Linda Nolan: Singer With the Nolans and Blackpool Favorite Dies at 65

Linda Nolan was an Irish-born singer, actress and television personality best known as a member of the Nolans, the family pop group that hit the charts in the late 1970s and early 1980s with songs such as "I'm in the Mood for Dancing." Born Linda Mary Monica Nolan on February 23, 1959, in Dublin, she became a beloved star of British pop and theater.

The Nolans had seven UK top-20 hits between 1979 and 1982 and won the Tokyo Music Festival in 1981. In 1975 the sisters had toured with Frank Sinatra. Linda later starred as Maggie May on Blackpool's Central Pier for eight seasons, completing more than 1,000 performances, and played Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers in the West End from 2000 to 2003.

Linda married Brian Hudson in 1981, and he died in 2007. She was open about her fight against cancer, which spread to her brain. She died in Blackpool on January 15, 2025, at age 65, the day after being admitted to hospital with double pneumonia. Remembered for her warmth and humor, she was one of five singing Nolan sisters who delighted audiences for decades.

Achievements: Won the Tokyo Music Festival with the Nolans (1981), scored seven UK top-20 hits with the Nolans (1979-1982), played Maggie May on Blackpool's Central Pier for eight seasons (1986-1993), starred as Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers in the West End (2000-2003).

Birth: February 23, 1959 - Dublin, Ireland.

Profession: Singer, actress and television personality.

Interesting Facts: Four of the Nolan sisters, including Linda, have played Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers, earning a Guinness World Record for the most siblings to play the same role in a musical.