Cozy Powell

Colin Flooks (December 29, 1947 - April 5, 1998), better known as Cozy Powell, was an English rock drummer.

Cozy Powell was born in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England, and started playing drums in the school orchestra, thereafter playing along in his spare time to popular singles of the day. The nickname 'Cozy' was borrowed from the jazz drummer Cozy Cole.

The semi-professional circuit was next, with semi-pro outfit The Sorcerers, a vocal harmony pop band. The late nights and usual on-the-road exploits began to affect his education, and Powell left to take an office job in order to finance the purchase of his first set of Premier drums. The Sorcerers performed in the German club scene of the 1960s.

By 1968 the band had returned to England, basing themselves around Birmingham. Powell struck up friendships with fellow musicians like Robert Plant and John Bonham (both at the time unknowns in Listen), future Slade vocalist Noddy Holder, bassist Dave Pegg and a young guitarist called Tony Iommi. The Sorcerers now became Youngblood, and a series of singles were released in late 1968-69. The group then linked up with the Move bassist/singer Ace Kefford to form The Ace Kefford Stand. Powell also began session work. Powell with fellow Sorcerers Dave and Dennis Ball formed Big Bertha.

Powell also worked briefly with soul star Tony Joe White. Powell then landed the then highly prestigious drumming job with guitar icon Jeff Beck's group in April 1970. After the recording of two albums, Rough and Ready (October 1971) and The Jeff Beck Group (July 1972), the band fell apart.

By late 1972 Powell had joined up with the Ball brothers again and with singer Frank Aiello formed Bedlam One eponymous album was produced for Chrysalis Records (CHR1048) and released in August 1973. Powell also busied himself with extracurricular activities. Beck’s studio producer had been impresario Mickie Most and Powell soon found himself drafted into many a session for artists signed to Most’s RAK label, including Julie Felix, Hot Chocolate, Donovan and Suzi Quatro.

Around this period Most managed to persuade Powell to record an instrumental solo single. ‘Dance With the Devil’ became a smash and reached number 3 in the UK singles chart during January of 1974. The track served to inspire a whole generation of youngsters to take up the drums.

To cash in on his chart success the drummer formed Cozy Powell’s Hammer in April 1974.

Powell had another passion in life - a fascination with fast cars and motorbikes, and raced for Hitachi on the UK saloon car circuit for a few months.

In 1976 he joined Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, the band for which he is probably best remembered.

In 1980, when Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham died, Powell was considered by the band as a possible replacement for Bonham. The band decided against it and disbanded.

Powell made headlines when he appeared on the BBC children's programme Record Breakers where he set a world record for being the world's fastest drummer live on television.

On August 16, 1980, Rainbow headlined the first ever Monsters of Rock show at Castle Donington, England. Following the success of the event (which in turn followed the success of Rainbow's 1979 Down to Earth LP from which singles Since You Been Gone and All Night Long are taken), Powell left Rainbow along with vocalist Graham Bonnet to start work on Bonnet's new project called Graham Bonnet & the Hooligans, their most notable single being Night Games (1981). Powell then performed with a number of major bands - Michael Schenker Group from 1981 to 1982, Whitesnake from 1982 to 1984, then with Keith Emerson and Greg Lake in 1986 as a member of Emerson, Lake & Powell, Gary Moore in 1989, then Black Sabbath intermittently from 1989 to 1991, and again from 1993 - 1995.

Between late 1992 and early 1993, Powell put together a touring band using the old band name 'Cozy Powell's Hammer' featuring himself on drums, Neil Murray on bass, Mario Parga on guitar and Tony Martin on vocals and occasional rhythm guitar/synth module. The band performed throughout Europe and appeared on German T.V.

Powell along with Neil Murray (fellow ex-member of Cozy Powell's Hammer, Whitesnake, Gary Moore and Black Sabbath) were members of Queen guitarist Brian May's band, playing on the Back To The Light and Another World albums. They were due to start touring with the band in the Autumn of 1998. The duo also served a spell with returning blues legend Peter Green in the mid nineties.

Cozy Powell died on April 5, 1998

Photo from http://www.jaixa-imaging.net/rock.htm

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