'I'm In the Mood For Dancing' singer Bernie Nolan dies of cancer at 52

July 4, 2013 at 3:50PM

LONDON — Bernadette Nolan, a member of singing sister act The Nolans, has died of cancer aged 52.

The singer's management agency, Urban Associates, said in a statement that Nolan died Thursday surrounded by her family.

Universally known as Bernie, Nolan was raised in Blackpool, northwestern England, and began performing with her family when she was a child.

The Nolans had a worldwide hit in 1979 with "I'm In the Mood For Dancing" and gained large followings from Britain to Japan.

Nolan left in 1994 to focus on an acting career that included a role on soap opera "Brookside" and parts in stage musicals including "Blood Brothers" and "Chicago."

In 2010 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which later spread.

Nolan is survived by her husband, Steve Doneathy, and their daughter, Erin.

about the writer

about the writer

More from Minnesota Star Tribune

See More
card image
J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE, ASSOCIATED PRESS/The Minnesota Star Tribune

The "winners" have all been Turkeys, no matter the honor's name.

In this photo taken Monday, March 6, 2017, in San Francisco, released confidential files by The University of California of a sexual misconduct case, like this one against UC Santa Cruz Latin Studies professor Hector Perla is shown. Perla was accused of raping a student during a wine-tasting outing in June 2015. Some of the files are so heavily redacted that on many pages no words are visible. Perla is one of 113 UC employees found to have violated the system's sexual misconduct policies in rece