Noddy Holder

Neville John "Noddy" Holder MBE (born 15 June

1946)[1] is an English musician and actor. He was the lead
vocalist and guitarist of English glam rock band Slade,
one of the UKs most successful acts of the 1970s. Holder
co-wrote most of Slades material with bassist Jim Lea.

Early life and career

Holder was born in the Caldmore area, near the centre of

Walsall, Staordshire, England. As a child he moved with
his family to the Beechdale Estate, a council estate in the
north of the town. The son of a window cleaner, Holder
passed the Eleven plus exam and attended a grammar
school for a year until it closed.[1] He then attended the
new T. P. Riley Comprehensive School and passed 6 GCE
O-level exams.[2] He formed a group called the Rockin'
Phantoms with school friends at the age of 13, and with
money earned from a part-time job, he bought a guitar
and an amplier.[2] He also used his fathers windowcleaning van to drive Robert Plant to gigs with Plants
band at the time, the Tennessee Teens.[3] Holder turned
professional with a band called the Memphis Cutouts and
then with Steve Brett & the Mavericks in the early '60s
made four singles for Columbia Records.

Holder in 1973

Slade

gle to go straight in at number one in the UK chart.[5]

Merry Xmas Everybody has remained seasonally popular ever since and is a festive classic. To date, in the
In 1966 drummer Don Powell persuaded Holder to UK alone, sales of this song have reached several million
join The 'NBetweens, a group which already in- copies.[5]
cluded guitarist Dave Hill and bass guitarist/ keyboard
player/violinist/songwriter Jim Lea.
Together they After twenty-ve years with Slade, Holder left to pursue a
formed the band Ambrose Slade, eventually to become career away from music, with regular stints as radio preSlade, one of Britains top-selling rock bands. Slade also senter, television personality, actor and voice over artist.
recorded some ballads, Everyday and "How Does It
Feel?" in particular being widely acclaimed.
Main article: Slade

Lea and Holder turned out to be the groups most success- 3 Other work
ful song-writing partnership, composing almost all of the
bands songs. The band clocked up 21 hit singles and re- During 1982, Holder branched into production and
leased 15 albums in their 25-year career as the original worked with his old school friend Phil Burnell and his
line-up.
band Three Phase on one single All I Want To Do Is (Fall
Slade are best remembered for the single "Merry Xmas in Love With You)", which was the bands only release.
Everybody"[4] written by Holder and Lea. Holder Holder and Burnell produced the single together, and it
recorded the single with Slade in 1973, and the song be- was published under Noddy Holder Music Ltd./Whild
came the bands sixth number one and the third Slade sin- John Music Ltd., and released via Speed Records. The
1

CAREER SINCE SLADE

single did not enter the UK chart, as it received limited comedy/drama series The Grimleys (19962001) as claspromotion.[6][7]
sical music teacher Neville Holder.[14] For the series,
During late 1983, Holder did some production work with Holder recorded acoustic versions of the Slade songs
Noize", "Mama Weer
the American band The First, who came over to the UK "Coz I Luv You", "Cum on Feel the[15]
All
Crazee
Now"
and
Everyday.
from Boston, Massachusetts in America, especially to
work with him, although there was never any release of
material.[6] In late 1983, both Holder and Lea produced
Girlschool's cover of the T-Rex song "20th Century Boy"
and then the parent album Play Dirty which featured two
Slade tracks Burning in the Heat of Love and High and
Dry.[8] The High and Dry track was originally written for Girlschool but still appeared on Slades album that
same year.[9] In 1985, Holder co-wrote, and sang backing
vocals on, the single Citizen Kane which Lea released
under his own name.[10]
In 1988, Holder recorded Tear into the Weekend for
a Pepsi commercial in Canada. In 1989 Holder provided vocals to help out Dave Hill (Slade Guitarist) and
his newly formed group Blessings in Disguise which also
featured, Ex-Wizzard keyboard player, Bill Hunt, Craig
Fenney and Bob Lamb.[11] The debut single, released in
1989 for the Christmas market was a cover of The Everly Brothers "Crying in the Rain", backed by a Hill/Hunt
composition, Wild Nights.[12] The band also recorded a
cover of the Elvis Presley song "A Fool Such As I" which
wasn't released. The follow-up and nal Blessings in Disguise single, Chance to Be did not feature Holder.

