The Nolans have made their first public performance since the death of their sister Linda Nolan in January, with Denise, Maureen and Anne taking to the stage for a one-off concert
The Nolans have reunited on stage for the first time since their sister Linda’s death in January. Denise, Maureen and Anne gave a performance at Sheffield’s City Hall on Saturday night (October 4) alongside a host of celebrity guests.
The family pop group’s special one-off gig to raise funds for Weston Park Cancer Charity marked the first time the trio performed together since 1978. This comes months after Linda Nolan tragically died at the age of 65, two decades after her initial cancer diagnosis.
Her devoted siblings expressed their desire “to do their sisters proud” with the weekend performance. The trio were seen owning the stage as they belted out their hit, I’m in the Mood for Dancing. Their sister, Loose Women star Coleen, was missing from the line-up.
They were joined by stars such as Dr Ranj Singh, Layton Williams, Janette Manrara and Darren Day at the event.
The show, dubbed Simply the Best, was hosted by the cancer charity BB With Love, which was established by Michael, Rachel, Sean and Matthew Croke in memory of their mum Bev Croke, who succumbed to breast cancer in March 2021. The charity’s name could be seen projected onto the wall as the Nolan siblings performed, reports the Daily Star.
The Nolan trio revealed they’d been “rehearsing to within an inch of their lives” in their hometown of Blackpool ahead of the gig. Denise, 73, told the BBC: “It’s not going to be like when we were all in our twenties, I’m afraid, but we’ll do our very best – vocally, we’re still strong.”
Denise also opened up about grief and her determination to honour the memory of her late family members, such as Linda. Denise shared: “Everything is difficult when someone goes, everything is a memory.
“But I think professionalism takes over. I did Linda’s eulogy when she passed away and of course right up to the moment you think, ‘am I going to break down?’.
“But you get up there and it’s like you’re speaking to somebody else, you’re doing your job and that kicks in and you know you want to make someone proud.”
Linda tragically passed away from double pneumonia after her incurable secondary breast cancer had spread to her brain. Their late sister Bernie succumbed to metastic breast cancer in 2013, at the tender age of 52.
Anne has battled cancer twice, and their brother Brian was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Anne said of the gig: “When we were asked to do it we were absolutely thrilled because cancer has affected our family as well.”
The Crokes have raised over £250K through a variety of charity events, with all proceeds raised going directly to helping cancer patients and their loved ones. This includes extra aftercare, more research, additional treatments, alternative remedies, and mental health support.
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