Patricia Ann Ruth Noble (3 February 1944 – 23 January 2021) was an Australian singer and actress. Initially performing as Patsy Ann Noble, she was a teenage pop singer in the early 1960s, with regular appearances on the Australian music and variety television series ''

Bandstand A bandstand (sometimes music kiosk) is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an ornamen ...

''. In November 1961, she released her biggest hit single, "Good Looking Boy", which reached the Top 10 in Melbourne and Top 20 in Sydney. At the 1961

Logie Award The TV Week Logie Awards (known colloquially as The Logies) is an annual ceremony celebrating and honouring the best shows and stars in Television in Australia, Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The eve ...

s, she won the Best Female Singer of the Year award from ''

TV Week ''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news. Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...

''. By 1962, she had transferred to the United Kingdom and continued her singing career by releasing singles there. In 1965, Noble started her television acting career, and by 1967, she was using Trisha Noble as her stage name. By the 1970s, she had relocated to the United States and had guest roles on various television series including ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from September 19, 1970 ...

'', ''

Columbo ''Columbo'' is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Columbo (character), Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originall ...

'', ''

Baretta ''Baretta'' is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a revised and milder version of a 1973–1974 ABC series, '' Toma'', starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police ...

'', ''

McMillan & Wife ''McMillan & Wife'' (known simply as ''McMillan'' from 1976 to 1977) is an American police procedural television series that aired on NBC from September 17, 1971, to April 24, 1977. Starring Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James in the title roles, ...

'', ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner, aired on NBC from September 13, 1974, to January 10, 1980. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator Jim Rockford, with Noah Beery Jr. in th ...

'', and '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century''. In 1983, Noble returned to Australia where she expanded into a career as a theatrical actress. In 2005, Noble had a minor role in '' Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'' as Jobal Naberrie, the mother of lead character

Padmé Amidala Padmé Amidala (, ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. She first appeared in the 1999 film ''The Phantom Menace'' as the teenage queen of the fictional planet Naboo. In the following two films of the prequel trilogy, Padm ...

, and thus the maternal grandmother of characters

Luke Skywalker Luke Skywalker is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in the original film trilogy as the main protagonist and also appears in the sequel trilogy. Raised as a poor moisture farmer on the desert planet Tat ...

and Leia Organa.

Early life and family

Patricia "Trisha" Ann Ruth Noble was born on 3 February 1944 in Marrickville and grew up in Sydney, Australia. Her father was Clarence Lancelot "Buster" Noble (1 March 1913 – 15 July 1990), a comedian and singer; her mother was Helen De Paul (born Helen McGoulrick, 1921–2007), an entertainer, singer, dancer, and comedian on the

Tivoli circuit The Tivoli Circuit was a successful and popular Australian vaudeville entertainment circuit featuring revue, opera, ballet, dance, singing, musical comedy, old time black and white minstrel and even Shakespeare which flourished from 1893 to th ...

. During World War II, Buster served as a sergeant in the Waratahs Entertainment Unit in the AIF from November 1942 to January 1946. Noble has a younger sister, Amanda. In 1950, Noble appeared onstage with her parents and had her own radio programme. By age 14, she was qualified to teach ballet.

Music career

Noble rose to fame as a teenage singing star in the 1960s under the name Patsy Ann Noble. Her singing career was encouraged by Brian Henderson, the compere of the Australian version of ''

'', where she made regular appearances. She was signed to the

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...

and released her first single "Like I'm in Love" / "I Love You So Much It Hurts" in November 1960. She became good friends with a young Peter Allen, who had formed the successful Allen Brothers with Chris Bell, and released one of his compositions "Busy Lips" in January 1961. However, it was not until Johnny Devlin, a New Zealand singer-songwriter, handed her the lyrics of "Good Looking Boy" in November 1961 that she had her first Top 10 hit in Melbourne. "Good Looking Boy" was also top 20 in Sydney, but did not chart internationally. It was released in the United Kingdom, but did not reach the Top 100. Noble won the 'Best Female Singer of the Year'

for 1961, presented by ''

''. By December 1962, Patsy Ann had scored herself two No. 1 and four Top 10 singles in Australia. In 1962, she travelled to London where she was given a two-year contract with

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

. There, she released many "girl group"-sounding pop songs including "Sour Grapes" (February 1963), "I'm Nobody's Baby" (1963), and "Accidents Will Happen" (1963), but received little commercial success – although she continued to score hits between 1963 and 1965 in Australia. In 1963, she appeared in the British musical film '' Live It Up!'' (with music produced by

Joe Meek Robert George "Joe" Meek (5 April 1929 – 3 February 1967) was an English record producer and songwriter considered one of the most influential sound engineers of all time, being one of the first to develop ideas such as the recording studio a ...

