Noddy Holder
The raucous, top-hatted voice of 1970s British glam rock, whose anthems like 'Merry Xmas Everybody' became permanent fixtures of national celebration.
Born 1946 (age 80)·English musician·Birthday: June 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Noddy Holder didn't just sing rock and roll; he bellowed it with a joyous, gravel-throated roar that cut through the noise of the 1970s. As the frontman of Slade, he, alongside guitarist Dave Hill, transformed the band from a skinhead act into the kings of glam rock, trading on working-class charm and sheer sonic force. Holder co-wrote the band's string of number-one hits, each one a masterclass in misspelled, shout-along brilliance—'Coz I Luv You,' 'Take Me Bak 'Ome,' 'Mama Weer All Crazee Now.' His legacy, however, is cemented by a single song. 'Merry Xmas Everybody,' released in 1973, was an instant classic and has since become as essential to a British Christmas as turkey and tinsel. After leaving Slade in the early 1990s, Holder smoothly transitioned into a career as a radio presenter, actor, and after-dinner speaker, his distinctive voice remaining a beloved and ubiquitous part of British culture.
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.
Noddy 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 Noddy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Noddy'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
- As lead vocalist and co-songwriter for Slade, scored six UK number-one singles in the 1970s.
- Co-wrote the perennial Christmas anthem 'Merry Xmas Everybody,' one of the UK's best-selling singles of all time.
- Helped define the glam rock era with Slade's raucous, working-class anthems and flamboyant stage wear.
- Awarded an MBE in 2000 for services to music and entertainment.
Did You Know?
His trademark look of a mirrored top hat and superstack boots was as iconic as his voice.
He provided the voice for the character of the toad in the UK children's TV series 'The Tweenies.'
He turned down an offer to be a judge on the TV show 'The X Factor.'
The band's name, Slade, was chosen after former manager Chas Chandler heard Holder use the word as a greeting.
“We were four lads from the Black Country who liked a drink and a laugh and wanted to be a rock and roll band.”
