Singer Linda Nolan was “laughing and joking” in her final days before she died aged 65, her sister Denise has said.
The Irish star, who rose to fame in family group The Nolans with sisters Coleen, Maureen, Bernie, Denise and Anne, died on Wednesday surrounded by family after being admitted to hospital in Blackpool with double pneumonia.
Nolan had long been a campaigner and fundraiser for cancer awareness, having been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005.
The Dublin-born singer was given the all-clear in 2011, but in 2017 was told she had secondary breast cancer which later spread to her brain.
“Everyone was being quietly optimistic as she’d seemed so cheerful.
“Then at 3.30am on Tuesday, we got the dreaded call: ‘Get to the hospital ASAP.’”
Nolan’s manager Dermot McNamara confirmed she was admitted to Blackpool Victoria Hospital last weekend with double pneumonia, before going into a coma and having end-of-life care on Tuesday, and dying on Wednesday “with her loving siblings by her bedside”.
Denise recalled how Nolan was taken into the hospital after she was “struggling to breathe” but the singer was still the “model patient” and was “apologising for any inconvenience” to her sister and the hospital staff.
After Nolan slipped into unconsciousness, Denise recalled that her sister still “wouldn’t give up” and friends and family sat holding her hand for 36 hours.
“At around 10.20am we got the worst news – our beautiful, brave, hard-working, talented sister was gone,” Denise said.
“We’re numb. My husband Tom can’t speak about her without crying. We’ll love and miss her for ever.”
Denise said she had experienced the grief before when their sister Bernie died of breast cancer in 2013 aged 52, but Linda’s death had been particularly difficult for her as they lived together, and “everywhere there are reminders” of Nolan.
Nolan wrote a column for the Mirror about her experience of living with cancer and in an addition published on January 8 she said she was “so grateful to be getting well again” after having a “bad case of flu” around Christmas.
Her other sisters have expressed how they are “heartbroken” following her death earlier this week.
Maureen wrote on Instagram on Thursday: “So much to say not sure where or if I can start, countless memories, countless laughs, and constant support when you really needed it, I am heartbroken as we all are, just so sad.”
Her sisters Coleen and Anne also reflected on Nolan’s positive personality and good humour as they paid tribute on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Blackpool tower was lit up in pink, which is the colour mainly associated with breast cancer awareness, in memory of Nolan.
Several of the Nolan family members have had cancer including Anne, whom Nolan joined on the TV series The Nolans Go Cruising.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time in 2020 and is now cancer-free.
Coleen was diagnosed with skin cancer last year and said she was using a chemotherapy cream to remove it.
The Nolans, known for recording the songs Gotta Pull Myself Together, Attention To Me and I’m In The Mood For Dancing, toured with Frank Sinatra and made their own BBC TV specials.
Nolan left in 1983, and she later re-joined to do several comeback performances with the group.
She also went on to tour with Gene Pitney and was celebrated for her West End shows, including Blood Brothers, Pump Boys And Dinettes and Prisoner Cell Block “H”.
Outside of her showbiz career which included stints on Celebrity Big Brother along with musical theatre performances, she helped to raise more than £20 million for numerous charities, including Breast Cancer Now, the Irish Cancer Society and Samaritans.
