Tuesday, 5th April 2016
Phil Collen Auburn 2014
Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen was interviewed by Grand Rapids radio today and mentioned Joe's health.
Phil talked about Joe's vocal issues and illness, the Pawn Stars TV appearance with Joe, the Adrenalized book, his favourite artists/early influences, being from London, meeting other artists, the Pyromania days and his first Def Leppard show.
Phil mentioned his first show with the band in London which took place 33 years ago in February 1983.
This interview was done to promote the 9th July show in Grand Rapids, MI.
Listen to the full 5 minute interview below.
Visit the Tour News section. For more news on future tour plans.
Jojo Girard/98.7 WFGR - Phil Collen Interview Quotes
Joe's Illness/Vocal Issues/How bad was Joe?
"Well he was touring with pneumonia for a year. He had walking pneumonia and was soldiering through it. And then on top of that around Christmas time he got a really nasty hacking cough. And that really took his voice out."
"So when he tried to sing just nothing came out. And the doctor said look you've gotta stop otherwise you could burst - there's a blood blister in there. You could burst that and then it may be really serious."
"So if you take five weeks off you'll be good to go for another 30 years. So that's what he did you know."
Pyromania Tour/Videos
"Yeah I'm the oldest one. I was 25 when - it was my 25th birthday when we went and done the Pyromania - you know, the Photograph and Rock Of Ages videos. We done Rock of Ages on my birthday and Photograph on Rick Savage's birthday which is 2nd and 8th of December."
"So yeah I was the oldest one. So it was fairly crazy actually. But it broke big like a boy band really but we were a rock band. So it had all this other stuff connected to it. So it was a really interesting time period I gotta say."
His First Def Leppard Show In February 1983
"Yeah it was the Marquee Club in London which again I'd played many times. You know The Beatles, Stones you know. The Pistols, James Brown. Everyone had played there. You know so it was just an amazing thing. It's a tiny little club but yeah that was great."
"And then it went on from there but it exploded pretty quick. The album Pyromania. It just took off. It surprised all of us really. And then we didn't stop. We actually - for 30 years really we took one year off."
"Since I've been in the band which is 32 years and that was 2010 when I got married to my wife Helen. But the rest of the time you know we were just - have been just busy either touring or recording."
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- Interview Source - wfgr.com
- Def Leppard - Jojo Girard 2016 Show Page
- Def Leppard - Radio 2016
- Def Leppard - 2016 Tour News
- Previous News - 5th April 2016