The Night Slade Nearly Lost Their Thunder: Don Powell’s Fight Back from the Edge of Death
In the early 1970s, Slade were one of the loudest and most unstoppable forces in rock. With their glitter-soaked glam image and explosive hits like Cum On Feel the Noize, Mama Weer All Crazee Now, and Gudbuy T’Jane, the band dominated the charts and packed arenas across Britain and Europe. But in July 1973, everything almost came crashing down in a single terrifying moment.
Slade’s powerhouse drummer, Don Powell, was involved in a devastating car crash that nearly killed him.
Powell had been driving home with his fiancée, Angela Morris, when their car collided with another vehicle. The accident was catastrophic. Morris tragically died at the scene, while Powell suffered severe head injuries, multiple fractures, and massive blood loss. Doctors initially feared he would not survive.
When he did regain consciousness, the damage was profound. Powell had lost much of his short-term memory and struggled to remember recent events, including the band’s tour schedule and even some of the songs he had just recorded. For a drummer in one of the biggest rock bands in Britain, it could have easily been the end of the road.
But rock history sometimes bends toward stubborn people.
Against medical expectations, Powell was determined to return to Slade. Only weeks after the accident, while still recovering from serious injuries, he began rehearsing with the band again. Because of his memory loss, Powell had to relearn parts of Slade’s songs almost from scratch. Bandmates Noddy Holder, Jim Lea, and Dave Hill helped him rebuild his confidence and rhythm piece by piece.
Amazingly, Powell returned to the stage just months after the crash.
Fans had no idea how fragile the situation really was. Behind the scenes, Powell often relied on notes and cues to remember arrangements, yet once the music started, his instinct and timing kicked in. His drumming remained powerful, driving the band’s unmistakable sound through some of their most successful years.
The accident also changed the band in ways that weren’t always visible. Slade were already known for their wild energy and chaotic lifestyle, but Powell’s near-death experience forced them to confront how quickly everything could disappear. For a moment, the unstoppable glam-rock machine had been brought face to face with mortality.
Still, Slade pushed forward. Throughout the 1970s they continued releasing hits and performing to massive crowds, with Powell firmly back behind the drums where he belonged.
Looking back, the story of Don Powell’s accident is one of rock’s most remarkable recoveries. Many musicians would never have returned to the stage after such trauma. Powell not only came back, he helped keep one of Britain’s greatest rock bands alive during its most important years.
Slade’s music was always loud, rebellious, and full of life. After 1973, it also carried the echo of something else: the sound of a drummer who had stared death in the face and decided the show would go on.