He had his own radio shows on Piccadilly 1152 and Key

103 in Manchester, which were syndicated around the
country all of the 1990s, then on Century and Capital Radio syndication from 2000 to 2004.[16][17]
Holder also presented 31 episodes of Noddys Electric Ladyland, a surreal television quiz show. He was a team
captain in BBC1s music series A Question of Pop[1] and
was immortalised as a puppet character Banger on the TV
show Bob the Builder.[18]
In 1999 Holders autobiography, Whos Crazee Now?, was
published by Ebury. Updated in paperback in 2001 it is
still available online. It was written by Holder with Lisa
Verrico.[19]
Noddy was awarded the MBE in 2000 honours list for
his services to showbusiness. In 1996 the singer was the
subject of the This Is Your Life TV show.[1]
On 8 December 2000, Holder made a cameo appearance
on the live episode of Granada Televisions Coronation
Street, as a character called Stan, saving the cobbles from
being replaced on the street. This helped mark the 40th
anniversary of the soap.[20]

Holder also appeared on the television panel game Pop Holders voice is famously used in the lift announcements
Quiz, hosted by Mike Read. In December 2015 he at the Walsall New Art Gallery.[21]
appeared as a presenter on BBC televisions Songs of
In November 2004, he made a guest appearance in Peter
Praise.[13]
Kay's Max and Paddys Road to Nowhere where he
played a garage mechanic called Mick Bustin. The scenes
were lmed in Bolton.[22] Also for the past 25 years
4 Career since Slade
Holder has voiced, sung and appeared in many adverts
for TV, lm and radio worldwide.[1]
In 2006, Holder made a guest appearance in a music
video for the Mistys Big Adventure single, Fashion
Parade.[23][24][25]
Holder was a regular TV critic and contributor to The
Radclie and Maconie Show on BBC Radio 2 for eight
years, and the three often talked about rock star gossip
from all eras.[26] Radclie often refers to Holder as 'Sir
Nodward of Holdershire'.[27]
To celebrate his 50th professional year in showbiz, Holder
toured the UK during May 2013 with Mark Radclie for
a series of intimate 'In conversation with' shows.[28][29]
Venues for the spring part of the tour include Bolton,
Leeds, Durham, Telford, Preston, Redditch, Buxton and
Harrogate. During the majority of shows Holder performed some short acoustic numbers.[30]
Holder was the third celebrity to be inducted onto the
Birmingham Walk of Stars. 27,000 people turned out
to his induction ceremony, which took place on 9 DeSince his departure from Slade in 1992, Holder has ap- cember 2007 at Birminghams 2007 Canal Boat Light
peared on hundreds of TV shows, most notably the ITV
Birmingham Walk of Stars on Broad Street, Birmingham

3
Parade.[31][32]
Since Christmas 2007, Noddy has annually recorded a
TV show countdown of hit Christmas tunes.[33][34] He is
the Nobbys Nuts mascot following on from the famous
TV campaign.[35][36]
Holder also made an appearance on the 2008 Xmas edition of BBCs humorous news quiz show, Have I Got News
for You as a member of Paul Merton's team.[37]
In January 2010, Holder and his wife appeared on All Star
Mr. and Mrs. on ITV, where they won the 30,000 jackpot for the NSPCC charity.[38]

[3] Simpson, Dave (26 November 2015). Noddy Holder:

'People think I live in a cave all year and come
out in December, shouting Its Chriiisstmaaasss!'".
theguardian.com. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
[4] All-Time Biggest Hits about Christmas and The Festive Season, a list of hits about the festive season, EveryHit.com.
[5] Merry Xmas Everybody Slade, Sold on Song, BBC Radio
2.
[6]
[7] Three Phase All I Want To Do Is (Fall In Love With
You) (Vinyl) at Discogs

