Legendary 80s pop star quits Eurovision-winning group leaving fans devastated
MUSIC fans were left reeling today after The Fizz announced the departure of Mike Nolan after 43 years.
The group, which won Eurovision in 1981 as Bucks Fizz, confirmed the news on social media platform X after Mike, 69, dropped the bombshell live on BBC Radio 2.
He told host Michael Ball: “I’m going to be leaving, it’s for personal reasons. I have decided to go, to leave.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a long long, long time and I just thought: ‘this is the time to do it.”
Afterwards, alongside a smiley picture of Cheryl Baker, Mike and Jay Aston at BBC studios, the group wrote: “We can confirm, following the Michael Ball show, that Mike will be leaving the group at the end of the year.
“Cheryl & Jay will be continuing as ‘The Fizz’ & a statement from Mike, will follow in the coming days. Thank you for your understanding.”
When one person commented “maybe time call it a day”, the two remaining members shot back: “Absolutely not.”
Others were more sympathetic.
One person said: “Sorry to hear this, hope he is alright and looking forward to his retirement x.”
Another wrote: “Very sad that he’s leaving but I’m sure we wish him all the best.”
A third said: “It has been a long long run. I am sad though I completely understand. Sending lots of love (since 1981).”
In 1981, Cheryl, Mike, Jay and Bobby G topped the charts with Eurovision classic Making Your Mind Up and followed it with a string of hits including The Land Of Make Believe.
They have sold more than 15 million records worldwide, and had three number one singles.
Tragedy struck in 1984 when the group were involved in a near-fatal bus crash that left all the members seriously injured.
Cheryl broke her spine in three places, Jay also had back injuries, and Mike fell into a coma and almost died while having an operation to save his life.
The incident left him with impaired vision and epilepsy, prompting Cheryl to set up the charity HeadFirst, providing services for people and families rebuilding their lives after brain injuries.
While technically always a functioning band, in-house disputes meant a near-constant line-up change.
Cheryl, Mike and Shelley Preston – who replaced Jay in 1985 – reformed the group under The Fizz in 2004, due to a legal dispute.
Jay replaced Shelley in 2009 and The Fizz continue to perform and release albums, with their most recent release – Smoke & Mirrors – reaching number 29 in the UK album chart.
Like many acts in the Eighties, huge hits did not necessarily mean big bucks.
Cheryl, 70, told us last year: “We were given five per cent of a 90 per cent of the sales, because they took off ten per cent for breakages and giveaways to radio stations and record firms.
“That five per cent was split four ways, so we got less than a penny for every record we sold.
“I had enough to buy a semi- detached in Eltham, South East London, but I didn’t care. I’m not into material things.
“Money gets me by, money pays for things, but that’s all.”
Jay also criticised the group’s poor record deal in an interview with This Is Money.
She said: “Our first year’s income was about £7,000 each despite having scored a couple of multi-million selling singles (we had a terrible record deal), and we walked away with just £1,600 each after doing our first tour.”
Cheryl did splash out on a small house for her parents, in Essex, as well as a 32ft Fairline Phantom boat, for £15,000, which she kept in Brighton Marina.
She said: “I loved it but that was a dripping tap as far as money was concerned so I sold it.”
Cheryl has had a long TV career too.
She went on to present a cookery show, Eggs And Baker in 1988, and front hit kids’ show Record Breakers for 11 years, quitting Bucks Fizz in 1993, when her twins were born.
LEGAL FIGHT
After Mike left the band in 1996, Bobby G teamed up with David Van Day and continued to tour.
In 2004, with an Eighties revival sweeping the nation, Cheryl reunited with former bandmates Jay and Mike to perform as The Original Bucks Fizz, sparking a legal wrangle over the name.
Bobby won the case, meaning the trio could no longer use the name — nor even say they were “formerly of Bucks Fizz” — and they adopted The Fizz instead.
Cheryl said: “It’s sad because we won Eurovision and we had that terrible crash which almost killed Mike so we had so much history in a short space of time.
“We should all have the right to use the name.
“Bobby doesn’t gig so it’s like he is saying, ‘I don’t want to play with this ball any more but you can’t have it’. ”
Cheryl said the loss of the name cost them a host of gigs, meaning she turned to a business owner pal for work.
She added: “Even if I’m broke I don’t worry about money.
“If I look at the bank account and there’s nothing coming in for a while, I’ll find something to do.”