Happy Birthday today (Dec. 8) to Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen. He's 61. Also celebrating is former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman (56). In remembrance, Doors frontman Jim Morrison would have been 75.
Lead guitarist Phil Collen joined Def Leppard in 1982 after the departure of Pete Willis. Def Leppard have sold over 100 million records worldwide. They continue to record, and remain a popular touring act. The band achieved the most commercial success throughout the 1980’s and early 1990’s. Def Leppard had huge success with 1983’s Pyromania which would become their breakthrough album, getting certified Diamond in the U.S. for 10 million copies sold and the mega hit “Photograph”. The band reached even greater success with the album Hysteria in 1987 with 12 million copies sold in the U.S. and over 25 million sold worldwide. The album Adrenalize also topped the charts in 1992. The band released their 11th studio album Def Leppard in Oct. 2015 and it cracked the top 10 of the Billboard 200 in the U.S. Def Leppard continues to be a popular touring act, and it's always great catching them out on the road. I caught them with Journey this past summer in Albany, NY. Cheers to Phil Collen on his birthday today!