Bernie Nolan, who has died of cancer aged 52, was the youngest of the original Nolan Sisters lineup, whose cheerful, unthreatening, middle-of-the-road pop made them one of Britain's best known acts from the late 1970s to the mid-80s. The five siblings began performing as the Nolan Sisters in 1974 and gained priceless exposure to a mainstream audience from appearing on Cliff Richard's television programme, and then with Morecambe and Wise and the Two Ronnies. They were the support act on Frank Sinatra's 1975 European tour and accompanied Rolf Harris on dates in South Africa.

Bernie recalled: 'People like the Two Ronnies and Val Doonican liked working with us because we were not showbizzy kids. We weren't pretentious or obnoxious, we could just sing.' Bernie and Linda, still in their teens, had tutors accompanying them on tour so they could keep up with their school work.

Their earliest singles on EMI and Target Records misfired, but in 1978 they reached No 3 on the UK album chart with 20 Giant Hits, a set of cover versions of pop standards such as Sailing, The Way We Were and Song Sung Blue. That year, Denise Nolan left the group to develop a solo career, and the others continued as a quartet. In 1979, the group competed to perform the UK's entry for the Eurovision song contest, and their song Harry My Honolulu Lover was regarded as certain to earn them selection. However, it was Black Lace who represented Britai.