[1] Cowling for many years lived in Grimsby where, in 1962, he formed The Syndicate with Steve Mills on vocals, Frank Singleton on lead guitar, Doug Hollingworth rhythm guitar, Geoff Smith on piano, and John Smith on drums.
This band played covers of tracks by Elmore James, Ray Charles, Rufus Thomas, Bobby Troup, and John Lee Hooker.
After that, Cowling played in British groups including Gnidrolog and the Flying Hat Band, before joining forces with Pat Travers in 1975.
The first was Hooked On Music, a live performance originally shot for the German television programme, Rockpalast in 1976, which showcased an early line-up that also included Nicko McBrain.
Cowling's other video appearance was Boom Boom-Live At The Diamond Club, a 1991 concert filmed in Toronto, that also featured Jerry Riggs.