Jimmy Powell (singer)

Jimmy Powell (3 October 1942-13 May 2016) is a British former soul and rhythm and blues singer who recorded and performed throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, and is best remembered as the lead singer of Jimmy Powell & the 5 Dimensions, a group that briefly included Rod Stewart.

Powell was born in Selly Oak, Birmingham, and attended Turves Green School in the city. He began singing in his teens with a local skiffle group, and then a beat group, the Jumping Jacks, before forming his own band, the Detours, around 1959. In 1961, he became a professional singer when he joined the Rockin' Berries. The group toured and performed in clubs in Germany, including a residency at the Star-Club in Hamburg, before returning to London where they were auditioned by producer Jack Good. Good offered Powell a solo recording contract, and he left the group a few months later. His first record, a cover version of Buster Brown's US rhythm and blues hit "Sugar Babe", with guitar by Big Jim Sullivan and produced by Chris Blackwell, was released by Decca in 1962. It did not chart, and nor did two subsequent singles on Decca, "Tom Hark" (1962) and "Remember Then" (1963). In 1963, Powell moved from Birmingham to London and starting visiting the Marquee Club, where British musicians such as Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies performed. His new manager, Malcolm Nixon, auditioned groups to act as his backing band, and offered the role to the Dimensions.

The Dimensions were a London-based group formed in 1962 by guitarist Gary Leport, bassist Louis Cennamo, guitarist Peter Mariosa and drummer Brian "Chick" Kattenhorn; in 1963 they added rhythm guitarist Mike Webb and singer and harmonica player Rod Stewart. Leport and Stewart were old school friends, and had played together previously in a north London band, the Raiders, who (without Stewart) subsequently became instrumental group the Moontrekkers and recorded with Joe Meek. With Jimmy Powell joining them as lead singer in 1963, the group changed their name to Jimmy Powell and The 5 Dimensions. They toured Scotland and played club dates in London and elsewhere in England in the autumn of 1963. Stewart became frustrated by that he was allowed few opportunities to sing, and left in December 1963. Leport and Webb also left, and the three were replaced by Kenny White and Martin Shaw (guitars), and Pete Hogman (harmonica and supporting vocals).

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