In 2011, Holder as 'King of the Sizzle' fronted British

Sausage Week, touring the country to nd the Best British [8] discograa_ingles. Usuarios.multimania.es. Retrieved
2011-08-10.
Bangers and to promote support for British farmers and
butchers. Later that year, he also performed a one-man [9] Girlschool Play Dirty at Discogs. Discogs.com. Reupdated version of A Christmas Carol at the Union Chapel
trieved 2011-07-15.
venue in London. There were interludes of music provided by an acoustic band doing unusual Christmas songs [10] Jimmy Lea* Citizen Kane (Vinyl) at Discogs.
Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
complete with two Mellotrons. With its success, the producers of the show are hoping they can take it on the
[11] 7 vinyl single of Crying in the Rain sleeve notes
road.[39][40][41]
Holder featured as Geos Dad in the BBC Radio 4
comedy Hobby Bobbies. Series 1 was broadcast July /
August 2013 and Series 2 November / December 2014.

[12] Blessings in Disguise Featuring Noddy Holder And Dave

Hill Crying in the Rain / Wild Nights Mooncrest
DISGUISE 1. 45cat. Retrieved 2011-07-15.

On 24 June 2014, Holder was awarded the freedom of his [13] BBC One - Songs of Praise, 06/12/2015. BBC.
home town of Walsall, making him an honorary freeman [14] The Grimleys (TV Series 19992001) IMDb
of the borough.[42]
On 25 September 2014 Holder released his second book
via Constable, titled The World According to Noddy.[43]
On Christmas Day 2015 Holder appeared in a cameo role
in BBC televisions Mrs Browns Boys.[44]

[15] Slade Weer All Crazee Noddy Holder.

weerallcrazee.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-07-15.

[16] audioBoom / Jingle of Piccadilly Gold Noddy Holders

70s Show. audioBoom.
[17] men Administrator (17 February 2007).
proached for millionaire role. men.

Personal life

Slade-

Noddy ap-

[18] Bob the Builder: A Christmas to Remember (Video 2001)

Full Cast & Crew IMDb

Noddy married TV producer Suzan Price in 2004, with

[19] Whos Crazee Now?
My Autobiography:
whom he has a son, Django (named after Django ReinAmazon.co.uk:
Lisa Verrico, Noddy Holder:
hardt). From his previous marriage, to Leandra, Holder
9780091875039: Books.
has two daughters, Jessica and Charisse.[1]
[20] Noddy to make Street cameo, BBC. BBC News. 5 December 2000. Retrieved 2011-11-04.

Discography

See Slade discography.

[21] Roz Laws (7 April 2013). Slade singer Noddy Holder

keeps coming back to Walsall to play free gigs in hotel
bars - Birmingham Mail. birminghammail.
[22] ""Max & Paddys Road to Nowhere Episode #1.2 (TV
Episode 2004)". IMDb.

References

[1] Noddy Holder (1999). Noddy Holder Whos Crazee

Now?. Ebury Press. ISBN 0-09-187503-X.
[2] Slade: Feel the Noize! an Illustrated Biography by Chris
Charlesworth, (1984), Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-71190538-X

[23] Mistys Big Adventure (Featuring Noddy Holder) Fashion Parade / Crumpled Up Guy Sunday Best SBESTS
40. 45cat. 16 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
[24] Sunday Best-Releases:Misty'S Big Adventure Fashion
Parade Feat. Noddy Holder. Sundaybest.net. Archived
from the original on 7 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-0715.

