Community hub
Recent from talks
Contribute something to knowledge base
Content stats: 0 posts, 0 articles, 0 media, 0 notes
Members stats: 0 subscribers, 0 contributors, 0 moderators, 0 supporters
Subscribers
Supporters
Contributors
Moderators
Hub AI
The Nolans AI simulator
(@The Nolans_simulator)
Hub AI
The Nolans AI simulator
(@The Nolans_simulator)
The Nolans
The Nolans were an Anglo-Irish girl group formed in Blackpool in 1974, originally known as the Nolan Sisters. They changed their name to the Nolans in 1980. Between 1979 and 1982, they enjoyed a string of hit singles, including "I'm in the Mood for Dancing", "Gotta Pull Myself Together", "Who's Gonna Rock You", "Attention to Me", and "Chemistry". They became one of the world’s best-selling girl groups and found particular success in Japan. In 1981, they became the first European act to win the Tokyo Music Festival with "Sexy Music", and in 1991, they received a Japan Record Award (Tokubetsu Kikaku Shō).
The group disbanded in 2005 but re-formed in 2009 with only four of the original members. A "farewell tour" was planned for 2013, but it was cancelled after the death of Bernie Nolan. A reality-television show featuring the group was later launched, but no further albums or tours were announced. In 2025, Linda Nolan died of breast cancer and double pneumonia after being admitted to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where she later fell into a coma.
Tommy (26 September 1925 – 1998) and Maureen Nolan (15 December 1926 – 30 December 2007) met at Clerys Ballroom in Dublin and raised their family in Raheny. Tommy had a radio show on RTÉ. The lack of work forced the young family to move from Dublin to Blackpool in 1962, and there they launched a family singing group, the Singing Nolans, in 1963. The original line-up comprised the parents, and seven of their eight children: sons Tommy (born 20 July 1949) and Brian (born 19 June 1955), and daughters Anne (born 12 November 1950), Denise (born 6 April 1952), Maureen (born 14 June 1954), Linda (23 February 1959 – 15 January 2025), and Bernadette ('Bernie', 17 October 1960 – 4 July 2013). The youngest member, Coleen (born 12 March 1965), did not formally join the group until 1980 as she was too young to perform with her sisters.
The family performed even as the five girls went to school at Blackpool's St Mary's Catholic College. The Nolans also attended The Cardinal Wiseman School in Greenford, West London.
The Singing Nolans recorded an album, The Singing Nolans, a single "Blackpool" – a song about their local football club, Blackpool F.C., that is still used on match days at Bloomfield Road – and the EP Silent Night for the Nevis label in 1972.
Tommy Nolan Sr. died of liver cancer in 1998. His widow, Maureen, died in Blackpool on 30 December 2007, aged 81, after suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Anne Nolan released her autobiography, titled Anne's Song, on 27 March 2008. In the book, co-written with Richard Barber, Anne said she had been repeatedly sexually abused by her father, from the age of 11 until she was 15 or 16.
In 1973, the Singing Nolans were booked to sing in Blackpool's Cliffs Hotel on Christmas Day. After their performance, their father Tommy Nolan was at the bar when businessman Joe Lewis told Tommy that he was very interested for Tommy's daughters to move to London to sing in Lewis's club above the New London Theatre. In early 1974, the Nolan clan moved to London to work in the London Rooms on Drury Lane, where the girls changed their name from the Singing Nolans to the Nolan Sisters. They made their television debut on Cliff Richard's TV show, singing "Now I'm Stuck on You" and were the resident guests for the entire run of series 4 of It's Cliff Richard on BBC1. The line-up included Coleen, who sang lead on their debut single "But I Do" released on EMI records in 1974 (EMI 2209).
The Nolans
The Nolans were an Anglo-Irish girl group formed in Blackpool in 1974, originally known as the Nolan Sisters. They changed their name to the Nolans in 1980. Between 1979 and 1982, they enjoyed a string of hit singles, including "I'm in the Mood for Dancing", "Gotta Pull Myself Together", "Who's Gonna Rock You", "Attention to Me", and "Chemistry". They became one of the world’s best-selling girl groups and found particular success in Japan. In 1981, they became the first European act to win the Tokyo Music Festival with "Sexy Music", and in 1991, they received a Japan Record Award (Tokubetsu Kikaku Shō).
The group disbanded in 2005 but re-formed in 2009 with only four of the original members. A "farewell tour" was planned for 2013, but it was cancelled after the death of Bernie Nolan. A reality-television show featuring the group was later launched, but no further albums or tours were announced. In 2025, Linda Nolan died of breast cancer and double pneumonia after being admitted to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where she later fell into a coma.
Tommy (26 September 1925 – 1998) and Maureen Nolan (15 December 1926 – 30 December 2007) met at Clerys Ballroom in Dublin and raised their family in Raheny. Tommy had a radio show on RTÉ. The lack of work forced the young family to move from Dublin to Blackpool in 1962, and there they launched a family singing group, the Singing Nolans, in 1963. The original line-up comprised the parents, and seven of their eight children: sons Tommy (born 20 July 1949) and Brian (born 19 June 1955), and daughters Anne (born 12 November 1950), Denise (born 6 April 1952), Maureen (born 14 June 1954), Linda (23 February 1959 – 15 January 2025), and Bernadette ('Bernie', 17 October 1960 – 4 July 2013). The youngest member, Coleen (born 12 March 1965), did not formally join the group until 1980 as she was too young to perform with her sisters.
The family performed even as the five girls went to school at Blackpool's St Mary's Catholic College. The Nolans also attended The Cardinal Wiseman School in Greenford, West London.
The Singing Nolans recorded an album, The Singing Nolans, a single "Blackpool" – a song about their local football club, Blackpool F.C., that is still used on match days at Bloomfield Road – and the EP Silent Night for the Nevis label in 1972.
Tommy Nolan Sr. died of liver cancer in 1998. His widow, Maureen, died in Blackpool on 30 December 2007, aged 81, after suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Anne Nolan released her autobiography, titled Anne's Song, on 27 March 2008. In the book, co-written with Richard Barber, Anne said she had been repeatedly sexually abused by her father, from the age of 11 until she was 15 or 16.
In 1973, the Singing Nolans were booked to sing in Blackpool's Cliffs Hotel on Christmas Day. After their performance, their father Tommy Nolan was at the bar when businessman Joe Lewis told Tommy that he was very interested for Tommy's daughters to move to London to sing in Lewis's club above the New London Theatre. In early 1974, the Nolan clan moved to London to work in the London Rooms on Drury Lane, where the girls changed their name from the Singing Nolans to the Nolan Sisters. They made their television debut on Cliff Richard's TV show, singing "Now I'm Stuck on You" and were the resident guests for the entire run of series 4 of It's Cliff Richard on BBC1. The line-up included Coleen, who sang lead on their debut single "But I Do" released on EMI records in 1974 (EMI 2209).