Colin Powell

Ok let's set the scene.......The story begins way back in August 1963 when Harold McMillan was Prime Minister, The Searchers were No.1 in the UK with ‘Sweets for my sweet’, The Beatles were a year into their fame here in this country, Elvis Presley was trudging his way through another 7 years of his movies, Ronnie Biggs, Buster Edwards and the rest of the gang were about to become extremely rich via a certain train robbery in Buckinghamshire, the USA, USSR and UK signed a Nuclear test ban treaty, it was only a few weeks until Martin Luther King made his ‘I have a dream speech’, and Doncaster Rovers were about 45 years away from being any good, but most of all in 16 Laburnum Drive, Armthorpe nr Doncaster on Tuesday 6th August at approx. 7:30am Mrs Mary Dorothy Powell, then almost 33 was trying to break wind when out slipped a new shiny baby boy! She looked down quite puzzled, blinked and then went back to reading her copy of Womans Own! When she had finished it she decided to name him Colin James! Spooling forward some 17 years, Colin, having bought an Eros acoustic guitar with his first weeks wage from City Electrical Factors (as a trainee stores assistant), decided to learn how to play it and found that a couple of his school friends had also decided to learn instruments too! Colin applied himself diligently and learned as many guitar chords as he could, bought a copy of ‘The Beatles Complete’ and tried to learn as many of their songs as he could! After 6 months of making his guitar sound more like a guitar being played and not like someone was sawing a piece of wood, he started to get good at it! Listening to The Beatles, The Beach Boys and The Shadows seemed to be helpful and meeting some other like-minded people also seemed to help! Into the picture stepped bass player Steve Love and drummer Paul Allen! They formed a band and called it ‘Example 9’ because they couldn’t think of any better names! They played a few gigs but didn't really take off, still experience is good so they split up! Getting together again a few months later they decided to write their own material and some pretty good songs came from them. They entered a talent competition in Edlington nr Doncaster but were pipped into last place by a woman who played the spoons! Then quite by chance they got the chance to go down to East Grinstead nr London to 'make it' in the business! After a month, Tony the guitarist went home after getting lovesick and the other two got jobs which meant that the band couldn't rehearse! Colin who was feeling somewhat alone and fed up that things had fallen apart decided to follow Tony! Spooling forward again and after a failed marriage and aquiring some NVQ's in computer skills, Steve and Paul and Colin started a busking group for a bit of a dare and started playing in Doncaster Town Centre. On their first day they earned a tenner each and went out the next day and earned even more! Eventually they were getting noticed by more town folk and agents! A year later Paul Grundy (a friend of Steve and Paul's from school) who also played guitar and sang rather well joined the band! The band was named the Buskateers! After working the pubs and clubs for a couple of years they were befriended by popular Doncaster comedian/singer Steve Womack, who let them work alongside him and also took them under his wing so to speak! They worked many weddings and corporate functions and were very successful! This carried on for a few years until they parted ways and eventually the group split up! After this Colin joined a few bands and gained alot of experience! In Sept 2004 he joined a band called Fashion Fever, a very experienced function band and stayed with them 2 and a half years. Colin then decided to go solo, having always harboured to ambition of doing so! Over the last few years Colin has pleased and entertained thousands of people and been re-booked many times! Playing pubs, clubs, holiday parks, parties and weddings, his blend of music from the last 50 years has been very well received! Music ranging from Chuck Berry, The Beatles, The Shadows to Robbie Williams, The Killers and Take That!