Peter Noone was one member of the popular 60’s band, Herman’s Hermits.
With his full head of hair and youthful appeal, you could easily liken him to a modern-day Justin Bieber or Harry Styles.
But there is one clear difference between this past teen idol and the ones we see today…
Peter Noone became super famous as a teenager because of his cute face and charming voice. He was the lead singer of Herman’s Hermits, and the band traveled all over America and Britain, becoming really well-known.
The band nabbed their first number 1 hit in England in 1964 with “I’m Into Something Good.”
Noone mentioned that Herman’s Hermits sold millions of records even before people got to see them perform, which is something that just doesn’t happen these days.
“I didn’t know what I was doing: my stage persona was a shy little boy, which is basically what I was.”
Noone and his band had an amazing career, putting out over 20 popular songs and even selling more records than the Beatles in 1965! Some of their most famous tracks were “I’m Into Something Good,” “No Milk Today,” and “There’s A Kind of Hush (All Over the World).”
By the time they turned 17, the band landed a record deal worth a million dollars. One of the coolest moments in Noone’s career happened in 1965 when Elvis Presley sang one of their popular songs, “I’m Henry the Eighth, I Am,” during a live performance.
“He was making fun of me, but who cares?” says Noone. “It was Elvis!”
Even though he was still young, Noone was already embracing the classic rock star way of life.
“Although without the drugs bit,” he insists. “That was never my thing.”
But when asked about all of the other typical rock ‘n’ roll habits?
Of course! When we were 16 and 17, we could totally stay up all night, have wild adventures, and still wake up the next day for interviews and concerts. Those were such amazing times!
At the age of 64, Noone is back on tour with Britain’s Solid Silver 60s Show. Although his bandmates from The Hermits won’t be there, he’ll be joined by other famous musicians from that time, like Brian Poole from The Tremeloes, known for hits like “Do You Love Me” and “Twist And Shout,” and Brian Hyland, who sang “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.”
Noone says, “The excitement of touring never gets old, and it’s awesome to see that we can still attract a crowd. Fans come up to me and sing the classic songs right to me, but I never quite know how to react to that.”
Noone has lived in California since the 70’s and grew quickly to the healthy living style that characterizes the state.
“There weren’t a lot of people who made it through the wild times of the sixties,” he explains. “I consider myself really fortunate and I do my best to take care of myself. When I attended Mickie Most’s funeral nine years back [Most was the band’s producer and a judge on the TV show New Faces], I noticed that not many people were there. It really makes you reflect on things.”
I recall visiting the home of one of the Moody Blues, and it was known as a total party place. He mentions that none of the girls were into smoking weed, so I would just chill with them. I felt like I was just observing everything happening around me.
“I did like to drink — I used to go out with Richard Harris and try to drink more than him,” Noone laughed.
I really liked the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and I always wished I could spend time with them, even though they were around seven years older than me.
“We’d go to the Ad Lib club in London, and John Lennon would buy my drinks because he knew I was only 16 and I wouldn’t get drunk and try to beat someone up.”
Nobody who was raised in Manchester has said that one of the big reasons he drank was to blend in with everyone else because he didn’t think he was “cool” enough.
When he was 19 years old, the musician chose to go to his first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting with his dad, who also liked to drink a lot.
I never really thought of myself as an alcoholic, but I realized I needed to be aware of how my actions affected others and still perform well on stage. So, I made the choice to drink less. It was something I had to do for myself, and I haven’t had any alcohol in about 16 years.
“I insist that my wife still drinks if she wants to — I wouldn’t stop other people around me doing it.”
The talented performer has been happily married to his wife, Mirielle, for 43 years. They first crossed paths when Noone was just 20 years old, and at that time, he was dating different women.
“I think it was probably lust at first sight with Mireille,” he admits. “Then I found out how nice she was and it turned to love.
She kept turning me down, but since she was on vacation in Ibiza with her mom, I figured I’d rent the apartment right next to theirs. Her mom thought I was a good guy because I was nice to her. In the end, I managed to win Mireille over.
The couple tied the knot in 1968 and welcomed a daughter named Nicole. Sadly, Noone decided to leave the band in 1971 when he was only 24 years old.
In the beginning, we were super close as a band, but after spending so much time together, we all began to feel like we wanted to try out different directions.
His solo music career came to a halt, but in the 1980s, he discovered a fresh chance. He acted in a Broadway production named “Pirates of Penzance” and also hosted a U.S. television music show called “My Generation.”
Just a few years ago, he appeared as a mentor and voice coach on American Idol.
During the show, he said, “If the Beatles had entered a TV competition, they probably would have lost. Simon Cowell seems like a really nice guy, but to be honest, I think he’s just a not-so-famous version of Mickie Most.”
When discussing his current tour, Noone mentioned, “I could have ended up working as a clerk at the local NatWest. How lucky am I to still be performing at 64? I really understand my craft now. I’m not that shy little kid I used to be.”
Peter is still so charismatic and cute no matter what age!
At 75, he’s ooking absolutely FANTASTIC and still has a great voice.