Renn Woods is a renowned icon in stage, television, and film, boasting an impressive range as a vocalist and emerging playwright. Born in Chicago, Renn was raised in Portland, Oregon, where she formed the girl group, Sunday's Child, at the tender age of ten. This talented trio gained local fame before captivating national television audiences and embarking on a tour with the legendary Bob Hope in Vietnam.
As a child star and teenage heartthrob, Renn is best known for her memorable roles, including "Fanta" in the Emmy Award-winning TV mini-series Roots (1977) and her iconic rendition of "Aquarius" in Milos Forman's movie musical Hair (1979),which has become an official classic.
Renn's impressive stage presence was showcased as "Dorothy" in the first national Broadway tour of "The Wiz", earning her critical acclaim as a new musical theatre standard for young performers. She reprised this role in 2006 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, receiving a similar reception for her performance in "Caroline or Change" (the role of "The Moon").
As a published playwright, Renn's own musical, "Sold', has garnered respect for her work. The Kennedy Center's Writers Program selected her play as one of 18 plays (out of 2,000 reviewed) to be developed, premiering as a one-woman show in the Juneteenth Festival and later being produced at the Music Center under Gordon Davidson's tenure. The latest production of "Sold' was staged in November 2013, earning a spot in Pittsburgh's "Best of Pittsburgh" as an autobiographical, Tour de Force.
As a songwriter and lyricist, Renn was commissioned to write a song for the late Robert Altman, which she titled "Ode To Altman" and performed at the Magic Castle in 2006. She was also chosen by Robert A. Iger, CEO of Disney, to be the vocalist for the prestigious Legends Awards Ceremony, inducting Sir Elton John.
Renn began singing at the age of six and, by ten, she and her friends had taken the show business world by storm as Sunday's Child, captivating celebrities such as Bill Cosby, Sammy Davis Jr., and Johnny Carson. They toured the world, performing in the last tour of duty with Bob Hope in Vietnam, and Oscar-winning director Robert Zemeckis featured a photograph of their Christmas performance with Renn and Mr. Hope in his beloved film Forrest Gump (1994).
Renn's impressive film credits include Crazy World (1996),Walker (1987),Juvie, 9 to 5 (1980) with Jane Fonda, Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986) with Whoopi Goldberg, The Jerk (1979),A Perfect Couple (1979),Marshal Law (1996),Xanadu (1980),The Brother from Another Planet (1984),Hair (1979),Car Wash (1976),Youngblood (1978),Beer (1985),Sparkle (1976),and Forrest Gump (1994) (TV clip with Bob Hope).
Renn's extensive television credits include starring roles in Detention: The Siege at Johnson High (1997) (ABC movie of the week),series regular or recurring roles in Beauty and the Beast (1987),We've Got Each Other (1977),Roc (1991),Gabriel's Fire (1990),Relativity (1996),Comedy Rush, guest starring roles in NYPD Blue (1993),That's Life (2000),Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996),High Incident (1996),and Monsters (1988).
In 2014, Renn is recording her third CD as a songwriter and solo vocalist.
