# Bernie Nolan

Bernadette Therese Doneathy (née Nolan; 17 October 1960 – 4 July 2013) was an Irish actress, singer and television personality, formerly lead vocalist of the girl group the Nolans. She was the second youngest of sisters Anne, Denise, Maureen, Linda and Coleen. From the age of two, Bernie was brought up in Blackpool, Lancashire, England.
The Nolans began in 1974 and went on to have seven UK Top 20 hits, including "I'm in the Mood for Dancing" (1979), "Gotta Pull Myself Together" (1980) and "Attention to Me" (1981). They won the 1981 Tokyo Music Festival with "Sexy Music". Bernie left the group in 1995 to become an actress. On television, she had roles in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside from 2000 to 2002 and the ITV police drama The Bill from 2002 to 2005, while her numerous roles in stage musicals included Mrs. Johnstone in Blood Brothers (1998–2000), Hannah Owens in Flashdance: The Musical (2008–2009) and Mama Morton in Chicago (2012). She was also a member of the Nolans line-up that reformed for a successful tour of the UK and Ireland in 2009. She died from breast cancer in July 2013.

## Early life and career

Nolan was born in Dublin in 1960, the seventh of eight children born to Tommy and Maureen Nolan. The Nolan family moved from Dublin to Blackpool in 1962 and began performing as the Singing Nolans.
In 1974, the sisters formed the Nolan Sisters, later shortened to the Nolans and made their TV debut that year on Cliff Richard's show, It's Cliff Richard. In 1975, they supported Frank Sinatra on his European tour. In 1979, they released their biggest hit "I'm in the Mood for Dancing", which reached number three in the UK and was the first of seven top twenty hits. The others, with Bernie Nolan usually singing lead vocals, were "Don't Make Waves", (1980) "Gotta Pull Myself Together" (1980), "Who's Gonna Rock You" (1980), "Attention to Me" (1981), "Chemistry" (1981) and "Don't Love Me Too Hard" (1982). The Nolans sold millions of recordings worldwide, particularly in Japan where they sold over nine million albums and won the 1981 Tokyo Music Festival with the song "Sexy Music". Bernie also composed songs during this time, when she wrote two tracks for their 1982 album Portrait. In 1991, the group won the Planning award (企画賞, Kikaku-shō) of the 33rd Japan Record Awards for Cover version of Japanese pops.

## Acting

Nolan first acted as a cast member on the BBC Saturday morning children's show On the Waterfront. Critics positively reviewed her gift for comedy. The Nolan sisters and their music were a running gag on the show, and Bernie was joined by her sisters for a musical performance during at least one episode. Bernie left the group in 1995 to concentrate on her own acting career, which began with her 1993 performance in the stage play, The Devil Rides Out. She played Mrs. Johnstone in Willy Russell's Blood Brothers in the UK tour for over two years. She was the first of four Nolan sisters to have played the role, being followed by Denise, Linda and then Maureen. For this, the sisters earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the most siblings to play the same role at different times in a professional production.
In 2000, Nolan joined the cast of Channel 4's soap opera Brookside as Diane Murray after being noticed by Paul Marquess whilst starring in Blood Brothers. She left Brookside in 2002 when her character was killed off. She then went on to play Sheelagh Murphy in ITV's police drama series The Bill, in which she starred until 2005.
In 2006, Nolan took part in Channel 4's series The Games. Her stint on the game was to raise money for charity, including Alzheimer's and children's charities. In 2007, she starred in the play Mum's the Word, playing the character 'Robin' which she reprised in the 2008 tour (alongside her sister, Maureen who played Jill) and once again in 2010. During the summer season of 2007, Bernie appeared at the Blackpool North Pier Theatre in her own production, Soap Queens (And Kings!).
In 2008, Nolan appeared in the UK touring production of Flashdance the Musical for over a year, playing Hannah Owens. In January and February 2010, she participated in the ITV celebrity reality television programme Popstar to Operastar, reaching the final, where she lost to Darius Campbell. In 2012, she appeared as Mama Morton, in the UK tour of the musical Chicago.

## Return to singing

Nolan released the single "Macushla" in 2004 with the proceeds going to charity. It peaked at No. 38 in the UK Singles Chart in March 2004. Regarding this release, Lorraine Kelly wrote: "I wouldn't have expected anything else from one of the hardest working women in showbiz". In 2005, she released her debut solo album, All By Myself. The album consists mainly of power ballads, including the song "Better Place", written by Nolan's husband in memory of their daughter, Kate, who was stillborn in 1998. In 2009, four of the Nolan sisters, Bernie, Coleen, Linda and Maureen, reformed for a successful 23-date tour of the UK and Ireland. To coincide with the tour, they released an album, I'm in the Mood Again, which reached No. 22 in the UK Album Charts.

## Personal life

Nolan married drummer Steve Doneathy in 1996, in Lancashire. The couple lived in St Anne's on Sea, Lancashire and later in Weybridge, Surrey. In 1998 she gave birth to their daughter who was stillborn and another daughter in 1999. Bernie had previously been in a relationship with Bradley Walsh.

