Anne Nolan (born 12 November 1950) is an Irish singer, songwriter and author. She is best known for being a member of
The Nolans.
Biography
Early life
Anne Nolan was born in
Dublin,
Ireland, to Tommy (26 September 1925–1998) and Maureen Nolan (15 December 1926–30 December 2007), she is the second of eight siblings and the oldest of the Nolan sisters, preceding
Denise
Denise may refer to:
* Denise (given name), people with the given name ''Denise''
* Denise (computer chip), a video graphics chip from the Amiga computer
* "Denise" (song), a 1963 song by Randy & the Rainbows
* Denise, Mato Grosso, a municipalit ...
,
Maureen Maureen is a female given name. In Gaelic, it is Máirín, a pet form of ''Máire'' (the Irish cognate of Mary), which is derived from the Hebrew Miriam. The name has sometimes been regarded as corresponding to the male given name Maurice.
Some ...
,
Linda,
Bernie, and
Coleen respectively, as well as two brothers Tommy and Brian.
The family lived in
Raheny
Raheny () is a northern suburb of Dublin, Ireland, halfway from the city centre to Howth. It is centred on a historic settlement, first documented in 570 CE ( Mervyn Archdall). The district shares Dublin's two largest municipal parks, Saint Anne ...
, a suburb of
Dublin, before moving to
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
,
England in 1962.
The Nolans
Anne, along with her sisters, was a part of the singing group
The Nolans. The Nolans had a number one hit in 1979 with their song
I'm in the Mood for Dancing. It charted at no.2 on Irish music charts, and was no. 1 on charts in Japan and South Africa. Anne left the group for a short period of time, between 1980 and 1982, with her sister Coleen stepping in for Anne. During Anne's two years absence from the group, they won the 1981
Tokyo Music Festival with their song "Sexy Music".
Anne reunited with The Nolans as a five-piece (including Bernie, Coleen, Linda and Maureen) for one-off performance of "I'm In the Mood for Dancing" first for BBC One's ''All Time Greatest Party Songs'', hosted by
Tess Daly, which aired on 17 December 2005 and again on 9 August 2007 on ''Loose Women'',
but dismissed any immediate prospect of a full-scale reunion.
[ Uploaded copy of interview.] Anne has only missed out on one reunion, which took place in 2009. She returned yet again in 2020, when they reformed, and remained in the group until its disbandment in 2022.
Later works
Anne 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 2012, Anne Nolan released her solo album, ''Just One Voice''.
In February 2020, it was announced that the Nolans would appear in a new TV series for
Quest Red, ''The Nolans Go Crusing'', a rival show to
Channel 5's award winning ''
Cruising with Jane McDonald''. In the first series, Anne performed with the group together for the first time in over 10 years. A second series was confirmed with the return of her sister Denise.
In 2021, Anne and sister
Linda Nolan
Linda Nolan (born 23 February 1959) is an Irish singer, actress and television personality. After moving with her family to Blackpool, at the age of three in 1962, she attained fame as a member of the girl group The Nolans in 1974, along with h ...
released ''Stronger Together'', a book about dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
In November 2021, Anne spoke to the
Daily Express
The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...
about her career struggles as a Nolan member, in which she revealed the group were not paid correctly. Anne is an ambassador for the Great Pink Run, in which she gave a rare performance to thousands of runners in 2022.
In May 2023, Anne announced a new autobiography ''New Beginnings'' was released on 20 May 2023. A paperback version was later released in 2024.
Personal life
Anne Nolan was married to Brian Wilson (not to be confused with the
musician
A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...
from
The Beach Boys) from 1979 to 2007, when they divorced. In 2022, it was announced that Nolan had beaten cancer for the second time.
Discography
Studio albums
EPs and mini-albums
Singles
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nolan, Anne
1950 births
Living people
Irish pop singers
Musicians from Dublin (city)
Irish emigrants to the United Kingdom
Irish women singers
Musicians from Blackpool