Peter Noone
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| Peter Noone | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone |
| Also known as | Herman |
| Born | November 5, 1947 |
| Label(s) | (UK)RAK, Philips, Bus Stop. (US)Bell,Philips |
| Associated acts | Herman's Hermits |
| Website | www.peternoone.com |
Peter Noone (born Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone, 5 November 1947, at Park Hospital, Davyhulme, near Manchester) is an English singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist and actor, best known as "Herman" of the successful 1960s rock group Herman's Hermits.
[edit] Career
The son of an accountant, Noone attended Wellacre Primary School in Flixton, Urmston and Stretford Grammar School near Manchester. He played a number of acting roles on television, including that of Stanley Fairclough in the soap opera Coronation Street.[1] Noone studied voice and drama at St Bede's College, Manchester 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, spokesman, and frontman of Herman's Hermits. As "Herman", the photogenic Noone appeared on the cover of many international publications, including Time Magazine.[2]
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, 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's musical version of The Canterville Ghost, the lead in Pinocchio, (1968 TV programme) and Hallmark Hall of Fame's presentation of Pinocchio). 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 theatre productions of The Pirates of Penzance during the 1980s. Also in the 1980s, Noone fronted a new-wave band called the Tremblers, and released a solo album, One of the Glory Boys.
He was the host of VH1'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, California, USA. One of his neighbors is Dennis Miller, 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 Idol on 20 March 2007 as a mentor for male contestants on the show. He performed "There's a Kind of Hush" 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.
[edit] References
- ^ Nown, Graham ed.(1985). Coronation Street 1960-1985: 25 years, CBC Enterprises, 1986. ISBN 0-88794-231-8 photo with brief description of 1961 cameo role p209.
- ^ "Time Magazine Cover". Time. May 21, 1965. http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101650521,00.html. Retrieved on 2008-03-04.
