Midlands Heroes: We're still feeling the noize with Slade frontman Noddy Holder

A local lad who has never forgotten his roots, glam rock legend Noddy recalled his schooldays in Bloxwich and his strict old history teacher when speaking with us some years ago.

He said: “I went to a school called T P Riley Community School in Bloxwich, outside of Walsall.

"My history teacher was an ex-army disciplinarian. He was very, very old school. Very strict. But he was a genius.

"He arrived one year into our O-Levels when our mock exam results showed us to be way, way below par, and taught two years' worth of courses in one year. A lot of people didn’t like him but I did, because I could see that he was snatching success from the jaws of defeat.”

Though his time in school gave him his nickname (garnered from a habit of nodding to teachers instead of saying ‘yes’), it was clear early on that Noddy’s passions and future lay outside the world of academic achievement.

He started his first band, the Rockin' Phantoms, at 13, and dropped out of school during his A-Levels after "falling well behind" due to time spent gigging around the Midlands with them.

Before his Slade days, Noddy formed another band called the Memphis Cutouts and then, with Steve Brett & The Mavericks in the early ‘60s, recorded four singles for EMI's Columbia label.

But it is for his 26 years in Slade, one of the top-selling British rock bands of all time, that Noddy will always be remembered. 

The band clocked up 21 hit singles and released 15 albums with their original line-up. Arguably their most memorable hit, ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’, has sold 1.32 million copies in the UK alone. 

Following his glittering music career, Noddy has dabbled in both television and radio, and has always been a big advocate for the arts.

Ever delighted to support the scene in the West Midlands, in 2017 Noddy became the first ever patron of Birmingham's New Alexandra Theatre.

Speaking at the time he said: “I am extremely happy to have been invited to become a patron of the New Alexandra Theatre. It was a part of my life growing up in the Midlands, and has a large heritage at the heart of Birmingham. The arts must be kept alive for future generations to benefit from, and the whole team at the Alex are doing their part making sure this happens."

Noddy added: “They cannot do this alone and need support from the public, local businesses and all areas of society. In the words of a certain song we must all ‘Look to the future now … It’s only just begun!’”

Sadly, Noddy’s life has not come without struggle.

In 2018 he was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer and told his life was limited.

But after undergoing experimental chemotherapy treatment at the Christie Medical Centre in Manchester, Noddy ‘responded well’, with his cancer diagnosis revealed publicly for the first time in 2023.

Speaking the following year he said: " I was diagnosed with oesophagus cancer and given six months to live, but luckily for me I was given a heavy bout of chemo which was very targeted. 

"They hadn’t tried it on anyone over 60 at the time but asked me if I’d give it a try and I was 72 at that point and luckily for me I am still here.

"They never say you’re cured. They keep a check on it."

Noddy appeared on the BBC Breakfast sofa with his wife Suzan, with the pair saying they were involved in charity fundraising for the East Cheshire Hospice, which had helped him out throughout his treatment.

Later that year, he turned his happy heart towards helping out young local sports stars.

A huge Wolves supporter, Noddy invested in a team near Molineux, as the front-of-shirt sponsor for Bridgnorth Spartans Football Club’s under-7s Red team.

Noddy said he hoped the team could even end up providing some future Wolves stars.

He said: “I have done lots of things in my life but being on the front of a football shirt is a first and I love it! I’m really happy to support the next generation of players back in the Midlands where I’m from, and hopefully we’ll have some future Wolves players amongst them!”

The co-chair of Bridgnorth Spartans said: “Having such a huge star as Noddy sponsoring one of our teams is absolutely brilliant. I couldn’t believe it when I found out and we’re all blown away that he has chosen to support our club.”

Lauded for his consistently stellar contribution to the industry, it was back in 2000 that Holder was awarded the MBE for his services to showbusiness.

26 years later, we wish the Walsall boy all the best, and hope that he will be here to remind us when ‘it’s CHRIIISSSTMAAASSSS’ for many more to come.