Trisha Noble(1944-2021)

Patricia Ann Ruth Noble was born on February 3, 1944 in Sydney, New South Wales to a popular Australian theater family. Her father, Buster Noble, was a well-known comedian, singer and dancer, and her mother, Helen de Paul, was a noted choreographer and producer. At the age of six, Patsy Ann, as she was known, performed on the Saturday radio program, "Anthony Horden's Children's Party". She also worked in her parents' stage productions and variety show. At age 14, Patsy Ann became one of the youngest qualified ballet teachers in Australia. In 1960, at age 16, she made her first television appearance as a guest on Keith Walshe's Youth Show (1959). Impressed with the youngster, Brian Henderson, the Australian equivalent of Dick Clark, immediately signed her as a regular on Bandstand (1958).

Around that time, Patsy Ann signed a deal with the HMV record label and issued her debut single, "I Love You So Much It Hurts", in November 1960. She released three more singles on HMV, of which "Good Looking Boy" became her biggest hit when it reached #6 in Melbourne and #16 in Sydney. In 1961, she was the winner of the first Logie Award for the Best Female Singer on Australian Television. She followed that with a successful acting debut at the Independent Theatre, Sydney, playing the lead role of Carmel in 'The Grotto'. Shortly thereafter, Patsy Ann and her mother left for London to further her career. She launched her British career in 1963 and shared her first BBC radio show with The Beatles, with whom she also appeared on British television. During this period, she recorded for EMI (England and France) with some chart success and performed at the London Palladium and at the Olympia Theatre in Paris.

By 1965, she had turned to acting, taking the role of Francesca in the British thriller Love Is a Woman (1966). She toured England with Cliff Richard and began to work on English television in dramatic and variety shows. In 1967, she married law student Allan Sharpe. During that year, she changed her stage name from Patsy Ann to Trisha and continued to work in British television and film. In her early 20s, she appeared on an Engelbert Humperdinck musical special and was seen by an American producer, who signed her to star in revue at the Las Vegas Sands Hotel. After a six-month engagement, she moved to Los Angeles and made her home there, making guest appearances on various television series. Trisha returned to Australia briefly in the early 1970s and starred in the stage musical 'Sweet Charity'. After seven years of marriage, she and Allan divorced and she threw herself into her work. Upon her return to the United States, she worked extensively in television series, miniseries and feature films. In 1976, she wed American model Scott MacKenzie and the following year gave birth to their son, Patrick. However, after four years of marriage, the couple divorced in 1980.

Despite personal setbacks, Trisha's acting career continued to thrive as she co-starred with Don Knotts and Tim Conway in The Private Eyes (1980) and she landed the role of Detective Rosie Johnson in the Aaron Spelling/Robert Stack police drama Strike Force (1981). In 1983, her father, Buster, had a heart attack and was not expected to live long. She decided to leave her successful acting career in Hollywood to return home to Australia to be with her family. She enjoyed seven years with her father before his death in July 1990. In 1985, Trisha married pharmaceutical scientist Peter Field and started a mineral-water business, Noble Beverages. Several years later, though, her third marriage ended in divorce and the business fell on hard times. At that point, she decided to sell the business and get back to her first love, show business.

In 1997, a 25-song CD collection of her early 1960s recordings was released: "The Story of Patsy Ann Noble: Hits & Rarities". In August 1997, she filmed a small role in the CBS miniseries Blonde (2001) and was cast in a secret role in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002). Shortly thereafter, Trisha was cast to co-star with David Campbell in the musical 'Shout!' as Thelma O'Keefe, mother of Australian rock 'n' roll star, Johnny O'Keefe. The musical opened on January 4, 2001, in Melbourne, and a cast recording followed in March. To top it all, she was nominated in May for an Australian Entertainment MO Award in the category: Female Musical Theatre Performer of the Year for her role in 'Shout!' Her last film credit was Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005). One of her most recent roles was playing Miss Jacobs/Mrs Crown in the Australian stage production of 'Ladies in Black' in 2017.

Trisha Noble died after an 18 month battle with mesothelioma on January 23, 2021, aged 76. The location of her death has not been revealed.