[25] Noddy Holder Agent | Book Noddy Holder Speaker

| Hire Noddy Holder as a Presenter for your event
through Prime Performers UK. Primeperformers.co.uk.
Archived from the original on 4 December 2010. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
[26] BBC Radio 2 - The Radclie and Maconie Show, Noddy
Holder talks telly. BBC.
[27] Reelin' in the Years.
[28] Noddy Holder :: Ocial :: Website. Noddy Holder Ofcial Website.
[29] Noddy Holder and Mark Radclie Tour on YouTube
[30] Show review: Noddy Holder and Mark Radclie at
Leeds City Varieties.
[31] Elkes, Neil (31 October 2007). Noddy to get a
Broad Street star Birmingham Mail. Icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
[32] BBC Black Country Noddy gets his star. Bbc.co.uk.
Retrieved 2011-11-04.
[33] Search Results for noddy holders 50 best xmas "".
[34] Monika Kahle. SLADE40YEARS - Whats on.
[35] Classic Rock The Archive July 2005 Page 21
NODDY HOLDER
[36] The hard sell.
[37] Have I Got News for You Episode #36.10 (TV Episode
2008) Full Cast & Crew IMDb
[38] NME.COM. Slades Noddy Holder wanted for 'Strictly
Come Dancing'". NME.COM.
[39] Rock Superstar Noddy Holder Kicks O British Sausage
Week With Sausage Walk Of Fame | News | Love Pork
Archived 2 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine.
[40] Noddy Holder to launch British Sausage Week (Oct 31
Nov 6)".
[41] Noddy Holder sets o on tour of legendary bangers.
[42] Noddy Holder from Slade to get freedom of Walsall.
BBC News. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
[43] The World According To Noddy: Life Lessons Learned
In and Out of Rock & Roll: Amazon.co.uk: Noddy
Holder: 9781472119674: Books.
[44] Gerard O'Donovan (25 December 2015). Mrs Browns
Boys Christmas Day Special 2015, review: 'unexpectedly
charming'". Telegraph.co.uk.

External links
Noddyholder.com
biographical article on MSN Lifestyle website, 15
June 2006, celebrating Noddy Holders birthday
Noddy Holder at the Internet Movie Database

EXTERNAL LINKS

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

9.1

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Noddy Holder Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noddy_Holder?oldid=753260977 Contributors: Malcolm Farmer, Danja, Ahoerstemeier, Sugarsh, Charles Matthews, Raul654, Pigsonthewing, Auric, Daibhid C, Rparle, Utcursch, Andycjp, Necrothesp, TonyW, D6,
Crestville, Bender235, Kiand, Bobo192, Johnteslade, Naturenet, Craigy144, Bobrayner, Thryduulf, The JPS, PatGallacher, Exxolon,
Graham87, Rjwilmsi, Seidenstud, The wub, Bgwhite, Quentin X, AKeen, Howcheng, Irishguy, Tony1, Currybet, Fram, Garion96,
IanMSpencer, Crystallina, McGeddon, DWaterson, Gilliam, Roscelese, JGXenite, DinosaursLoveExistence, Derek R Bullamore, Marcus Brute, Skyscrap27, John, Durajohnpatrick, Dl2000, BranStark, HisSpaceResearch, GiantSnowman, MFlet1, AndrewHowse, Cydebot, MantaRay, Oosoom, Anthonyhcole, RottweilerCS, Zalgo, Epbr123, N5iln, Nesw, Davidhorman, Dawkeye, Betjeman, Edelmand,
David Rush, Leevclarke, Daz 90, Giftednumber10, Ocediter, Magioladitis, GlynJames7, S3000, R'n'B, Mickthesh, Adavidb, Whitebox, Fingerpuppet, CardinalDan, Egghead06, Vtrc1220, Fences and windows, Martinevans123, Fxhomie, Chip10101, Broadbot, Sealman, Klippa, Dog Man311, Malcolmxl5, Jack1956, ImageRemovalBot, Sethacus, Rodhullandemu, MIDI, Sl1dewest, Robman94, Jappalang, Mild Bill Hiccup, Rhinestonecatboy, Pleasant Peter, Ncarfra, Holzman-tweed, ChrisHodgesUK, Goodvac, DumZiBoT, Normanbaxer001, SlayerXT, WikHead, Bradley0110, Addbot, Zarcadia, This is Paul, LaaknorBot, Tassedethe, Lightbot, PlankBot, Yobot, Jasperhunt, Dan03141, AnomieBOT, Alabama Moon, Chojinsteiner, Glamra, Materialscientist, Sir Stanley, Omnipaedista, GorgeCustersSabre,
Spongefrog, Holmstreau, StaticVision, Dipstick15, Ionutzmovie, David Coverdales White Snake, I dream of horses, 7cees, Ajsmith141,
Rockgenre, Mean as custard, RjwilmsiBot, Power Pop News, Buttscratcher6, TuHan-Bot, Alexetc, Ykraps, ZroBot, Shuipzv3, Unreal7,
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