The Nolans: Blackpool honours pop legends with blue plaque

A blue plaque honouring one of the UK's most successful girl bands has been unveiled at the venue where they got their first big break.

The Nolans were catapulted from playing social clubs to appearing with global superstars after they were spotted performing at a hotel in Blackpool.

The owner of a London club saw the sisters perform at Cliffs Hotel on Christmas Day 1973 and signed them up.

The five surviving sisters attended the blue plaque unveiling event on Tuesday.

Anne, Denise, Linda and Maureen - who impressed that fateful day with their late sister Bernie - were joined at the ceremony by Colleen.

Joan Humble, chair of the Blackpool Civic Trust which approved the plaque, said: "We are very selective about who we choose - the Nolans had incredible success not just in Britain but around the world."

Singer and actor Jake Roche, son of Colleen, raised £600 for the plaque on a crowdfunding website.

"I live in London and see blue plaques everywhere and I was shocked to see nothing in Blackpool about The Nolans," he said.

"I am at an age now when I appreciate what a career my mum and my aunts have had - chart success, appearing on Top Of The Pops and even with Stevie Wonder."

Maureen Nolan said: "I'm absolutely thrilled we have been recognised in the town we grew up in.

"We never usually played around Christmas and our lives changed that day."

The family had been based in Blackpool since they moved from Dublin in 1962.

"We were called The Singing Nolans in those days," remembered Maureen. "We were billed as Blackpool's answer to the Von Trapp family - we went from appearing at working men's clubs to touring with Frank Sinatra."

After their performance at Cliffs Hotel their late father Tommy Nolan was talking at the bar when businessman Joe Lewis said he wanted the girls to move to London's West End.

He offered them a chance to sing in his club, the London Rooms, above the New London Theatre on Drury Lane.

The whole family moved to London in a move which saw them change their name to The Nolans and becoming the resident guests on Cliff Richard's BBC TV show.

The Nolans enjoyed a rapid rise, touring Europe with Frank Sinatra.

Chart hits included their 1979 disco anthem I'm In The Mood For Dancing.

The single released on Epic - the same label as Abba, Meat Loaf and The Clash - made number three in the UK charts and was number one in Japan - a rarity for western acts.

The girls then performed as backing singers for a rock supergroup including Motorhead frontman Lemmy and two members of Whitesnake.

Bernie, Linda and Maureen all became actors while Coleen is a regular panellist on ITV's Loose Women.

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