), although only in a singing role. In June 1965, Noble released "He Who Rides a Tiger" which peaked at No. 21 on the British Top 30, and No. 15 on Australia's Top 40. During the 1960s, Noble released six albums in Australia and one in England, the most popular being ''The Blonde Bombshell'' (1961) which received an award for most outstanding vocal performance on an album.

Acting career

In the second half of the 1960s, she turned to acting and made her dramatic screen debut in a 1965

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

television production entitled ''The Snowball'', and soon found herself appearing on other television series, including the 1966 ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again ...

'' episode "Not So Jolly Roger" (in which her recording "He Who Rides a Tiger" was featured), '' Callan'' (1970, "The Same Trick Twice") with

Edward Woodward Edward Albert Arthur Woodward (1 June 1930 – 16 November 2009) was an English actor and singer. He began his career on stage, appearing in productions in both the West End of London and on Broadway in New York City. He came to wider att ...

, and films such as '' Death Is a Woman'' (1966), in which Noble had a lead role as the femme fatale), and ''

Carry On Camping ''Carry On Camping'' is a 1969 British comedy film, the 17th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It features series regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Terry Scott, Hattie Jacques, ...

'' (1969). After 1967, Noble had changed her name to Trisha Noble in order to distance herself from her years as a teen singer. She relocated to the United States beginning in 1971 and appeared in films and television series. She guest-starred on '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'' as Sabrina, a superhuman thief in the episode "Cruise Ship to the Stars". In a guest appearance on ''

'' in 1976, she played a female reporter who tries to seduce Ted Baxter (

Ted Knight Ted Knight (born Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka; December 7, 1923August 26, 1986) was an American actor known for playing the comedic roles of Ted Baxter in ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', Henry Rush in '' Too Close for Comfort'' and Judge Elihu Sm ...

) during the episode "Ted's Temptation". She also appeared in ''

Up Pompeii! ''Up Pompeii!'' is a British television comedy series set in ancient Pompeii and broadcast between 1969 and 1970, starring Frankie Howerd. The first series was written by Talbot Rothwell, a scriptwriter for the ''Carry On'' films, and the seco ...

'' (series 1) as high priestess of the

Vestal Virgins In Religion in ancient Rome, ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins or Vestals (, singular ) were Glossary of ancient Roman religion#sacerdos, priestesses of Vesta (mythology), Vesta, virgin goddess of Rome's sacred hearth and its flame. The Vestals ...

. In 1975, Noble appeared in the ''

'' episode "Playback", in which she meets the murderer (played by

Oskar Werner Oskar Werner (; born Oskar Josef Bschließmayer; 13 November 1922 – 23 October 1984) was an Austrian stage and cinema actor who reached international fame. His most prominent roles include two 1965 films, '' The Spy Who Came In from the Cold' ...

) in an

art gallery An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The long ...

wearing a low-cut dress. She was cast by the director who had spotted her in a party wearing the same dress. In 1976–77, she had the ongoing role of Yvonne Holland on the soap opera ''

Executive Suite ''Executive Suite'' is a 1954 American Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer drama film directed by Robert Wise and written by Ernest Lehman, based on the 1952 novel of the same name by Cameron Hawley. The film stars William Holden, June Allyson, Barbara St ...

'', and appeared in the 1977 television miniseries '' The Rhinemann Exchange'' and ''Testimony of Two Men''. In 1979, she featured on ''

'' as Odette Lependieu in the two-part episode "Never Send a Boy King To Do a Man's Job". In 1980, Noble played the role of heiress Phyllis Morley in the mystery comedy film '' The Private Eyes'' starring

Tim Conway Thomas Daniel "Tim" Conway (December 15, 1933 – May 14, 2019) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and director. Conway is perhaps best known as a regular cast member (1975–1978) on the TV comedy ''The Carol Burnett Show'' where he port ...

and

Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the 1960s sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'', for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He als ...

. Another ongoing role was as Detective Rosie Johnson on the police drama '' Strike Force'' (starring

Robert Stack Robert Stack (born Charles Langford Modini Stack; January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American actor and television host. Known for his deep voice and commanding presence, he appeared in over forty feature films. He starred in the America ...

) on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

in 1981–82. She also appeared in Season 4 of ''

Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset ...

