Dave Hill (guitarist)
Slade's flamboyant guitarist and enduring heartbeat, whose glittering stage persona and powerhouse riffs fueled the band's glam rock anthems.
Born 1946 (age 80)·English musician·Birthday: April 4·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dave Hill is the constant in the chaotic, glorious story of Slade. From the band's early days as a skinhead act to their zenith as chart-topping glam rock titans, Hill has been there, providing the searing guitar work and, just as importantly, the outrageous visual spectacle. While Noddy Holder belted out the choruses, Hill became the band's glittering foil, clad in mirrored top hats, silver jumpsuits, and platform boots that defied gravity. His riffs were simple, loud, and incredibly effective, the driving force behind stompers like 'Mama Weer All Crazee Now.' Through break-ups, reunions, and shifting trends, Hill has remained Slade's custodian, a living link to an era of pure, unapologetic rock and roll showmanship.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Dave was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dave Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Dave's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote and played guitar on six UK number-one singles with Slade in the 1970s.
- Remained the sole continuous member of Slade through all its line-up changes and reunions.
- His iconic stage costumes are considered definitive artifacts of the glam rock era.
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Slade in 2024.
Did You Know?
His famous mirrored top hat and platform boots ensemble weighed over 30 pounds.
Hill is a skilled painter and has exhibited his artwork.
He originally played bass for the band before switching to lead guitar.
In the early 70s, Slade spent more weeks at number one in the UK than The Beatles.
“The louder the crowd, the harder I had to make that guitar scream.”
