During the mid-80s, Nik Kershaw managed to score a handful of pop hits and, in doing so, establish himself as a profitable commercial songwriter. Kershaw began his musical career by learning to play guitar when he was a teenager. In 1974, he joined his first band, Half Pint Hogg, which played nothing but Deep Purple covers. However, his musical ideas were not limited to heavy metal; after he left school, he joined a jazz-funk band called Fusion. Fusion released one album, Til I Hear From You, in the late 70s. Once the group broke up, Kershaw signed to MCA Records with the help of Nine Below Zeros manager, Micky Modern.
Kershaw released his first solo single, I Wont Let the Sun Go Down on Me, in 1983; it peaked at number 47 on the U.K. charts. His next single, Wouldnt It Be Good, hit number five in the U.K. and charted at number 46 in the U.S. Its success led to stardom in Britain for Kershaw; I Wont Let the Sun Go Down on Me was re-released in summer of 1984 and charted at number two, leading to a series of hit singles. Released in 1986, his third album, Radio Musicola, wasnt as successful as his previous albums. Kershaw subsequently retreated from performing and recording regularly. Although he released The Works in 1990, Kershaws main musical contribution since the late 80s is as a songwriter; hes written several songs for other artists, including Chesney Hawkes hit single The One and Only. After years of writing for others, Kershaw returned with his own 15 Minutes for Pyramid Records.