'' as Laela. Soon after ''Strike Force'' was cancelled, Noble returned to Australia in 1983 with her son Patrick because her father, Buster, was seriously ill. She re-established a career there as a theatrical actress. In 1986, she appeared in the television miniseries ''Body Business''. In 2002, Noble filmed a small role as

's mother (and thus the maternal grandmother of

and Leia Organa), Jobal Naberrie, in '' Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'' which was cut from the final film – but included on the DVD release. Noble briefly reprised the role in '' Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'' in 2005. In 2003 Trisha Noble played the role of Ellie Greenwich's "Ma" to critical acclaim in "Leader of the Pack" at ''The Star'' in Sydney, showcasing both her comic onstage genius as well as her vocal range, never failing to bring the audience to tears with her stunning rendition of "Look of Love". She continued to perform on the live stage and, as of 2007, appeared with the new National Music Theatre Company,

Kookaburra Kookaburras (pronounced ) are terrestrial animal, terrestrial tree kingfishers of the genus ''Dacelo'' native to Australia and New Guinea, which grow to between in length and weigh around . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri language, Wira ...

, in their premiere season of '' Pippin'' as Berthe at the Sydney Theatre.

Death

Noble died on 23 January 2021, at the age of 76, after what was described as an 18-month battle with

mesothelioma Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs (known as the mesothelium). The area most commonly affected is the lining of the lungs and chest wall. Less commonly the lini ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography

Note that all recordings are credited to Patsy Ann Noble, the name she used from start of her singing career.

Albums

* ''Just for You'' (1962) * ''Hits and Rarities – The Story of Patsy Ann Noble'' (1997)

EP

''Il Est Là Le Garço''n
Label: Columbia – ESRF 1506, Présence Mondiale – ESRF 1506
Format: Vinyl, 7", EP
Country: France
Released: 1964
Tracklist * A1 Il Est Là Le Garçon (Heartbreak Avenue) * A2 Tout Ce Que Je Souhaite (Accidents Will Happen) * B1 C'est Drôle Les Rêves (The Proud Boy) * B2 Ça Pourrait Changer (Don't You Ever Change Your Mind)

Singles

* "Like I’m in Love" (Walker & Lynn)/"I Love You So Much It Hurts" (Tillman). Recorded with orchestra under direction of Bob Young. Sydney, November 1960. * "Busy Lips" ( Peter Allen, Chris Bell of The Allen Brothers). Recorded with The Delltones and orchestra directed by Bob Young. Sydney, January 1961. * "It's Always the Way" ( Johnny Devlin) * "A Guy Who Can Mend a Broken Heart" ( Lucky Starr) * "Good Looking Boy" (Johnny Devlin) 24 November 1961Noel McGrath's Australian Encyclopedia of Rock'' Outback Press, Victoria, Australia 1978 * "I’m Not Supposed to Know" (Johnny Ashcroft, Lorna Barry, Noel Balfour). Recorded with orchestra directed by Geoff Harvey. Sydney, 1962 * "Oh, My Little Baby Darling (I Love You)" (Joe Halford, Jay Justin) * "Don’t Love and Run" (Chet Clark) * "I’ll Be Thinking of You" (Lorna Barry, Noel Balfour) * "Once in a Lifetime" (Johnny Devlin) * "When You Find Your True Love" (Joe Halford, Ray Swinfield) * " Johnny One Note" (

Rodgers and Hart Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership between composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and the lyricist Lorenz Hart (1895–1943). They worked together on 28 stage musicals and more than 500 songs from 1919 until Hart's ...

). Recorded with accompaniments arranged & conducted by Geoff Harvey. Sydney, 1962 * "

Moon River "Moon River" is a song composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was originally performed by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 film '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'', winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The song also won the 19 ...

" (

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flutist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Awards, ...

) * "

I'm Beginning to See the Light "I'm Beginning to See the Light" is a popular song and jazz standard, with music written by Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges, and Harry James and lyrics by Don George and published in 1944. 1945 recordings *Duke Ellington recorded the song in New ...

" ( James, Ellington, Hodges, George) * "

I Fall to Pieces "I Fall to Pieces" is a song written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard that was originally recorded by Patsy Cline. Released as a single in 1961 via Decca Records, it topped the country charts, crossed over onto the pop charts and became among ...

" (

Hank Cochran Garland Perry "Hank" Cochran (August 2, 1935 – July 15, 2010) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting during the 1960s, Cochran was a prolific songwriter in the genre, including major hits by Patsy Cline, Ray Price, Eddy ...

Harlan Howard Harlan Perry Howard (September 8, 1927 – March 3, 2002) was an American songwriter, principally in country music. In a career spanning six decades, Howard is credited with writing more than 4,000 songs, over 100 of which reached country mus ...

) * "

Over the Rainbow "Over the Rainbow", also known as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", is a ballad by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg. It was written for the 1939 film '' The Wizard of Oz'', in which it was sung by actress Judy Garland in her starring role ...

" (

Harold Arlen Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck; February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film ' ...

) * "

Mama Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to: Roles *Mother, a female parent * Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority *Maternal uncle, in some parts of South Asia Places * Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlement in the Mam ...

