Slade legend Noddy Holder sets record straight over Dave Hill 'firing Don Powell by email'

Noddy was talking about his life at Tom Sears Presents at Walsall Arena when he took time out from the jokes and anecdotes to address the issue which upset so many Slade fans.

There had even been a few boos at the mere mention of Dave's name which showed how the story had taken hold in the public consciousness.

Noddy said: "One story I want to put right, and as I am in the Midlands I might as well put it straight. It is one that came out a couple of years ago, which was upsetting for all of us. This story was fake but has become fact despite being untrue.

"The story was Dave Hill sacked Don Powell by email, but the story is totally untrue.

"So a fan told newspapers and radio stations Dave Hill sacked Don by a dry email. And it got printed, and it went viral. And this massively upsets Dave Hill, as it should."

He added: "So I looked into it, as we are still in contact, they both sent me the emails. Don and Dave sent me the emails, there was never an email saying 'you're fired'. Now they had problems, but nothing insurmountable."

Noddy said that tall tales have always appeared about rock 'n' roll bands in the press but "if you're not in the band you don't know what's going on".

Slade are still beloved in the Black Country after their unforgettable rise to fame in the 1970s - they sold more records in that decade than any other British band.

Noddy, Dave, Don and Jim Lea, from Wolverhampton and Walsall, conquered the charts and had the same line-up for 25 years until Noddy and Jim left in 1992.

Dave and Don continued but the last time they hit the headlines was the spurious story about the two mates of six decades falling out.

Noddy explained the kernel of the story was due to Don recovering from surgery on his knees and doctors advising him not to tour.

He said: "Don was recovering from his knees, and couldn't play drums, and Dave took advice from a surgeon who said Don could be crippled for life and end up in a wheelchair if he went on tour. Now Don can't remember this, so it does not sit well with him. But his wife told fans this story was not right.

"Everybody turned on Dave. They were in a band for 60 years, I've known Dave, I'm not saying they did not have problems. But Dave is still painted with this that he sacked Don by email, he gets grief now.

"Dave will never go out there and say it's not true, he ain't that kind of character, so I thought on behalf of him I thought I'd put the record straight."

The sold-out crowd of 600 cheered wildly after Noddy made his point, many relieved one of music's nice guys Dave Hill is not a villain.

Slade fan of 50 years Michael Van-Overstraeten said: "I am so glad Noddy had put the record straight, all the guys from Slade are fantastic. That's it now, we know the story is untrue."