On Thursday (10.09,) Def Leppard received the 2,824th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In recognition of their contribution to the music industry, officials from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce presented the legendary rock band – comprised of Joe Elliott, Phil Collen, Rick Savage, Vivian Campbell, and Rick Allen – with the Recording honor.
Insisting the star was a dream come true, the group’s lead singer, Joe Elliott told the crowd:
“Are we in good company or what?” “So, from all of us up here, including (founding member) Pete Willis and the late great Steve Clark, we all say to each and every one of you, to our collective families, especially our parents who helped us get where we are now, just simply to our incredible, loving fan base out there, two words – thank you.”
Due to an accidental drug overdose, guitarist Clark died in 1991 at the age of 30.
Elsewhere during the presentation, guest speaker Jon Bon Jovi recalled how he first met Joe and his Def Leppard bandmates in 1986.
“We hit it off immediately. Hanging out with Joe and the guys felt like hanging with my own band, but with a different accent.” “We stayed in touch, and as they went on to record (1987 album) Hysteria and we recorded (1988 album) New Jersey, it was the MTV era, what we refer to as the Gold Rush. Now, there have been many a long night in various cities after each other’s shows, and many celebrations, fun times and laughs and even the heartbreaks and loss. There’s just some things that you’re able to share with a brother from across the ocean that you just both understand.”
In June of 2024, the band’s guitarist Phil Collen confirmed that Def Leppard was working on a new album, with a potential 2025 or 2026 release date.
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Author: Al Denté
Photo: Kevin Nixon