Carol Ann Decker (born 10 September 1957) is an English singer and musician. She is the lead vocalist of the 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, to support the centenary of the formation of the Northern Rugby Football Union (the Rugby League code) and sometimes performs solo at shows and festivals.
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.
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
T'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, Scarlett (born 1998) and Dylan (born 2002), and 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.
