Woods was born in Chicago, Illinois, one of six children, and was raised in Portland, Oregon by her divorced mother, who was a nurse. Woods described her mother as a "politically conscious and very unusual woman." W… See more

Renn began singing at the age of six. By age 10, she and two girlfriends began performing under the group name Sunday's Child, and performed on television programs with Jack Benny, Bob Hope, and Bing Crosby. … See more

Woods first came to national attention in the role of Dorothy in the first national Broadway tour of "The Wiz" in 1976. She subsequently appeared as Fanta in Roots in 1977, a role for which she won a People's Choice Aw… See more