Formed 1977 in Sheffield England by bassist Rick Savage(born December 2,1960), and guitarist Pete Willis. Originally called Atomic Mass, the name of the group was changed to Def Leopard after the recruitment of vocalist Joe Elliot(born August 1,1959). After a later change in spelling to Def Leppard, the band began playing in the Sheffield area. They then picked up guitarist Steve Clark(born April 23,1960), and in January of 1979, the group released a "extended play"(EP) on their own Bludgeon Riffola record label entitled "Getcha Rocks Off". Later that year, drummer Rick Allen(born november 1,1963) was hired and a recording contract was in the works with Vertigo/Mercury Records.
As Def Leppard moved into 1980, they released the album "On Through The Night". Their debut album, soon became a hit on the charts reaching the top 20 in the U.K., and nearly hitting the top 50 spot in the U.S. Soon to follow was their first platinum release entitled "High'N'Dry". Within a short time, they had a change in the groups line-up. Pete Willis was fired for alcohol abuse, and was replaced with guitarist Phil Collen(born December 8,1957). Then, in 1983, the band released "Pyromania". And because of the singles "Rock of Ages" and "Photograph", the album was rapidly approaching 10 million copies sold.
Following an extensive tour, Def Leppard returned to the studio. However, on New Years Eve of 1984, drummer Rick Allen lost his arm in a automobile accident. Not to be deterred, and now with a custom designed set of drums suited for his disability, Allen was back playing drums within several months. In the summer of 1986, the group appeared on stage for the Monsters of Rock Tour. And August of 1987 brought the release of their smash hit album "Hysteria". Tragedy struck Def Leppard again in January of 1991 when guitarist Steve Clark was found dead as a result of alcohol and drugs. Vivian Campbell of the group "Whitesnake", was hired on to replace Clark, and the band immediately went to work on their next album.
As the LP "Adrenalize" finally appeared, Def Leppard, as with most bands, began to show their age. Even with the singles "Let's get Rocked" and "Make Love Like a Man", a slide in their popularity began to appear. The group went on to produce three more albums, in 93', 95', and 96'.
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Rock of Ages
