Whatever Happened to Herman’s Hermits’ Peter Noone? He’s Still Rocking at 78

Barb Oates Yesterday, 12:00 pm

Peter Noone from Wisconsin State Fair, AI enhanced — ReMIND Magazine/AI enhanced

What To Know

Peter Noone engaged fans with the band’s timeless classics and playful banter about their age and West Allis, Wis-con-sin (he got the accent right!).
Noone’s self-deprecating humor and audience engagement are what made the British frontman a Wisconsin favorite.

Peter Noone, the iconic British frontman of Herman’s Hermits, showed no signs of slowing down as he did high kicks and made wisecracks about his age (he’s only 78) while shimmying and dancing across the stage, all while belting out the band’s classics for a two-night gig at the Wisconsin State Fair.

On Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, Noone announced to the crowd that his airline had lost his suitcase, so he was initially void of his typical posh suit coat and shirt, and instead donned shorts and a Wisconsin State Fair T-shirt. The only thing familiar? His signature mismatched socks, one a British flag and one an American flag. He sells them, too!

The next night, he looked a bit more polished with a stylish suit coat and jeans, and quite possibly the same socks he wore the night prior (as usual, he rolled up his pants later in the evening to parade them about). He told the crowd, many of whom returned for the second night, “Last night a bunch of old people showed up; this is more like it.”

Left is Peter/Right is Nick Nolte. Credit: ReMIND Magazine/Everett Collection

As the Fair’s sky glider passed above the stage, Noone took every opportunity to poke fun at the venue and his distinguished looks in his self-deprecating style. “The people up there are saying, ‘Look, there’s Nick Nolte playing,’” he told the crowd.

Frequently reiterating where he was performing — West Allis, Wis-con-sin (can you hear the drawl?) — Noone told a story about some of his other contemporaries. “I used to see these other groups flying over. ‘Hey fellas, where you playing?’” he joked. Dropping his voice, he responds, ‘Oh, Shea Stadium, and you were on The Ed Sullivan Show 16 weeks in a row.’” Well, he rebuts: “I bet you guys can’t guess where I’m going to be playing!” Oh yes, the Bank Five Nine Amphitheater at the Wisconsin State Fair. And make no mistake, Noone has no qualms about it — these are his people.

Noone’s a master showman; he knows how to get the audience engaged, frequently descending the stage and strolling the aisles, high-fiving fans and even stopping for occasional photo ops, yet never missing a beat with those enduring vocal chops of his.

Peter Noone, Herman's Hermits, 2026 Wisconsin State Fair

ReMIND Magazine

“I saw myself in the mirror this morning,” he jokes. “And I said, ‘Peter. Peter. Try to remember you’re not 77 anymore; you’re 78 now, let kids lift that heavy stuff.’” He then mocked the setlist he was struggling to see, claiming it was “a size 3 font.”

When one audience member reminded him that he had taken his microphone stand into the crowd, Noone quipped back, “What are you talking about? I did leave the microphone stand over there, but I did that on purpose. See, I make mistakes on purpose, so you will know that we are live. No tapes. Real live music. Knowing that it’s really live music, people will be coming for the next 10 years that we play here.”

Peter Noone, Herman's Hermits, Wisconsin State Fair

ReMIIND Magazine

During Tuesday night’s performance, he was humbled by a family whose fandom spread multiple generations and watched the tots dance and sing along to his hits. “It’s like six generations,” he praised. “And they all have teeth!”

He called out one audience member for texting during the show. “Are you texting during the show?” he stopped to ask. “She’s texting her boyfriend. … ‘I’m watching these old geezers up on the stage; they think they are funny.’”

In addition to classics like “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter,” “I’m Henry the VIII, I Am,” “There’s a Kind of Hush All Over the World” and “No Milk Today,” Herman’s Hermits played some Beatles, Johnny Cash and did a Beach Boys rendition of “Barbara-Ann,” but set the lyrics to “Wis-Con-Sin.” “You got me rockin’ and a-rollin’, rockin’ and a-rollin’, Wis-Con-Sin, Wis-Con-Sin.”

Peter Noone and Herman's Hermits at the Wisconsin State Fair in 2026

ReMIND Magazine

Later in the evening, a fan gave him another Wisconsin State Fair t-shirt, and he proudly put it on.

For decades now, Peter Noone and the Hermits have brought their timeless hits, playful energy, and unmistakable sound to the Wisconsin State Fair. Their return is more than just a concert — it’s a chance for longtime fans (the “Noonatics”) to relive the music of their youth, connect with friends, and welcome newbies (there were plenty). It’s clear that Noone and the Hermits still know how to keep West Allis rockin’.