" ( Cesare Andrea Bixio, Bruno Cherubini, Harold Barlow, Phil Brito) * "Put on a Happy Face" (Strouse, Adams) * "Johnny Sings a Love Song" (Joe Halford, Geoff Harvey) * "Hey, Look Me Over" (Leigh, Coleman) * " It Might as Well Be Spring" ( Rodgers, Hammerstein) * "

Misty In cryptography, MISTY1 (or MISTY-1) is a block cipher designed in 1995 by Mitsuru Matsui and others for Mitsubishi Electric. MISTY1 is one of the selected algorithms in the European NESSIE project, and has been among the cryptographic tech ...

" (

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad "Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first re ...

, Johnny Burke) * "Don’t You Ever Change Your Mind" (Bob Barrett). Recorded with

Martin Slavin Martin Slavin (19 February 1922 – 25 May 1988) was a British composer and music director. Biography Slavin was born in London. He served in the army as a Band Sergeant, and after demobilization formed his own seven piece band, working ...

& His Orchestra. London, February 1963 * "Heartbreak Avenue" (Barratt, Dutch) April 1963 * "Sour Grapes" (Batchelor, Roberts) * "I’m Nobody's Baby" – Columbia DB7008, DO4364. Recorded with Martin Slavin & His Orchestra. London, 1963 * "Accidents Will Happen" – Columbia DB7088. b/w He Tells Me With His Eyes * "I Did Nothing Wrong" – Columbia DB7258, DO4475. Recorded with orchestra arranged and conducted by

Ivor Raymonde Ivor Raymonde (born Ivor Pomerance; 22 October 1926 – 4 June 1990) was a British musician, songwriter, arranger and actor, best known for his distinctive rock-orchestral arrangements for Dusty Springfield and others in the 1960s. Life and ca ...

. London, 1963 * "I Was Only Foolin' Myself" ( Bob Barratt). Recorded with orchestra arranged and conducted by Martin Slavin. London, 1963 * "Ordinary Love" (Slavin-Gail-Rose). Recorded with orchestra arranged and conducted by

Norrie Paramor Norman William "Norrie" Paramor (15 May 1913 – 9 September 1979) was a British record producer, composer, arranger, pianist, bandleader, and orchestral conductor. He is best known for his work with Cliff Richard and the Shadows, both togethe ...

. London, 1963 * "It's Better to Cry Today" * "Don’t Tell Him I Told You" * "He Who Rides A Tiger" - Polydor BM 56054, side A, mono, 7" 45rpm vinyl. (music by

Trevor Peacock Trevor Edward Peacock (19 May 1931 – 8 March 2021) was an English actor and songwriter. He made his name as a theatre actor, including for his roles in Shakespeare. He later became known for playing Jim Trott in the BBC comedy series ''The V ...

/ words by Gordon Waine) Musical director Peter Jeffries. England, June 1965. Used prominently in the 1960's UK television series

(known as Secret Agent in the U.S.) starring

Patrick McGoohan Patrick Joseph McGoohan (; March 19, 1928 – January 13, 2009) was an Irish-American actor of film, television, and theatre. Born in New York City to Irish parents, he was raised in Ireland and England. He began his career in England during t ...

, in the third season finale episode "Not So Jolly Roger", first aired on 7 April 1966. Therein Noble herself plays a disc jockey, Susie Wade, at a pirate radio station, interestingly located on an abandoned WWII

Maunsell Fort The Maunsell Forts are towers built in the Thames and Mersey estuaries during the Second World War to help defend the United Kingdom. They were operated as army and navy forts, and named for their designer, Guy Maunsell. The forts were decomm ...

(offshore gunnery platform) named Red Sands Fort (that actually housed

pirate radio Pirate radio is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license, whether an invalid license or no license at all. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are rec ...

station

Radio 390 Radio 390 (1965–1967) was a pirate radio station on Red Sands Fort, (near Whitstable), a former Maunsell Fort on the Red Sands sandbar in the River Thames estuary. Previously the fort had been used by Radio Invicta (c June 1964 – February 1 ...

at that time, from 1965-1967). "He Who Rides a Tiger" peaked at No. 21 on the British Top 30, and No. 15 on Australia's Top 40. Coupled with "City of Night". * "City of Night" - Polydor BM 56054, side B, mono, 7" 45rpm vinyl. (music by Peter Jeffries / words by Gordon Waine) Musical director Peter Jeffries. England, June 1965. Coupled with "He Who Rides A Tiger". * "Live for life" (as Trisha Noble)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Noble, Trisha 1944 births 2021 deaths Australian women pop singers Australian film actresses Australian musical theatre actresses Australian television actresses Logie Award winners Singers from Sydney Actresses from Sydney