Cozy Powell
Born	December 29, 1947 Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England
Died	April 5, 1998 (aged 50) Bristol, England
Alias(es)	Colin Flooks (birthname)
Genre(s)	Rock Hard Rock Heavy Metal
Affiliation(s)	Cozy Powell's Hammer Youngblood (a.k.a. The Sorcerers) The Jeff Beck Group Rainbow Michael Schenker Group Whitesnake Emerson, Lake & Powell Black Sabbath Various others
Label(s)	Various
Years active	1968 - 1998
Official site	www.cozypowell.com

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

Contents 1 Career history 2 Powell's death 3 Equipment information 4 Current releases 5 Discography and appearances 6 External link

Career history

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. to 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 played with swamp rocker Tony Joe White at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970. 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 to form 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. Cozy played with Brian May opening for Guns n Roses on the second American leg of their Use Your Illusion tour in 1993. 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.

Powell's death

Cozy Powell died on April 5, 1998 following a car crash, driving his Saab 9000 in bad weather on the M4 motorway near Bristol, while talking to his girlfriend on his mobile phone. He was living at Lambourn in Berkshire at the time and had returned to the studio shortly before his death to record with Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green. By that time, he had been the drummer on at least 66 albums with minor contributions on many other recordings. It was generally felt that Powell's death was a great loss to the world of popular music. Countless rock-based drummers have cited Cozy Powell as an influence.

Equipment information

Drum set ups through his career included; 1977-78 (with Rainbow): Ludwig red sparkle: Two 26" bass drums with Premier 250 pedals, two 14" rack toms, two 16" floor toms. 14"x6" metal symphonic snare. Cymbals (All Paiste): 24" ride (formula 602), 18" china, 18" crash-ride, 20" ride, 18" crash, two 16" crashes, 6" splash and 15" hi-hats. Ludwig 3S sticks.

Circa 1983 (with Whitesnake): Yamaha custom in natural wood finish: Two 26" bass drums, two 15" rack toms, and 18" and 20" floor toms. 14"x6" metal snare. Cymbals (Paiste 2000 series): 24" ride, 18" china, 20" crash-ride, 20" crash,18" crash, 6" splash and 15" hi-hats.

1989 (when in Black Sabbath): Yamaha 9000 series custom in black and silver: Two 26" bass drums,6"x16", 8"x18", 13"x9", and 14"x10" rack toms, 18" and 20" floor toms. 14"x6" metal snare. Cymbals (Paiste 3000 series): 24" ride, 18" china, 20" crash-ride, 20" crash, 18" crash, 6" splash, 15" hi-hats and a 36" gong.

Current releases

In October 2005 Powell made a "new" appearance on an album. Former Black Sabbath vocalist Tony Martin released a studio album (Scream), and on it is a track named "Raising Hell". This was a track that Powell had recorded the drum track for back when he and Tony were in Hammer in 1992, and gave to Tony for "future use". There are apparently as many as 19 additional drum tracks also recorded that could turn up in the future. Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton has also released material recorded before Powell's death on the 2006 solo collection 'Edge of the World'..

Discography and appearances

• Rough & Ready - Jeff Beck Group (1971)
• Clowns - Ed Welch (1971)
• Jeff Beck Group - Jeff Beck Group (1972)
• A Writer of Songs - Harvey Andrews (1972)
• Clotho's Web - Julie Felix (1972)
• Cosmic Wheels - Donovan (1973)
• Bedlam - Bedlam (1973)
• You And Me - Chick Churchill (1973)
• Nigel Lived - Murray Head (1973)
• First of the Big Bands - Tony Ashton / Jon Lord (1974)
• Peter & The Wolf - Various (1975)
• Every Word You Say - Peter Sarstedt (1975)
• The First Starring Role - Bob Sargeant (1975)
• Rising - Rainbow (1976)
• Fourteen Greatest Hits - Hot Chocolate (1976)
• On Stage - Rainbow (1977)
• Long Live Rock 'n' Roll - Rainbow (1978)
• Down to Earth - Rainbow (1979)
• Over the Top - Cozy Powell (1979)
• And About Time Too - Bernie Marsden (1979)
• Monsters of Rock - Rainbow (1980)
• Look At Me Now - Bernie Marsden (1981)
• Tilt - Cozy Powell (1981)
• M.S.G. - McAuley/Schenker Group (1981)
• Line Up - Graham Bonnet (1981)
• One Night at Budokan - McAuley/Schenker Group (1982)
• Before I Forget - Jon Lord (1982)
• Pictures At Eleven - Robert Plant (1982)
• Octopuss - Cozy Powell (1983)
• Slide It In - Whitesnake (1984)
• Phenomena - Phenomena (1985)
• Under a Raging Moon - Roger Daltrey (1985)
• Finyl Vinyl - Rainbow (1986)
• Emerson, Lake & Powell - Emerson, Lake & Powell (1986)
• Who the Am Dam - Boys Don't Cry (1987)
• Sanne Salomonsen - Sanne Salomonsen (1987)
• Triumph & Agony - Warlock (1987)
• Forcefield I - Forcefield (1987)
• Super Drumming - Pete York / Cozy Powell (1987)
• Long Cold Winter - Cinderella (1988)
• Southern Region Breakdown - James Darby (1988)
• K.2. - Don Airey (1988)
• Forcefield II - Forcefield (1988)
• After the War - Gary Moore (1989)
• Headless Cross - Black Sabbath (1989)
• Timewatch - Minute By Minute (1989)
• To Oz And Back (Forcefield III) - Forcefield (1989)
• Live in Germany 1976 - Rainbow (1990)
• Tyr - Black Sabbath (1990)
• Let the Wild Run Free (Forcefield IV) - Forcefield (1991)
• The Connoisseur Collection Vol II - Ritchie Blackmore (1991)
• The Drums are Back - Cozy Powell (1992)
• Instrumentals - Forcefield (1992)
• Back To The Light - Brian May (1993)
• Live at Brixton Academy - Brian May (1994)
• Forbidden - Black Sabbath (1995)
• The Music of Jimi Hendrix - Various (1995)
• The Sabbath Stones - Black Sabbath (1996)
• Baptizm of Fire - Glenn Tipton (1997)
• The Best of Cozy Powell - Cozy Powell (1997)
• Peter Green Splinter Group - Peter Green Splinter Group (1997)
• SAS Band - S.A.S. Band (1997)
• Facing the Animal - Yngwie Malmsteen (1997)
• Another World - Brian May (1998)
• Twin Oaks/Especially For You - Cozy Powell (1999)
• Scream - Tony Martin (2005)
• Edge of the World - Tipton, Entwistle & Powell (2006)

