Irish Pop Star Linda Nolan Dies at 65, 20 Years After She Was First Diagnosed with Cancer: 'A Beacon of Love'

Linda Nolan, the Irish singer who rose to fame alongside her sisters in the pop group The Nolans, has died. She was 65.

Her death, which came more than 20 years after she was first diagnosed with cancer, was announced in a statement shared to The Nolans’ X account on Wednesday, Jan. 15.

“It’s with great sadness that we announce the passing of beloved Linda Nolan. She faced incurable cancer with courage, grace & determination, inspiring millions,” the statement read. “Surrounded by family, she passed peacefully. A pop icon and beacon of hope, Linda will never be forgotten ❤️”

Her agent told the BBC that Nolan was admitted to the hospital with double pneumonia over the weekend, and that she went into a coma the morning of Jan. 14 and died the next day.

Though the lineup of The Nolans varied slightly over the years, the singer found fame with her sisters Maureen, Anne, Bernie, Denise and Coleen starting in the late 1970s. The group released more than a dozen albums together, and were best known for their 1979 disco hit “I’m in the Mood for Dancing,” which peaked at No. 3 on the UK Singles chart and has been streamed more than 29 million times on Spotify.

Other hits from the group —who were the first Irish act to sell more than a million records worldwide — include “Gotta Pull Myself Together” and “Attention to Me.” Nolan left the lineup in 1983, but later reunited with her sisters for several comeback performances, per the BBC.

Related: Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Have Died in 2024

Nolan was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, and it returned in 2017. By 2023, the illness had spread to her brain, the BBC reported.

“What scares me the most? I think dying. I mean, I’m not scared of dying. I’m sad that it’s gonna happen,” she told OK! magazine in December. “I’m okay. I’ve had four cancers and two tumors in my brain. So everything is changing. Even little things that I didn’t know were changing. And again, let it happen. It’s gonna happen anyway, so don’t go down into the doldrums and think, ‘What am I gonna do?’ Just make time for the people you love.”

Sister Bernie died of breast cancer in 2013 at age 52, while Anne was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time in 2020 and is now cancer-free. Coleen announced her skin cancer diagnosis in July 2023.

“I am utterly devastated by the passing of my sister, Linda. Linda was a beacon of love, kindness and strength,” Coleen wrote in an Instagram tribute. “Her wit, humour and laughter was infectious, her presence could light up any room. Linda had a heart full of compassion and always knew how to bring comfort and joy to those around her.”

Read the original article on People