WILTS & GLOUCESTERSHIRE STANDARD
8 June 2015 by Brendan McFadden
A CIRENCESTER man who found world-wide fame as a drummer in several hit rock bands is set to be honoured by the town. Cozy Powell who appeared in, The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Whitesnake and Black Sabbath, died in a car accident on the M4 in 1998 but his name has not been forgotten and he still has many fans around the world.
Cirencester Town Council council have submitted plans to install a plaque at the front of the Corn Hall in the town as response to more than 3,000 people signing an online petition on change.org by Italian woman Rossella Amadori, that asked that Cirencester created one to remember him.
At the Cirencester Town Council planning meeting on Thursday, councillors voted to recommend plans for the plaque which are going to be put to Cotswold District Council and will read “Cozy Powell, born in Cirencester and performed here with the Corals 1964 – 1966.”
John Burgess, the Gloucestershire County Council ward councillor for Cirencester was the lead singer of the Corals, and he said the plaque was a brilliant idea. He said: “I think it is important that he is remembered in this way, for Rossella to do this petition was a great surprise and a great idea. We were shocked to hear when he died – that is how he lived his life he lived life in the fast lane.” He said that Cozy, whose real name was Colin Flukes, took his name from American group, the Cozy Cole Dance Band after John started calling him by it. “I started calling him Cozy as a name.” He said to me one day I am going start calling myself Cozy Powell. Powell was his mum’s Christian name.”
Mark Harris Mayor of Cirencester said he thought it was important to honour Cozy as he was one of the best drummers of his generation. He added that Queen Guitarist Brian May, who played with Cozy in his group, The Brian May Band, supported the installation of the plaque and he will be inviting him to unveil it.
In August last year, the Phoenix Festival in Cirencester, named the main stage in honour of Cozy. Cozy had appeared on at least 66 albums, with contributions on many other recordings. His solo song, Dance With The Devil, reached number one in the UK chart in 1974 – making him one of the few drummers in the world to achieve a number one hit.
