It is officially time to break out the Union Jack tanks and the hairspray! Def Leppard is set to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October , and the internet is absolutely buzzing with nostalgia for the band that gave us the ultimate rock anthems.
Despite selling over million albums and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in , the band admits the honor still feels a bit surreal. Bassist Rick “Sav” Savage says, “It’s almost like you’re talking and thinking and acting in the third party. It’s still taking a little bit of time to sink in.”
From the Factory to the Sunset Strip
Long before they were headlining stadiums, lead singer Joe Elliott was writing lyrics in a windowless factory office in Sheffield, England. Fans on X (Twitter) have been sharing the story of how Elliott used an atlas to write the lyrics for “Hello America,” accidentally name-checking San Pedro Bay because he thought it sounded “picturesque.”
“I’m thinking, ‘God, get me out of here,'” Elliott recalls of his time as an apprentice. “All that was kind of a metaphorical ladder out of this factory.” When the band finally touched down at LAX in , they were just kids checking into the Chateau Marmont and visiting the Rainbow Bar & Grill for the first time.
The Viral Secret Behind ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’
While “Hysteria” is now considered a masterpiece, it actually struggled when it was first released in . The band reveals that the song “Pour Some Sugar on Me” became a hit thanks to an unexpected demographic: Florida strippers.
“It would get requested at the clubs to be danced to, and then people would request it to be played on the radio,” Elliott explains. “It just literally spread, going west like wildfire.” The track eventually hit No. on the Billboard Hot and helped “Hysteria” sell over million copies worldwide.
A Legacy of Survival
Def Leppard’s journey has been defined by their “brotherhood” and their ability to overcome personal tragedies that would have ended any other band.
Rick Allen’s Recovery: After losing his left arm in a car accident, drummer Rick Allen retrained his brain to use his feet to trigger drum sounds.
Rick Allen’s Recovery: After losing his left arm in a car accident, drummer Rick Allen retrained his brain to use his feet to trigger drum sounds.
The ‘Terror Twins’: The band dealt with the tragic loss of guitarist Steve Clark in following his battle with alcoholism.
The ‘Terror Twins’: The band dealt with the tragic loss of guitarist Steve Clark in following his battle with alcoholism.
Vivian Campbell’s Health: Most recently, guitarist Vivian Campbell has been open about his battle with Hodgkin lymphoma, revealing that a recent scan showed him to be in complete remission.
Vivian Campbell’s Health: Most recently, guitarist Vivian Campbell has been open about his battle with Hodgkin lymphoma, revealing that a recent scan showed him to be in complete remission.
What is Next for the Rock Icons?
The band is not slowing down. Along with the Hollywood honor, Def Leppard has announced a Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum Theater at Caesars Palace, running from Feb. -.
“We had to dream big, and we did,” Elliott says of the band’s enduring ambition. “Any level that we reached, we’d celebrate it for minutes and then go, ‘OK, what’s next?'”
Fans are already flooding Instagram with clips of the band’s legendary s music videos, proving that the Def Leppard demographic “just seems to get wider.” Whether it’s or , the world still wants to rock.