External link

• Official Cozy Powell website

v • d • e Rainbow
Ritchie Blackmore
Vocals: Ronnie James Dio | Graham Bonnet | Joe Lynn Turner | Doogie White
Bass: Craig Gruber | Jimmy Bain | Bob Daisley | Roger Glover | Greg Smith
Drums: Gary Driscoll | Cozy Powell | Bobby Rondinelli | Chuck Burgi | John O'Reilly | John Miceli
Keyboards: Micky Lee Soule | Tony Carey | David Stone | Don Airey | David Rosenthal | Paul Morris
Discography
Albums : Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow | Rising | Long Live Rock 'n' Roll | Down to Earth | Difficult to Cure | Straight Between the Eyes | Bent Out of Shape | Stranger in Us All
Live albums: On Stage | Finyl Vinyl | Live in Germany/Live in Europe | Live in Munich 1977 | Rainbow Live at Cologne SportsHalle
Videos and DVDs: Live Between the Eyes/ The Final Cut | Live in Munich 1977
Compilation Albums: The Best of Rainbow | The Very Best of Rainbow | 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Rainbow | Pot of Gold | Catch the Rainbow: The Anthology | Winning Combinations: Deep Purple and Rainbow
Related articles
Deep Purple | Blackmore's Night | Black Sabbath | Dio | Alcatrazz | Yngwie J. Malmsteen

v • d • e Whitesnake
Members
David Coverdale - Doug Aldrich - Reb Beach - Uriah Duffy - Tommy Aldridge - Timothy Drury
Jon Lord - Dave Dowle - Ian Paice - Cozy Powell - Denny Carmassi - Aynsley Dunbar - Neil Murray - Rudy Sarzo - Bernie Marsden - Mel Galley - Micky Moody - John Sykes - Adrian Vandenberg - Vivian Campbell - Steve Vai - Warren DeMartini - Marco Mendoza
Discography
Studio albums: Snakebite - Trouble - Lovehunter - Ready an' Willing - Come an' Get It - Saints & Sinners - Slide It In - Whitesnake - Slip of the Tongue - Restless Heart
Live albums: Live at Hammersmith - Live...In the Heart of the City - Starkers in Tokyo - Live: In The Shadow Of The Blues

v • d • e Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Keith Emerson | Greg Lake | Carl Palmer
Former members: Cozy Powell | Robert Berry
Discography
Studio albums: Emerson, Lake & Palmer | Tarkus | Trilogy | Brain Salad Surgery | Works Volume I | Works Volume II | Love Beach | Black Moon | In the Hot Seat
Live albums: Pictures at an Exhibition | Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends | In Concert (also known as Works Live) | Live at the Royal Albert Hall | King Biscuit Flower Hour: Greatest Hits Live | Live in Poland | Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 | Then & Now | The Original Bootleg Series From Manticore Vaults Vol. 1 | The Original Bootleg Series From Manticore Vaults Vol. 2 | The Original Bootleg Series From Manticore Vaults Vol. 3 |
Compilations albums: The Best of Emerson, Lake and Palmer | The Atlantic Years | The Ultimate Collection | The Essential Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Box Set: The Return of the Manticore
Related articles
Emerson, Lake & Powell | 3 | The Nice | King Crimson | Atomic Rooster

v • d • e Black Sabbath
Members
Ozzy Osbourne • Tony Iommi • Geezer Butler • Bill Ward
Ronnie James Dio • Vinny Appice • Ian Gillan • Glenn Hughes • Tony Martin • Cozy Powell • Geoff Nicholls • Bev Bevan • Neil Murray • David Donato • Dave Spitz • Eric Singer • Ray Gillen • Bob Daisley • Jo Burt • Terry Chimes • Laurence Cottle • Bobby Rondinelli
Discography
Studio albums: Black Sabbath • Paranoid • Master of Reality • Black Sabbath, Vol. 4 • Sabbath Bloody Sabbath • Sabotage • Technical Ecstasy • Never Say Die! • Heaven and Hell • Mob Rules • Born Again • Seventh Star • The Eternal Idol • Headless Cross • Tyr • Dehumanizer • Cross Purposes • Forbidden
Live albums: Live Evil • Cross Purposes Live • Reunion • Past Lives • Live at Hammersmith Odeon
Compilations: We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll • The Sabbath Stones • Symptom of the Universe: The Original Black Sabbath 1970-1978 • Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath (1970-1978) • Greatest Hits 1970-1978 • Black Sabbath: The Dio Years