At one time, Ritchie Blackmore talked about Cozy Powell, saying, “You cannot get any better than Cozy. He is always up on stage going wide. And he always pushes me when I look around. He always sends me that urge to play because he does not allow anyone to take it easy.” That is exactly what Cozy Powell was to many people.
The drummer did not only influence fans but other great drummers too. One of his fans was once hard, saying, “Cozy communicates to me directly through his drums. The way he plays makes it seem as though the drums are speaking, and I can hear them very well.” They were not wrong about Cozy. He is one of the best drummers the hard rock and metal industry has ever had.
Cozy was best described as talented, reliable, and versatile. Talented because he was an innovator. He came up with different styles of making music every time he held the drums. He believed that a drummer should be able to offer something new to his listeners at all times. When you think about what the drummer has done so far, you will agree that he is no a joke.
Reliable because he never let anyone down. Cozy was one of those drummers who believed in teamwork. It is no wonder that most of the people he worked with were so close to him. He pushed everyone around to become their best. When he held the drumsticks, it was as though a spirit was moving through his body.
Also, Cozy was a very versatile drummer. His talent allowed him to learn and master different playing styles all at once. Cozy would play any music as though he was born to do just that, and he never looked back. A drummer with such skills and experience can only fit on the list of top drummers of all time. When Loudwire released their list of top 66 hard rock + metal drummers of all time, Cozy was at number 34.
The drummer worked with the likes Jeff Beck, Michael Schenker, Whitesnake, Emerson Lake, Black Sabbath, and Brian May. Besides, he was in huge demand as a session drummer. However, his real turning point in life came with three Mickie Most produced, best 20 singles that carry his name. They are the same piece most people will hear today when you mention the drummer.
Cozy Powell’s music career is a story that must be told. He had an extraordinary foot for an instrumentalist that made everyone around him want to hear more and more of what he did. Many authors have written about him, describing Cozy as a drummer who had the power to influence the world.
He is one of the rare drummers whose work can be almost instantly recognized by anyone. He was a bonafide superstar. Everyone from Rainbow to Black Sabbath to Whitesnake and all the names mentioned above knew and wanted to work with him. Besides, he pioneered the trend of using one’s name to their double bass drums.