on 10 September 1957 in Liverpool, Lancashire (now Merseyside) and attended Wellington Girls' High School, Wellington, Shropshire.[4]
In addition to her musical achievements, Decker has also acted on both stage and screen, including the role of Steven Berkoff's wife in the 2002 film 9 Dead Gay Guys.[5] Her television appearances include Hit Me, Baby, One More Time (in which she reached the final round, ultimately being beaten by Shakin' Stevens). Decker also appeared in the British comedy series Trigger Happy TV, in which she appeared in a "bull in a china shop" sketch (the joke being that she had previously had a hit with the song "China in Your Hand"), and in another sketch where she accompanied Dom Joly as he pretended to be a door-to-door salesman.
In 2003 she appeared in the play Mum's The Word (written by Linda A Carson, Jill Daum, Alison Kelly, Robin Nichol, Barbara Pollard and Deborah Williams) at the Albery Theatre in London.
Decker took part in the prime time BBC One show Just the Two of Us, which began on 2 January 2007. However, despite singing duets with Beverley Knight, Tony Christie and Natasha Hamilton, she and her singing partner Gregg Wallace were the first to be eliminated from the show after singing The Jacksons' "Blame It on the Boogie".
Decker appeared in the video for Peter Kay and Matt Lucas's charity single "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" for Comic Relief's Red Nose Day 2007. She released the single "Just Dream" in download-only format in September 2007.
In 2018, she made a guest appearance in an episode of the British comedy TV series Benidorm, as herself.[6]
In 2022, Decker released an autobiography titled Heart And Soul.
Personal life
editT'Pau member Ronnie Rogers was her boyfriend at the time, and they co-wrote the majority of the band's songs.[7][8]
Decker began a relationship with restaurateur Richard Coates in 1996. They have two children, and were married in 2006.[9] That same year, Decker became a joint tenant of the Cherry Tree Inn at Stoke Row near Henley, which Coates had established.[10] Although it closed in 2012,[11] it has since reopened under new ownership.[12] The couple live in Henley-on-Thames.
References
edit- ^ "Carol Decker: My family values". The Guardian. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ "6959.jpg (JPEG Image, 645 × 753 pixels)". geocities.com. Archived from the original on 27 October 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
- ^ "Carol Decker back in Shrewsbury where it all started". Shropshire Star. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
- ^ "For Crying Out Loud! (T'Pau interviews)". T'Pau.org. Retrieved 17 March 2008.
- ^ "Nine Dead Gay Guys". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 13 February 2007.
- ^ Richardson, Andy (12 December 2017). "Carol Decker to star in Benidorm". www.shropshirestar.com.
- ^ Fulton, Rick (20 April 2011). "T'Pau lead singer Carol Decker is going back in time". Daily Record. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ^ Della-Ragione, Joanna (3 October 2013). "'I came back from the brink' says China in Your Hand singer Carol Decker". Daily Express. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ^ Laws, Roz (9 November 2008). "T'PAU STAR'S Argos WEDDING". Sunday Mercury.[dead link]
- ^ "The Sugar Loaf gets a makeover and a new style of cuisine". Bucks Free Press. 15 February 2006. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
- ^ "Last orders for The Cherry Tree". getreading. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ^ "Newlyweds celebrate at their pub". www.henleystandard.co.uk. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2022.