Nik Kershaw facts: '80s singer's age, wife, family, songs and career revealed

31 July 2024, 12:35

Nik Kershaw achieved huge success in the eighties. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images). Picture: Getty

By Thomas Edward

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He was one of eighties pop music's brightest young talents.

Nik Kershaw burst into the UK pop charts in 1984, and virtually stayed there for the most part of two years.

From 1984 to 1985, Kershaw held the record for most weeks in the charts over any other solo artist of that period.

His impressive run of hits bagged the synth-pop singer a slot at Live Aid, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that Kershaw later described as "absolutely terrifying".

No wonder, when the eyes of an estimated audience of 1.9 billion worldwide were all watching the event unfold at Wembley Stadium.

Though his career never reached those lofty heights again, Kershaw's prowess as a songwriter served him well, going on to release nine studio albums as a solo artist as well as collaborate with a host of stars.

He went on to work with Elton John, Genesis' keyboardist Tony Banks, and even penned a number one hit for Chesney Hawkes, 'The One And Only' in 1991.

So, for everything you need to know about Nik Kershaw's life and career, keep reading:

How old is Nik Kershaw and where was he born?

Nik Kershaw on stage in 1983. Picture: Alamy

Nicholas David Kershaw was born on 1st March 1958 in Bristol, England. In 2024 he turned 66 years old.

His father was a flautist and his mother was an opera singer, so Kershaw was brought up in a musical family.

During his youth, the Kershaw family relocated to Ipswich, Suffolk where Nik studied at Northgate Grammar School for Boys where he taught himself to play the guitar.

After leaving school in the middle of his A-Levels, Nik got a job working at an unemployment benefit centre whilst he pursued music.

How did Nik Kershaw get his start in music?

Nik Kershaw became a teen idol after the release of his single 'Wouldn't It Be Good'. Picture: Alamy

Nik played in various bands in his local town of Ipswich after leaving school, including Deep Purple covers band Half Pint Hogg and jazz-funk outfit Fusion who released one album, 'Til I Hear From You, in the late seventies.

After leaving Fusion to become a solo artist, Nik was left unemployed for a year so he put out an advert in the magazine Melody Maker to look for a manager.

Nine Below Zero's manager Mickey Modern answered the call, who recognised Nik's promise and helped him sign a deal with the label MCA Records.

The label nurtured Nik's talent leading up to his debut single 'I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' which was a major hit across Europe, despite only reaching number 47 in the UK.

That all changed however after the release of his follow-up single, 'Wouldn't It Be Good', which peaked at number four in the UK and transformed the young singer into a teen idol.

What are Nik Kershaw’s biggest songs?

Nik Kershaw - The Riddle

- 'Wouldn't It Be Good'

- 'The Riddle'

- 'I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me'

- 'Wide Boy'

- 'Dancing Girls'

- 'Don Quixote'

- 'Human Racing'

- 'I Wanna Change The Score' with Tony Banks from Genesis

- 'Radio Musicola'

- 'The One And Only' written for Chesney Hawkes

What happened to Nik Kershaw's career?

Kershaw stepped away from music for an entire decade before returning with 1999 album, '15 Minutes'. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale/Sygma via Getty Images). Picture: Getty

Whilst Kershaw's mainstream appeal died out after a couple of years in the spotlight, which peaked at his Live Aid appearance in 1985, he remained a respected musician for years after.

Music legends like David Bowie and Elton John invited him on tour with them, and the likes of Gary Barlow, Jason Donovan, and The Hollies covered his songs.

After his 1989 album The Works failed to make a dent in the charts, Kershaw took a decade out away from music, returning in 1999 with his comeback 15 Minutes, a nod to his fleeting relationship with extreme fame.

The multi-instrumentalist has gone on to have a hugely lucrative career as a producer and songwriter for other artists however, and has still released a total of nine studio albums himself.

Is Nik Kershaw married and does he have children?

Kershaw with his first wife Sheri Pogmore in 1985. (Photo by Antony Matheus Linsen/Fairfax Media via Getty Images). Picture: Getty

Nik Kershaw's first wife was Canadian musician Sheri Pogmore who also featured on several of his early albums and was also his first love. They married in 1983 and had three children together before eventually divorcing in 2003.

He remarried in 2009 to his second wife Sarah, who share one child together called Theo.

Nik Kershaw - I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

Are there any other facts we should know about Nik Kershaw?

Nik Kershaw - Wouldn't It Be Good (Live Aid 1985)

Kershaw revealed in 2014 that the millions in royalties from Chesney Hawkes' hit 'The Only And Only' was like "a pension fund" and "put my kids through university and private school."

The musician is a patron of the Down's Syndrome Association charity as his son was born with the condition.

Nik later recalled the experience of performing at Live AId alongside the biggest artists in the world:

"I find it very difficult to explain this period. It’s almost like I wasn’t there but I know I was because it’s on YouTube. My feet didn’t touch the ground for two years. It was like my life was on rails and I couldn’t get off the train. I was doing what I had dreamed of."