Peter Noone was part of the famous band from the 60s called Herman’s Hermits.
With his full head of hair and youthful appeal, you could easily liken him to today’s Justin Bieber or Harry Styles.
But there is one clear difference between this past teen idol and the ones we see now…
With his cute face and just as cute voice, Peter Noone became super famous as a teenager when he led the band Herman’s Hermits. They traveled around America and Britain and became really well-known.
The band got their first number 1 hit in England in 1964 with the song “I’m Into Something Good.”
“Herman’s Hermits sold millions of records before anyone even saw us, which just doesn’t happen now,” Noone said.
“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 over 20 hit records and even sold more than the Beatles in 1965. Some of their biggest songs 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 got a million-dollar record deal, and one of the coolest moments in Noone’s career was when Elvis Presley sang one of their songs–”I’m Henry the Eighth, I Am”–on stage in 1965.
“He was joking around with me, but who cares?” says Noone. “It was Elvis!”
Even at such a young age, Noone was living the classic rock star life.
“Except for the drugs part,” he says. “That was never my thing.”
But when people ask about all the other usual rock ‘n’ roll habits?
“Absolutely! Back when we were 16 and 17, we could stay up all night, party hard, and still wake up the next morning for interviews and gigs. Those were amazing times.”
At 64, Noone is back on tour with Britain’s Solid Silver 60s Show. His old bandmates from Hermits won’t be with him, but he’ll be joined by other stars from that time, like Brian Poole from The Tremeloes, known for songs like “Do You Love Me” and “Twist And Shout,” and Brian Hyland, famous for “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.”
“You never lose the excitement of touring,” Noone shares, “and it feels great to know we can still attract a crowd. Fans come up to me and sing the classic songs right to me, but I’m often unsure how to react to that.”
Noone has been living in California since the 70s and quickly adapted to the healthy lifestyle that the state is known for.
“Not many people made it through the wild times of the sixties,” he reflects, “so I consider myself very fortunate and I try to take care of my health. When I attended Mickie Most’s funeral nine years ago [Most was the band’s producer and a judge on the TV show New Faces], there weren’t many familiar faces left. It really makes you think.”
“I remember visiting the home of one of the Moody Blues, and it was known as a real party place,” he shares. “None of the girls smoked weed, so I would just hang out with them. I was like a fly on the wall.
“I did enjoy drinking — I used to go out with Richard Harris and try to drink more than he did,” Noone chuckled.
“I was a big fan of the Beatles and the Stones, and I always wanted to hang out with them, even though they were about seven years older than me.
“We would go to the Ad Lib club in London, and John Lennon would buy me drinks because he knew I was only 16 and wouldn’t get drunk and start a fight.”
Noone, who grew up in Manchester, admitted that one of his main reasons for drinking was to fit in with everyone else, as he didn’t feel very “interesting.”
At 19, the musician decided to attend his first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting with his dad, who also enjoyed drinking a lot.
“I wouldn’t have called myself an alcoholic, but it’s really important to understand how others feel and still do well on stage. So, after that, I made the choice to drink less. I had to do it for myself, and I haven’t had a drink in about 16 years.
“I tell my wife she can drink if she wants — I wouldn’t stop anyone else from doing it.”
The talented performer has been married to his wife, Mirielle, for 43 years. They met when Noone was 20, and he was still seeing different girls.
“I think it was probably love at first sight with Mireille,” he says. “Then I found out how amazing she was, and it turned into love.
She kept refusing my advances, but since she was on vacation in Ibiza with her mom, I decided to rent the apartment right next to theirs. Her mom thought I was nice because I was respectful. In the end, I managed to win Mireille’s heart.
The couple tied the knot in 1968 and welcomed a daughter named Nicole. Noone decided to leave the band in 1971 when he was just 24 years old.
“Even though we all started off really close, after some time, we had been together for so long that we wanted to try out new things.”
His solo career didn’t really take off, but in the 80s, he discovered a new chance. He acted in a Broadway show called “Pirates of Penzance” and also hosted a U.S. music program named “My Generation”.
A few years ago, he served as a mentor and voice coach on American Idol.
While on the show, he said, “If the Beatles had auditioned for a TV contest, they probably wouldn’t have made it. Simon Cowell seems like a nice guy, but honestly, I think he’s just a second-rate Mickie Most.”
During the current tour, Noone expressed, “I was probably going to work as a clerk at the local NatWest. How lucky am I to still be performing at 64? I really know what I’m doing now, too. I’m not that shy little kid anymore.”
Peter is still so charismatic and cute no matter what age!
At 77, he’s looking absolutely FANTASTIC and still has a great voice.