## Illness and death

On 23 April 2010, it was announced that Nolan was suffering from breast cancer. In October 2010, she stated that she was cancer-free after having undergone chemotherapy and a mastectomy and was taking herceptin. In February 2012, she announced that she was no longer taking cancer treatment drugs and was completely free of cancer.
At the end of October 2012, Nolan announced that the cancer had returned and had metastasised to her brain, lungs, liver and bones.
Nolan died in her sleep, at her home in Surrey, on 4 July 2013, aged 52.
Nolan's funeral service was held on 17 July 2013 at the Grand Theatre, Blackpool and she was later cremated at Carleton Crematorium. Her ashes were then buried alongside those of her stillborn daughter.

## Discography
### Studio Albums

| Title | Details | Year |
| The Singing Nolans | Released: June 1972 Label: Nevis Formats: LP | 1972 |
| The Nolan Sisters | Released: 1975 Label: Hanover Grand Formats: LP | 1975 |
| 20 Giant Hits | Released: 7 July 1978 Label: Target Formats: LP, MC Released in Japan in February 1981 | 1978 |
| Nolan Sisters | Released: 19 November 1979 Label: Epic Formats: LP, MC Released in Japan as Dancing Sisters | 1979 |
| Making Waves | Released: 17 October 1980 Label: Epic Formats: LP, MC | 1980 |
| Portrait | Released: 19 March 1982 Label: Epic Formats: CD, LP, MC Released in Japan in December 1981 as Don't Love Me Too Hard | 1982 |
| Girls Just Wanna Have Fun! | Released: 1 November 1984 Label: Towerbell Formats: CD, LP, MC | 1984 |
| Tenderly | Released: 1986 Label: Stoic/Spartan Formats: LP | 1986 |
| Playback Part 2 | Released: 21 July 1991 Label: Teichiku Formats: CD, MC Momoe Yamaguchi cover album Japan-only release | 1991 |
| Rock and Rolling Idol | Released: 21 August 1991 Label: Teichiku Formats: CD Kyōko Koizumi cover album Japan-only release | 1991 |
| Tidal Wave | Released: 21 September 1991 Label: Teichiku Formats: CD J-pop cover album Japan-only release | 1991 |
| The Hottest Place on Earth | Released: 21 May 1992 Label: Teichiku Formats: CD Featuring Princess Princess cover songs Japan-only release | 1992 |
| Please Don't | Released: 23 September 1992 Label: Teichiku Formats: CD Kayōkyoku cover album Japan-only release | 1992 |
| The Nolans Sing Momoe 2005 | Released: 19 January 2005 Label: SMDR GT Music Formats: CD Japan-only release Re-recording of Playback Part 2 | 2005 |
| I'm in the Mood Again | Released: 28 September 2009 Label: Universal Formats: CD | 2009 |

### EPs and mini-albums

| Title | Details | Year |
| The Singing Nolans (Silent Night) | Released: December 1972 Label: Nevis Formats: 7" EP | 1972 |
| Dancing Sisters | Released: 21 July 1980 Label: Epic Format: 10" mini-album Japan-only release | 1980 |
| Greatest Original Hits – 4 Track E.P. | Released: March 1983 Label: Epic Formats: 7" EP | 1983 |
| The Nolans | Released: March 1984 Label: Scoop 33 Formats: 7" EP, MC | 1984 |

### Singles

| Single | Year |
| "Blackpool" (as the Singing Nolans) | 1972 |
| "But I Do" (as the Nolan Sisters) | 1974 |
| "(Won't You) Make a Little Sunshine Shine" (as Nolan Sisters) | 1975 |
| "Rain" (as the Nolan Sisters) | 1976 |
| "Thanks for Calling" (as Nolan Sisters) | 1976 |
| "When You Are a King" (as the Nolan Sisters) | 1976 |
| "Love Transformation" (as Nolan Sisters) | 1977 |
| "Love Bandit" (as Nolan Sisters) | 1977 |
| "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" (as the Nolan Sisters) | 1978 |
| "Harry My Honolulu Lover" (as Nolan Sisters) | 1979 |
| "Spirit, Body and Soul" (as Nolan Sisters) | 1979 |
| "I'm in the Mood for Dancing" | 1979 |
| "Don't Make Waves" | 1980 |
| "Gotta Pull Myself Together" | 1980 |
| "Who's Gonna Rock You" | 1980 |
| "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" (Japan-only release) | 1981 |
| "Attention to Me" | 1981 |
| "Sexy Music" (Japan-only release) | 1981 |
| "Chemistry" | 1981 |
| "Don't Love Me Too Hard" | 1981 |
| "Crashing Down" | 1982 |
| "Dragonfly" | 1982 |
| "Dressed to Kill" | 1983 |
| "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" (Japan-only release) | 1985 |
| "Goodbye Nothin' to Say" | 1985 |
| "Let's Spend the Night Together" | 1986 |
| "I'm in the Mood for Dancin '89" (re-recording) | 1989 |
| "Take Me All" (Japan-only release) | 1991 |
| "Rock and Rolling Idol" (Japan-only release) | 1991 |
| "Tidal Wave" (Japan-only release) | 1991 |
| "Sexy Music" (re-recording; Japan-only release) | 1991 |
| "Colourful Nolans" (Japan-only release) | 1992 |
| "Mother Earth" (Japan-only release) | 1992 |
| "I'm in the Mood for Dancing" (re-recording) | 1995 |

## Works

* Nolan, Bernie (12 September 2013). Now and Forever. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-1444776805.