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Don PowellDonald George Powell, born on September 10 1946 in Bilston, Staffordshire, England, was a drummer who founded the British glam rock group Slade. As a child Don Powell joined the Boy Scouts where he became interested in the drums after being asked to join the band on a Sunday morning parade. He worked in a small foundry before turning professional as a drummer. Powell became a member of The Vendors, a band that guitarist Dave Hill later joined. The Vendors became the N'Betweens and violinst/bassplayer Jimmy Lea got in at an audition. Powell now spotted Noddy Holder playing with Steve Brett & The Mavericks and he and Hill got Holder to join the N'Betweens. They regrouped as Ambrose Slade, changed the name to Slade and the success began. Powell was the wit of the group and considered one of rocks' best drummers. He co-wrote a number of Slade's earlier songs, mainly with Jim Lea. Many of them can be found on the 1970 Slade album "Play it loud". He also co-wrote one of Slade's top 5 hits "Look wot you dun" with Holder/Lea in 1972. In 1973, when Slade were immensely popular in Europe, Powell had a serious car crash in which 20-year-old girlfriend Angela was killed and Powell was badly injured. Surgeons had to drill into his skull to ease the internal pressure. He eventually pulled through, finding the best therapy to be work. When top 5 hit "My friend Stan" was recorded in 1973, Powell was still walking with the aid of a stick and had to be lifted onto his drum-kit. The accident left Powell with no senses of taste and smell and to this day he has severe problems with his memory. When Slade split up in 1991 Don Powell owned and operated an antique import/export company before joining the band Slade II in 1993 with Dave Hill and singer Steve Whalley among others. The band is still touring Europe and has released the albums "Keep on Rockin'" and "Cum On Let's Party!". The name of the band was shortened back to Slade in 1997. In 2000 Powell had a small cameo role in the BBC-version of Lorna Doone. Powell married in 1997. His wife writes books for children and the couple lives in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, England. Powell, Don
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