Linda Nolan facts: Singer's death, husband, and career explained

15 January 2025, 14:17 | Updated: 15 January 2025, 14:24

Irish star Linda Nolan, who first found fame as part of the singing sister group the Nolans, died in January 2025.

First performing with her sisters in 1974, Linda Nolan sang with the likes of Gene Pitney and Frank Sinatra, and appeared in many TV shows and stage musicals during her life.

After moving with her family to Blackpool aged three, she formed The Nolans with her sisters Anne, Denise, Maureen, and Bernie. Their youngest sister Coleen Nolan then joined in 1980.

• Linda Nolan dies aged 65, surrounded by family
• Nolan sisters Linda and Anne are both fighting cancer 7 years after sister Bernie’s death

After leaving the group in 1983, Linda went on to perform in theatre, including an eight-season residency as Maggie May on Blackpool's Central Pier from 1986, followed by two seasons as Rosie O'Grady on Blackpool's South Pier from 1994.

Linda also played the prison governor in two UK touring productions of Prisoner Cell Block H: The Musical in the 1990s, and starred in the West End as Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers for three years from 2000.

She reunited with the Nolans in 2009, and five years later took part in the 13th series of Celebrity Big Brother. In 2018, she became a regular panellist on Loose Women.

Read on for more facts about the talented and sadly missed star.

1. How old is Linda Nolan?

   

   Linda Nolan was born on February 23, 1959.

   She was born in Dublin to parents Tommy and Maureen Nolan, and the family lived in Raheny, a northern town of Dublin.

   Linda died aged 65 on January 15, 2025, supported by her sisters.

2. Who was Linda Nolan's husband?

   

   Linda Nolan first met Brian Hudson in 1979, and they married two years later.

   Hudson was the Nolans' tour manager until 1983, and he then became his wife's manager after she left the group.

   Linda and Brian were married for 26 years until his death in 2007, from liver failure.

3. Did Linda Nolan have any children?

   

   The Nolans - I'm In the Mood for Dancing

   Linda did not have any children, and in recent years the singer spoke of her regret about focusing on her career and previously not wanting kids.

   “It was completely down to my career and the idea that I had all the time in the world and then you realise you don’t,” she wrote in her autobiography.

   “Instead of putting it off year after year if I had my time again I would have said to Brian, ‘Well, no time is perfect, let’s have a child’.

   "I don’t dwell on it because it was just something that never happened but I love children and my counsellor said to me recently that the only spark she sees in my eyes is when I talk about my great nieces and nephews."

4. When was Linda Nolan diagnosed with breast cancer?

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   A post shared by The Nolans (@thenolansofficial)

   In 2006, Linda Nolan was first diagnosed with breast cancer. Her treatment saw her undergoing a single mastectomy.

   She was given the all-clear from cancer in 2011.

   However in 2017, Linda fell on her hip and was taken to hospital, where doctors found a form of incurable secondary breast cancer on her pelvis.

   She began undergoing regular radiotherapy treatment, but said that she would reject chemotherapy if the cancer was found to be terminal, after seeing how her late sister Bernie was in pain from her treatment in 2013.

   Linda regularly spoke about her cancer battle, explaining that she had already planned her own funeral in one of her .

   "I want to get all my affairs 'in order', as they say - I've caused my family enough worry over the years and so I want everything I can decided now so they don’t have to if I become very poorly," she wrote in her autobiography.

   "And then I talked through the list of things I wanted agreed. I want to be DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) if it is near the end of my life. And I want to go to a hospice rather than be looked after by one of my brothers and sisters.

   "I saw how well Bernie was treated in a hospice and I'd be happy with that. And then when I'm dressed and fed and cleaned my brothers and sisters will able to visit me with a bag of sweets and a movie but none of the worry."

5. When did Linda Nolan die?

   

   Linda Nolan died aged 65 on January 15, 2025.

   The singer and TV star's death was announced by her agent, who in a statement shared: "It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Linda Nolan, the celebrated Irish pop legend, television personality, Guinness World Record holding West End star, Sunday Times bestselling author and Daily Mirror columnist."

   Her agent's statement explained that Linda "passed peacefully, with her loving siblings by her bedside, ensuring she was embraced with love and comfort during her final moments.

   "Linda’s legacy extends beyond her incredible achievements in music and entertainment. She was a beacon of hope and resilience, sharing her journey to raise awareness and inspire others," it continued.

   "Rest in peace, Linda. You will be deeply missed, but never forgotten."