Slade Frontman Noddy Holder - A Biography

Noddy Holder became a living legend as the voice of Slade. Born Neville John Holder on the 15th of June, 1946 in Walsall - the now world famous frontman of the legendary band Slade was brought into our world with a mission to entertain and he has done just that.

If you have ever wondered how the nickname Noddy came about then you might prefer the more polite version that he had a tendency to 'nod off' during school classes. The other, less polite suggestion is that the name Noddy Holder is indeed a term used for a condom - of which you could probably believe from a man with such humor.

His love for music and guitar playing began at a very young age - his first guitar at age eleven was never too far away from his twitching fingers. Even back then it was clear to him that his future would be playing on the big stage to anticipating spectators.

Still in his teens he formed a band which was called The Phantoms and later The Memphis Cut-Outs - a dream that made him quit his education at the age of seventeen.

Even in the early stages the group and Noddy showed promise and they were soon discovered by Steve Brett who in those days fronted the Mavericks and had his own TV show. He was looking for a replacement for the Mavericks and Noddy's band had hit a nerve - they went on to produce three singles and an appearance on TV before Noddy called it a day.

Shortly thereafter in the year 1966, Noddy was approached again by a member of the N'betweens who just required a frontman to finalize the band. He stuck with Jim and the others and after five years the band finally got what they deserved - fame and stardom that really rocketed Slade to the top of the rock ladder.

The first time I saw Noddy and Slade on stage (which is detailed in my story ) he showed me why he was the consummate front man.

The audience was kind of setting back on their heels due to an hour delay from a electrical problem. Noddy was smart enough to call me up on stage to do my CALL; and yes this really got the crowd on fire just like Slade.

Noddy Holder was not your usual kind of frontman - his exceptional stage presence made him an icon of 70's rock music.

Was it his boisterous and husky voice? Was it his muscular rhythm guitar? Was it the illusions created by his lyrics or his unreserved stage antics? All of these attributes are what make Noddy 'Noddy' and nobody else - he was and is the one and only legendary frontman of Slade. Read more about Noddy Holder and Slade.

In 1991 Noddy declared that he wanted to move awy from Slade and move onto something else - he quit and went into both radio presenting, advertising and television. Most notable was his appearance in the show 'The Grimleys'.

1999 saw the release of his autobiography 'Who's Crazee Now?' and the following year he was awarded an MBE for his contributions to the music industry. I have read "Who's Crazee Now?" . It's a great read!