Anne Nolan
Anne Nolan is an Irish singer, songwriter and author. She was a member of the Nolans.
Early life
Anne Nolan was born in Dublin, Ireland, to Tommy and Maureen Nolan. She is the second of eight siblings and the oldest of the Nolan sisters, preceding Denise, Maureen, Linda, Bernie, and Coleen, respectively; she also has two brothers, Tommy and Brian. The family lived in Raheny, a suburb of Dublin, before moving to Blackpool, 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 number two on the Irish music chart, and was number one 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-year 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 for a one-off performance of "I'm In the Mood for Dancing" for BBC One's All Time Greatest Party Songs, hosted by Tess Daly, which aired on 17 December 2005. They performed the song again on 9 August 2007 on Loose Women, but dismissed any immediate prospect of a full-scale reunion. 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 released Stronger Together, a book about dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
In November 2021, Anne spoke to the Daily Express about her career struggles as a Nolan member, revealing that 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, which was released on 20 May 2023. A paperback version was later released in 2024.