Ren Woods -

Ren Woods (born Jan. 1, 1958) is an American soul singer from Portland, Ore., who sang with the trio Sunday’s Child during the early 1970s. She debuted as a solo artist with the 1979 album Out of the Woods on ARC/Columbia, followed by the 1982 Elektra title Azz Izz.

Background

Ren Woods was born on Jan. 1, 1958, in Chicago, Illinois. Her mother Linda, a divorced nurse, raised Woods and five siblings in Portland, Oregon, and sent the children to private school. Woods began singing at age six and joined sisters Ilene and Mary Lou Anderson in the Portland vocal trio Three Little Souls.

Ilene and Mary Lou’s older brother Ted took one of the trio’s recordings to manager Larry Raphael, who signed the act and renamed it Sunday’s Child. Raphael booked Sunday’s Child on NBC’s Soul Special. The trio followed with Las Vegas dates and a Carnegie Hall appearance. Reprise issued “To Love Somebody” in October 1970 (b/w “What Are You Thinking?”), followed by the self-titled Sunday’s Child album.

Woods remained in Los Angeles after Sunday’s Child disbanded and moved into stage and screen work. She appeared in Car Wash and joined the first national tour of The Wiz in 1976 as Dorothy. Woods followed the stage role with Fanta in the 1977 miniseries Roots and the “Aquarius” solo in Miloš Forman’s Hair. Earth, Wind & Fire guitarist Al McKay saw Woods as Dorothy at the Los Angeles staging of The Wiz. Woods cut one demo in April 1979 and secured an ARC/Columbia contract with McKay and Jon Lind as producers for her solo debut, Out of the Woods.

Discography: