Bernie Nolan | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Born | Bernadette Therese Nolan 17 October 1960 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 4 July 2013 (aged 52) |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer, entertainer |
| Years active | 1974–2013 |
| Television | Top of the Pops Brookside The Bill Loose Women This Morning |
| Spouse |
Steve Doneathy (m. 1996) |
| Relatives | Anne Nolan (sister) Denise Nolan (sister) Maureen Nolan (sister) Linda Nolan (sister) Coleen Nolan (sister) Jake Roche (nephew) |
Bernadette Therese 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. Bernie died from breast cancer in July 2013.