Bernie Nolan obit

Bernie Nolan: Singer Dies After Cancer Battle

The 52-year-old lead singer of The Nolans - best known for 1979 hit I'm In The Mood For Dancing - saw the disease return in 2012.

 She was not on the list.

Irish singer and actress Bernie Nolan has died aged 52 after a long battle with cancer, her publicist confirmed.

The former lead vocalist of The Nolans was told in 2010 she was clear of breast cancer but last year discovered it had spread to her brain, lungs, liver and bones.

A spokeswoman for the family said: "Bernie passed away peacefully this morning with all of her family around her.

"The entire family are devastated to have lost beloved Bernie, a wonderful wife, adoring mother and loving sister; she is irreplaceable.

"They kindly ask people to respect their privacy at this difficult time."

Nolan shot to stardom with her singing sisters and the group is best known for the 1979 hit I'm In The Mood For Dancing, which sold millions of records around the world.

The Nolans also enjoyed success with songs such as Don't Make Waves, Attention To Me and Gotta Pull Myself Together and became huge in Japan where they are said to have sold more records than The Beatles.

They also supported Frank Sinatra on the European leg of his world tour.

Nolan was born in Ireland and grew up performing with her singer parents and eight siblings in pubs and clubs at night as a family troupe.

She once said: "It got to the stage where they didn't talk about whether the new baby was going to be a boy or a girl, but whether they could sing."

The girls' father Tommy became their manager and after his death Anne, the eldest sister, revealed he had sexually abused her from the age of 11.

Nolan quit The Nolans in 1994 to focus on her solo career.

But the group reunited in 2009, in a sell-out UK reunion tour, which led to a dispute with two of the sisters, Denise and Anne, who had been excluded.

Siblings Coleen, Bernie, Maureen and Linda said that the record company made the decision.

Nolan, who gave birth to her daughter Erin in 1999, also enjoyed an acting career, with credits included Diane Murray in Channel 4 soap Brookside, and Sheelagh Murphy in ITV police drama The Bill.

She took part in Channel 4 series The Games and ITV's Popstar to Operastar, and in 1988 on Saturday morning children's show On The Waterfront.

On stage, Nolan performed in Blood Brothers, Flashdance The Musical and the UK tour of Chicago The Musical in 2012 and a touring production of Calendar Girls.

Nolan, who married drummer Steve Doneathy in 1996 and whose first daughter Kate was born stillborn in 1997, was the third Nolan sister to have cancer.

In an interview last year, she told Hello! magazine she felt "a weight has been lifted" after she went public about her illness.

She said: "There's no point dwelling on it, I've got to fight it, be positive and get on with it. I say a positive mantra to myself every day."

The instantly recognisable and distinctive voice of Bernie Nolan is for many people, the unmistakable 'sound' of The Nolans group. Bernie performed lead vocals on many of their hit singles including the cult hit record 'I'm in the Mood for Dancing'. One of the best rock singers in the UK over the last 20 years, Bernie Nolan's solo career has been just as successful as her time with the incredible Nolan family who have entertained audiences worldwide for the last three decades. Bernie appeared on the Tv show Cheggars Plays Pop as a team captain on several occasions whilst still a member of The Nolans before leaving the act in 1994 and one of her first solo projects was co-presenting a children's television show called On The Waterfront. In 1993 Bernie had starred at The Neptune Theatre, Liverpool in a musical adaptation of Dennis Wheatley's classical tale of the occult, The Devil Rides Out, her first acting role. Since then Bernie's solo career has gone from strength to strength and she became the first of three Nolan sisters to portray Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers both on tour and in The West End of London. After watching Bernie's wonderful portrayal of Mrs Johnstone in Liverpool, the casting directors of the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside approached her and asked her to audition for their show. Bernie was immediately cast in the role of hairdresser Diane Murray, a character that has gone on to be much loved by many viewers. In October 2002 Bernie left to join The Bill, playing the role of Sergeant Sheelagh Murphy. Still the best female rock vocalist in the UK, Bernie's transition from pop star to actress has been a successful one. The biggest compliment I can pay her is that fans of The Nolans now see her as Diane and not Bernie when watching the show. She's always had a great determination to do her best and allied with a sharp wit and wonderful sense of humour, Bernie Nolan is a real dynamo with more than her fair share of talent... but doesn't she use it well?

 

Her husband Steve wrote the song "Better Place" in memory of their daughter, and also gave their 2nd daughter Erin her name as a middle name.

Sister of Anne Nolan, Coleen Nolan, Maureen Nolan, Denise Nolan and Linda Nolan.

Gave birth to her 1st child at age 37, a stillborn daughter Kate Doneathy in May 1998. Child's father is her husband, Steve Doneathy.

Gave birth to her 2nd child at age 38, a daughter Erin Kate Doneathy on 26 April 1999. Child's father is her husband, Steve Doneathy.

Delivered her daughter Erin via emergency Caesarean section after the umbilical cord became wrapped around the baby's neck.

 

Born

October 17, 1960 · Dublin, Ireland

Died

July 4, 2013 · Weybridge, Surrey, England, UK (metastasized breast cancer)

Birth name

Bernadette Therese Nolan

Actress

Colin Blumenau, Nula Conwell, Peter Ellis, Trudie Goodwin, Jon Iles, Gary Olsen, Eric Richard, John Salthouse, Tony Scannell, Jeff Stewart, Mark Wingett, and Delia Swan in The Bill (1984)

The Bill

6.7

TV Series

PC Sheelagh Murphy

Sgt. Sheelagh Murphy

Sgt Sheelagh Murphy

2003–2005

119 episodes

 

Declan Donnelly and Anthony McPartlin in Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2002)

Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway

6.1

TV Series

Performer (as The Nolans)

2003

1 episode

 

Sue Jenkins, Sue Johnston, Dean Sullivan, and Claire Sweeney in Brookside (1982)

Brookside

6.6

TV Series

Diane Murray

2000–2002

250 episodes

 

Barry Chuckle and Paul Chuckle in ChuckleVision (1987)

ChuckleVision

7.2

TV Series

Mother

1996

1 episode

 

Gino D'Acampo in Family Fortunes (1980)

Family Fortunes

6.4

TV Series

Princess Priscilla

1990

1 episode

 

Bernie Nolan, Coleen Nolan, Linda Nolan, Anne Nolan, The Nolans, and Maureen Nolan in The Nolans: I'm in the Mood for Dancing (1979)

The Nolans: I'm in the Mood for Dancing

Music Video

Bernie Nolan

1979

 

Soundtrack

The Nolans: In the Mood for Dancing

7.6

TV Movie

performer: "I'm In The Mood For Dancing", "Holding Out for a Hero", "Who's Gonna Rock You", "Don't Love Me Too Hard"

2009

 

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby in This Morning (1988)

This Morning

4.4

TV Series

performer: "Holding Out for a Hero"

2009

1 episode

 

The Nolans (1981)

The Nolans

TV Series

performer: "This Is It" (uncredited)

1981

1 episode