Peter Noone (born Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone, 5 November 1947, at Park Hospital,
DavyhulmeDavyhulme is a locality within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it is contiguous with neighbouring Urmston town....
, near
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. In 2007, the population of the city was estimated to be 458,100...
) is an
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity as a people is of early medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn....
singer,
songwriterA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.-History and background of songwriters:...
,
guitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as acoustic guitars, electric guitars, classical guitars and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :...
,
pianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers....
and
actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, best known as "Herman" of the successful 1960s rock group
Herman's HermitsHerman's Hermits were an English pop band, formed in Manchester in 1963 as Herman & The Hermits. The group's management and producer, Mickie Most , emphasized a simple, non-threatening and clean-cut image, although the band originally played R&B numbers...
.
The son of an
accountantAn Accountant is a practitioner of accountancy, which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and other decision makers make resource allocation decisions....
, Noone attended Wellacre Primary School in
FlixtonFlixton is a village and electoral ward within the Urmston area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. It lies about six miles to the southwest of Manchester city centre, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.Flixton's present day population is...
,
UrmstonUrmston is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of around 41,000. It lies about six miles to the southwest of Manchester city centre, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire...
and
Stretford Grammar SchoolStretford Grammar School is a selective state school in the borough of Trafford, England. Until its merger in 1986 with Stretford Grammar School for Boys, it was known as Stretford Grammar School for Girls. The boy's grammar school then became Stretford High School, a comprehensive school.The...
near
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. In 2007, the population of the city was estimated to be 458,100...
. He played a number of
actingAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
roles on
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
, including that of Stanley Fairclough in the
soap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on television or radio. The name "soap opera" stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation StreetCoronation Street is an award-winning prime time soap opera set and produced in Manchester created by Tony Warren...
.
Peter Noone (born Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone, 5 November 1947, at Park Hospital,
DavyhulmeDavyhulme is a locality within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it is contiguous with neighbouring Urmston town....
, near
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. In 2007, the population of the city was estimated to be 458,100...
) is an
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity as a people is of early medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn....
singer,
songwriterA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.-History and background of songwriters:...
,
guitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as acoustic guitars, electric guitars, classical guitars and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :...
,
pianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers....
and
actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, best known as "Herman" of the successful 1960s rock group
Herman's HermitsHerman's Hermits were an English pop band, formed in Manchester in 1963 as Herman & The Hermits. The group's management and producer, Mickie Most , emphasized a simple, non-threatening and clean-cut image, although the band originally played R&B numbers...
.
Career
The son of an
accountantAn Accountant is a practitioner of accountancy, which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and other decision makers make resource allocation decisions....
, Noone attended Wellacre Primary School in
FlixtonFlixton is a village and electoral ward within the Urmston area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. It lies about six miles to the southwest of Manchester city centre, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.Flixton's present day population is...
,
UrmstonUrmston is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of around 41,000. It lies about six miles to the southwest of Manchester city centre, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire...
and
Stretford Grammar SchoolStretford Grammar School is a selective state school in the borough of Trafford, England. Until its merger in 1986 with Stretford Grammar School for Boys, it was known as Stretford Grammar School for Girls. The boy's grammar school then became Stretford High School, a comprehensive school.The...
near
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. In 2007, the population of the city was estimated to be 458,100...
. He played a number of
actingAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
roles on
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
, including that of Stanley Fairclough in the
soap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on television or radio. The name "soap opera" stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation StreetCoronation Street is an award-winning prime time soap opera set and produced in Manchester created by Tony Warren...
. Noone studied voice and drama at
St Bede's College, ManchesterSt Bede's College, Manchester is an independent Catholic day school situated on Alexandra Road South in the Whalley Range area of the city, and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
and Manchester School of Music, where he won the Outstanding Young Musician Award.
Early in his career, he used the stage name Peter Novak. At the age of 15, he became the lead singer,
spokesmanA spokesman or spokesperson is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others.In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have received formal training in journalism, communications, public relations and public affairs in...
, and frontman of Herman's Hermits. As "Herman", the photogenic Noone appeared on the cover of many international publications, including Time Magazine.
After leaving Herman's Hermits, Noone recorded 4 singles for UK Rak, 1 single for UK and US Philips, and several singles for the small UK Bus Stop label. His first RAK single,
Oh! You Pretty Things"Oh! You Pretty Things" is a song written by David Bowie in 1971 for the album Hunky Dory. It opens with only Rick Wakeman's piano and Bowie's vocal, before entering the catchy refrain. The simple piano style is often compared to Paul McCartney's "Martha My Dear"...
, was a hit in the UK; it was written by David Bowie, who also played piano on the track. Noone's subsequent singles were not successful.
During the 1970s, Noone also starred in various stage, TV and film productions, including
ABC'sThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
musical version of
The Canterville Ghost"The Canterville Ghost" is a popular short story by Oscar Wilde, widely adapted for the screen and stage. It was the first of Wilde's stories to be published, appearing serially in the magazine The Court and Society Review in 1887...
, the lead in
PinocchioThe Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi. The first half was originally a serial between 1881 and 1883, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio , an animated marionette, and...
, (1968 TV programme) and
Hallmark Hall of FameHallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television. It has had a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and still continuing today. From 1954 onward, all of their productions have been shown in color, although color television productions were extremely rare in 1954...
's presentation of
PinocchioThe Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi. The first half was originally a serial between 1881 and 1883, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio , an animated marionette, and...
). He starred in three films for MGM:
Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter,
Hold On! and
When The Boys Meet The Girls. He received favourable reviews in the lead role of Frederic in several
Broadway theatreBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
productions of
The Pirates of PenzanceThe Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well-received by both audiences...
during the 1980s. Also in the 1980s, Noone fronted a
new-waveNew Wave is a genre of rock and pop music that emerged in in the middle to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, and...
bandIn music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform songs. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band* Dansband* Fife and drum...
called the
Tremblers, and released a
soloIn music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
albumAn album or record album is a collection of related audio or music tracks distributed to the public. The most common way is through commercial distribution, although smaller artists will often distribute directly to the public by selling their albums at live concerts or on their websites.-...
,
One of the Glory Boys.
He was the host of
VH1VH1 is an American cable television network based in New York City...
's
My Generation from 1989 to 1993, and in 2001 he was voted "VH1's Sexiest Artist. The Viewers' Choice award". He now lives in
Santa Barbara, CaliforniaSanta Barbara is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the west coast, between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the sea, and having a Mediterranean climate, it is called California's...
,
USAThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. One of his neighbors is
Dennis MillerDennis Miller is a 5-time Emmy winning American stand-up comedian, political commentator, actor, sports commentator, and television and radio personality. He is known for his ability to improvise critical assessments laced with pop culture references...
, and Noone occasionally appears on his radio programme.
He still tours with a group called
Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone. Noone appeared on the televised singing show
American IdolAmerican Idol is a reality competition to find new solo musical talent, created by Simon Fuller. It debuted on June 11, 2002 on the Fox network, and has since become one of the most popular shows on American television...
on 20 March 2007 as a mentor for male contestants on the show. He performed "
There's a Kind of Hush"There's a Kind of Hush" is a popular song written by Les Reed and Geoff Stephens.-Herman's Hermits version:Herman's Hermits took the song to number seven in the UK Singles Chart and number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967, eclipsing a cover version which had been released by Gary and the...
" on
American Idol on 21 March 2007.
Noone has a fan base of self-proclaimed "Noonatics". Many of his fans follow him from city to city, with concert venues often containing several dozen colorfully dressed and vocal Noonatics. They meet on his website -
peternoone.com - for chatroom discussions, photos, member map and concert information.