Bananarama: Death of our friend George Michael brought us back together

GIRL GROUP Bananarama have said they agreed to put their rift behind them and reform because George Michael’s death made them realise life was too short not to.

Keren Woodward, Sara Dallin and Siobhan Fahey shot to fame in the 1980s as Bananarama and became close friends of singer Michael, who died aged 53 on Christmas Day last year.

Woodward, who lived with his Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley for 25 years but has now split from him, continued the act as a duo with Dallin but said that Michael’s death was the catalyst for becoming a trio again.

Bananarama (l-r) Keren Woodward, Siobhan Fahey, and Sarah Dallin) at the Royal Albert Hall, prior to the British Record Industry Awards.

The 56-year-old told The Sun: “Our best friend from the era was obviously George Michael, who sadly now isn’t here.

“It was so shocking. Horrific. I remember the moment I found out, in a phone call from another close friend on Christmas Day.”

Woodward, whose cousin had died shortly beforehand, went on: “Before George’s death the fact my cousin had passed away had already got me thinking along those lines too – the fact that they were both around my age, that just makes you think ‘Life’s too bloody short’.

“You’ve got to do whatever you can, you don’t know what’s going to happen, and all those things made me think ‘It’s now or never’.”

Bananarama last performed together at the 1988 Brit Awards and fell out when Fahey left the group to set up duo Shakespears Sister with Marcella Detroit.

Singers Keren Woodward, Sara Dallin and Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama performing at the 20th anniversary of GAY in London.

Dallin said of the group’s rows: “It’s really because we were emotionally immature – whereas nowadays we’d just talk about it and deal with things properly.

“But instead we just went off in a huff, and didn’t speak to each other, and it caused all those issues.”

Bananarama performing on stage during the Hard Rock PINKTOBER Women Of Rock concert, at the Royal Albert Hall in west London.

Bananarama were known for voicing their strong opinions and refusing to be intimidated by music industry bosses.

Fahey said: “If we’d been guys it wouldn’t have been mentioned – we know a lot of stroppy guys who are treated with adulation. They’re labelled ‘driven’.

“We were the prototype for women taking control.”

Bananarama will go on a UK tour in November and December.