[1] Influenced by French jazz-violinist Stéphane Grappelli, Lea's first musical love was the violin which he began playing aged 10.
Lea aged 16 went for auditions for a local band, 'The 'N Betweens', of which drummer Don Powell, guitarist Dave Hill and vocalist Johnny Howells were already members.
[2] Chas Chandler, former member of the Animals and former manager/producer for Jimi Hendrix, spotted and signed them for Fontana Records in 1969, and their name was changed to Ambrose Slade.
Following their first chart entry with "Get Down and Get with It" in 1971, Chandler encouraged the band to write their own material, and the song-writing partnership of Lea and Holder commenced.
[2] In a Q&A session for his official website in March 2017, Lea commented: "Over the last six months I've come to regret not going back to the States after I was ill in 1984.
"[3] In a Q&A session for his official website in March 2017, Lea disclosed his three favourite Slade songs were "How Does It Feel", "Far Far Away", and "Coz I Luv You".
[6] In the 1980s, Lea also produced all of Slade's recording sessions (except for some of the singles), and became an increasingly dominant creative force within the band.
[7] The same year, Lea released another single, "Poland", under the name Greenfields of Tong, with the B-side carrying an instrumental version.
Together they produced Girlschool's cover of the T-Rex song "20th Century Boy" and the album Play Dirty which featured two Slade tracks "Burning in the Heat of Love" and "High and Dry".
[9] The "High and Dry" track was originally written for Girlschool but still appeared on Slade's album that same year.
Released by Speed Records and with Lea's brother, Frank on drums, the single failed to achieve any commercial success.
[9] Lea also produced two covers by the rock band, The Redbeards From Texas; a Beatles' track, "I Saw Her Standing There", and Slade's own 1972 hit "Gudbuy T'Jane".
Written by Holder and Lea, the single received airplay on BBC Radio 1, but failed to chart due to a dispute between I.R.S.
[2] It received positive reception upon its release and features Lea's own version of Slade's last single "Universe".
The group this time around consisted of Jim Lea, Don Powell, plus original members Mick Marson and Johnny Howells.
A first track to appear from the sessions, "The Train Kept A-Rollin'" climbed to number 3 on the Heritage Chart and was released independently as a CD single on the Noize Recordings label.
[24] Lea married Louise Ganner on 19 March 1973[25] after having first met as pupils at Codsall Comprehensive School.
[28][29] Lea started off with a Framus Star bass, similar to that used by Bill Wyman and later used a cherry Gibson EB-3 from the late 1960s until it was stolen in the mid 1970s.
The EB-3 was refinished in white when Lea put it in with John Birch to get some minor circuit and servicing work done.
Lea said that he only mentioned the refinish idea in passing some time previously, then John Birch went ahead with it without checking with him.