David Nolan

Who is David Nolan?

David Nolan is a British television producer and author, specialising in music and popular culture biographies, covering subjects from the Sex Pistols to Simon Cowell. He is a former lecturer at Salford University.

Based in Manchester, Nolan is known for investigating and proving/disproving myths in popular music. He tracked down the audience for the famous 1976 gig by the Sex Pistols at Manchester's Lesser Free Trade Hall, and discovered the reasons for the secrecy surrounding the family history of New Order frontman Bernard Sumner. He also incurred the wrath of Morrissey by turning him into a cartoon character for the Granada Television documentary These Things Take Time in 2002, after the ex singer with the Smiths refused to appear in the programme.

In 2008, he produced the Salford Music Map for Salford City Council, showing many of the city's music landmarks and artists, including Bernard Sumner, Ewan MacColl and Tim Burgess of the Charlatans. His biography of Tony Wilson was published in 2009.