After battling cancer: Singer Linda Nolan dies at the age of 65

The Irish singer Linda Nolan (1959-2025) died “peacefully” at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer. As her agent Dermot McNamara announced in a statement, she died on Wednesday morning (January 15) in a hospital in Blackpool, England. “It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Linda Nolan, celebrated Irish pop legend, television personality, West End Guinness World Record holder, Sunday Times bestselling author and Daily Mirror columnist,” McNamara said in a statement. He stressed that the doctors had worked “tirelessly” but “couldn’t do enough.”

Nolan’s sisters Anne (74), Denise (72), Maureen (70) and Coleen (59), with whom she sang in the band The Nolans, are said to have stood by her in the last hours. Her siblings made sure “that she was cared for with love and comfort in her last moments.” Nolan’s agent continued: “Linda’s legacy extends beyond her incredible achievements in music and entertainment. She was a beacon of hope and perseverance, sharing her journey to raise awareness and inspire others. Rest in peace, Linda . We will miss you very much, but never forget you.”

Nolan was diagnosed with breast cancer 20 years ago and underwent chemotherapy and had a breast removed. In 2011, doctors declared her cancer-free, but in 2017 they discovered tumors in her hip area. The cancer later spread to her liver. In 2023, the singer learned that the cancer had spread to her brain. In August 2024, she shared that her brain tumors had grown and her balance and memory were worse than before.

She reported on her illness until a few days before her death. On January 8th she wrote that she had been sick over Christmas. The doctors said it was a bad flu, but she feels better now. “There’s nothing like feeling better after an illness. You’ve forgotten what it feels like to feel normal (well, I say normal…),” says Nolan. Last Saturday, according to the Mirror, her doctors diagnosed her with double pneumonia. Her health then deteriorated.

Linda Nolan was born on February 24, 1959 as one of six sisters in the Irish capital Dublin. She moved to Blackpool with her family at the age of three and began performing with her sisters as The Nolans in the 1970s. The pop band’s biggest hits included songs like “I’m in the Mood for Dancing” and “Gotta Pull Myself Together”. In total, they sold 30 million records, she said in an interview with . In 1983 she left the group to pursue her solo career and was subsequently seen in numerous musicals.

She found her personal happiness in her marriage to Brian Hudson. She married him in 1981 after meeting him two years earlier. She shared her life with her future manager until his death in September 2007. Nolan also lost her sister Bernie (1960-2013), who died in 2013 after a long battle with breast cancer. In addition to Linda and Bernie Nolan, Anne was also diagnosed with breast cancer, but she beat it. Coleen made her skin cancer public in 2023 and underwent appropriate treatment.