You ask the questions

(Such as: so, Noddy Holder, is there room in today's charts for another band like Slade? And whose hairstyle was really the dodgier, yours or Dave Hill's?)

Neville "Noddy" Holder MBE was born in Walsall in the West Midlands in 1946. He started playing the guitar at 13 and joined his first band, the N'Betweens, in 1966, with three other local boys, Dave Hill, Don Powell and Jim Lea. Shortly after signing their first record deal, they changed their name: first to Ambrose Slade, then simply Slade. Their first No 1 was "Cum On Feel the Noize" in 1971; they went on to have more than 30 hits, including six number ones. Slade's biggest-ever record, "Merry Xmas Everybody", was written in 1973 and continues to dominate the airwaves every Christmas. In 1992, Holder quit and switched to acting (he is currently filming the third series of Granada's comedy drama The Grimleys). He lives in Macclesfield, Cheshire, with his partner and their five-year-old son.

Neville "Noddy" Holder MBE was born in Walsall in the West Midlands in 1946. He started playing the guitar at 13 and joined his first band, the N'Betweens, in 1966, with three other local boys, Dave Hill, Don Powell and Jim Lea. Shortly after signing their first record deal, they changed their name: first to Ambrose Slade, then simply Slade. Their first No 1 was "Cum On Feel the Noize" in 1971; they went on to have more than 30 hits, including six number ones. Slade's biggest-ever record, "Merry Xmas Everybody", was written in 1973 and continues to dominate the airwaves every Christmas. In 1992, Holder quit and switched to acting (he is currently filming the third series of Granada's comedy drama The Grimleys). He lives in Macclesfield, Cheshire, with his partner and their five-year-old son.

Will there ever come a point when you cannot bear to sing "Merry Xmas Everybody" one more time? Kay Wiers, London W4

I don't sing it very often now as I'm not in the band any more - but whenever I go to Christmas parties people always try to get me to sing it. When we wrote it we knew we had a hit on our hands - but I didn't think for a minute it would still be going strong nearly 30 years on. I am still really proud of it, and it's made a lot of money for all of us - in a way, it's our pension.

"Coz I Luv U", "Look Wot U Dun", "Cum On Feel the Noize". Are you over the dyslexia now? T Cleverly, Norfolk Probably not. It was a good gimmick, but I'd actually written all the lyrics in that spelling anyway. It's our Black Country dialect, it's the way people write on toilet walls,it's writing howwe speak. Andit really caughton - even Prince did it in the Eighties.

Who was Ambrose Slade? Kat Stoughton, London EC1 The name was invented by Fontana, our record company, who thought "the N'Betweens" would give people the wrong idea about us. The idea for Ambrose Slade came from a secretary who used to give people's names to everything she owned - her handbag, her shoes - everything. We didn't like it at first, but couldn't come up with anything better and didn't want to jeopardise our first deal. We had loads of problems at gigs: they called us Arnold Slake, Amgo Shed - anything. So after the first album we knocked the Ambrose off and became Slade. We looked it up in the dictionary afterwards and found out that Slade actually means "rough and earthy". I don't know if it was coincidence or fate, but it suited us down to the ground.

Whose hairstyle was dodgier - yours or Dave Hill's? Keith Myers, by e-mail Dave's, definitely. He had that hairstyle from the day I first met him. He was thinning on top so he'd comb the whole of the top forwards and the whole of the back downwards. Reeves and Mortimer did a skit called "At Home with Slade" where I put a tin can on Dave's head and cut round it - and I think that's how Dave originally came up with it. Mind you, he always wears a hat now, so I've got no idea what's going on underneath these days.

How weird was/is Dave Hill? Edward Mason, Cardiff Dave was always a little eccentric. He used to walk around Wolverhampton wearing a long cape and a hat, looking like an old Shakespearean actor, thinking he was normal and everybody else is weird. But he's a really nice bloke underneath it all, though not very easy to get to know.

Why are you called Noddy? Claire Lessing, Norwich It's a nickname I got aged seven. I was a bit shy when I went to school, and instead of answering questions I just used to nod my head. The only people who call me Neville now are my mum and a couple of aunties.

What's your favourite album of all time? And of the last five years? Sarah Potts, Southampton Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder - it still sounds as fresh today as it did then. I'm still a soul boy at heart, because I grew up with with black music. My favourite in the last five years is probably Macy Gray.

What messages are we likely to hear in the lifts at Walsall Art Gallery? Catriona Symes, Nottingham You'll have to wait and see. They've asked me to do the voice of the lift so when you press a button I'm going to be the voice announcing what floor you're on. They've also asked me to be a patron - apparently I'm one of the favourite sons of Walsall. It's fabulous that they've got a gallery like this right in the heart of the Black Country.

Could there ever be another Slade? If so, who? Sarah Blaine, Luton I think there is an opening for a band that looks like they're having fun. Most bands I see on TV seem to want to appear cool. That's why Robbie Williams has become as big as he has - he's totally different, he has a laugh and takes the mick.

You were very popular, but never cool. How does that feel? J Harvey, Winchester We were never cool as a band, but I think one man's cool is another man's fool.

'Who's Crazee Now?' by Noddy Holder is out now from Ebury Press, price £5.99