Cozy Powell

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

Born in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, Powell started his musical career with The Sorcerers in 1965, although he had previously played in a school band called the Corals. In 1971 he joined the Jeff Beck group for two albums, before going solo then forming Bedlam. His solo single Dance With The Devil reached third place in the UK charts in 1973. Two other top 20 singles followed, as Cozy Powell's Hammer (ex-UFO and future Whitesnake member, Bernie Marsden played on guitar). The following year, Cozy 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.

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, Cozy was considered by the band as a possible replacement for Bonham. The band decided against it and disbanded.

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.

Cozy along with Neil Murray (fellow ex-member of Cozy Powell's Hammer, Whitesnake, Gary Moore and Black Sabbath) were members of the Brian May 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 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 had returned to the studio shortly before his death to record with ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist 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.

Drum set ups through his career included; 1977-78 (with Rainbow): Ludwig red sparkle: Two 26-inch bass drums with Premier 250 pedals, two 14-inch racked tom-toms, two 16-inch floor toms. 6-inch metal symphonic snare. Cymbals (All Paiste): 24-inch ride (formula 602), 18-inch china, 18-inch crash-ride, 20-inch ride, 18-inch crash, two 16-inch crashes, 6-inch splash and a 15-inch hi-hat. Ludwig 35 sticks.

Circa 1983 (with Whitesnake): Yamaha custom in natural wood finish: Two 26-inch bass drums, two 15-inch racked tom-toms, an 18-inch floor tom and a 20-inch floor tom. 6-inch metal snare. Cymbals (Paiste 2000 series): 24-inch ride, 18-inch china, 20-inch crash-ride, 20-inch crash,18-inch crash, 6-inch splash and a 15-inch hi-hat.

1989 (when in Black Sabbath): Yamaha 9000 series custom in black and silver: Two 26-inch bass drums, four racked tom-toms: a 16 x 6-inch, 18 x 8-inch, 13 x 9-inch and a 14 x 10-inch. An 18-inch and a 20-inch floor tom. 6-inch metal snare. Cymbals (Paiste 3000 series): 24-inch ride, 18-inch china, 20-inch crash-ride, 20-inch crash, 18-inch crash, 6-inch splash and a 15-inch hi-hat and a 36-inch gong.

In October 2005, Cozy 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 Cozy 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 Cozy's death on the 2005 solo collection 'Edge of the World'.