DEF LEPPARD 2025 Hollywood Walk Of Fame Ceremony Report (Video/Pics/Transcription)

Thursday, 9th October 2025

Screenshots

Def Leppard received their Walk Of Fame star in Hollywood, CA earlier tonight with full video available plus a speech transcription.

The event took place at 1750 North Vine Street in Los Angeles, CA.

A ceremony conducted on the street next to the famous Capitol Records building.

The band had been announced as an honouree back in June 2023 for the class of 2024.

Walk Of Fame Event

The band and fans made their way to North Vine Street in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles for the ceremony.

As with all of these events a small area was cordoned off of on the street with a podium set up on the side walk where the star would be unveiled.

Set amongst many others stars including recent tour mates Motley Crue, Billy Idol and Bryan Adams plus Ozzy Osbourne and The Beatles.

Def Leppard would now join many other big names in the Recording category and of course classic movie stars like a certain Marilyn Monroe.

The event falling on the same day as they got the news of their Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nomination seven years previously in 2018.

And just a few days after the 30th anniversary of being honoured by the Mayor Of Sheffield as part of the 'Vault' album release celebrations.

Including getting plaques at the scene of past concerts (Crookes Workingmen's Club and Don Valley Stadium).

Sadly no music would be played at this event after the recent private acoustic show not far from here with The Who.

Guest Speakers

The 40 minute event got started at 11:30am with an introduction by MC Bob Buchmann of SiriusXM radio (Joe's 'other' radio station).

Following this it was time for the guest speakers with Bruce Resnikoff first up.

The President and CEO of UMe records (aka one of the 'grown ups').

And then a certain cowboy from New Jersey who is in town promoting the upcoming 'Forever (Legendary Edition)' album by his band Bon Jovi.

Jon's great speech can be read below where he recalled is long friendship with the band which began back in 1986 and he was followed by Steve Nissen introducing the band.

Def Leppard Speech

And next up the unveiling of the star and speeches by the honourees.

Joe doing all of the talking and thanking pretty much everyone in their career and Jon Bon Jovi.

A repeat of the RRHOF in 2019 and Joe was accompanied by his wife Kristine and two daughters Lyla and Harper.

Read all of his words below and watch the full video again.

View some great media photos below from Getty.

The next Def Leppard show/event takes place in Gary, Indiana on 11th October, the last 'public' show of this year.

Los Angeles, CA 2025 Photos

Screenshots by dltourhistory.

Watch some Fan Videos from the event here including the full live stream.

Introduction Speech - (Transcribed by dltourhistory)

(Bob Buchmann) - Jon, thank you.

I'd like to bring to the stage the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, who will make a special presentation.

Ladies and gentlemen, Steve Nissen.

Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve...

Steve Nissen:

How's everyone doing out there?

My name is Steve Nissen.

I am the President of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

And yes, once upon a time, I too had long hair.

Now I'm happy to have any hair.

And somebody had to wear a tie to represent the Chamber of Commerce — so here I am.

This is such a great honor for all of us.

I'm about to bring up Joe, Phil, Sav, Vivian, and Rick in a second.

But first I want to say:

We're at a very special place, on a very special street — the Walk of Fame.

We're in front of the iconic Capitol Records building, known the world over.

We're just steps away from the intersection of Hollywood and Vine — one of the most famous intersections in the world.

And what are we going to do to this sidewalk in a few moments?

With star number 2,824,

we're going to pour a little sugar on this street.

I know, I'm getting funny looks from the band.

So guys, come on up.

Thank you.

All right folks, as I said, we are on a sacred street here — but it's also a real street in the city of Los Angeles.

So on behalf of the City of Los Angeles and the City Council member who represents Hollywood, Hugo Soto-Martínez, the city is presenting you with a special commendation for today.

All right — so the moment we've all been waiting for:

First, on behalf of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce,

I declare today Def Leppard Day in Hollywood.

And now, let's hear from the band.

Def Leppard 2025.

Def Leppard (Joe Elliott) Speech

Thank you, everyone, and welcome to star number 2,824.

Amazing.

So, here we are.

Are we in good company, or what?

You think about all the stars that are here...

I didn't want this to just be a long list of thanks,

but pretty much Jon and Bruce have covered all the ground that I could possibly have covered.

So it really just leaves me the great pleasure of thanking as many people as we can, who have helped us get where we are now.

First of all,

many thanks to Jon for clearing his diary and coming out to do this.

We've known each other for almost 40 years, as he alluded to — 1986.

And I can honestly say, it has been a lifelong friendship.

Jon is one of the few people in this business that I know I can say anything to — and it will go no further.

And he knows that he can trust us, which, let's be honest, is a very rare thing.

So from the bottom of our hearts — Jon, thank you.

Bruce Resnikoff and your incredible team —

you have been so supportive of this band ever since we re-signed with Universal,

that it really helped give us our mojo back.

So thanks for that, Team Bruce.

Speaking of mojos, we can't stand here without thanking the late, great Howard Kaufman,

who took over managing this band 20 years ago — rescuing us from what was potentially obscurity,

and taking us all the way to headlining stadiums.

So thank you, Howard.

Mike Kobayashi, who worked under Howard, picked up the reins,

and he continues to create amazing opportunities for this band to keep pushing forward.

Dennis Arfa, who along with Live Nation has really helped push this band to where we all think we truly belong — thank you, Dennis.

Rod MacSween, who sadly can't be with us today,

but he has been booking this band since 1979 —

thank you, Rod.

What about the albums?

Massive thanks obviously go out to Mutt Lange,

who took the gamble on working with this unknown quantity back in 1981,

taught us what making a record really meant,

and helped us create songs that would hopefully last a lifetime.

So thank you, Mutt.

Also to Tom Allom, who produced our first album,

the late Mike Shipley, Pete Woodroffe and very special thanks to our current producer and out-front sound guru, Ronan McHugh —

27 years and counting. Thank you, Ronan.

We have to of course mention our old management:

Cliff Burnstein, Peter Mensch, and all at Q Prime

for all their hard work and support from 1979 right up to 2005.

To everyone who has worked with this band — on stage and off —

our amazing road crews,

for all your hard work and dedication over the last 48 years - we thank you.

On a personal note, I would like to thank Roger Love, my vocal coach,

who has literally saved my career more than once over the years.

Thank you, Roger.

Special thanks go out to Malvin Mortimer, who helped run the ship for 25 years,

and to our current mama bear, Jessica Squire —

we love you, Jess.

So from all of us up here —

including Pete Willis and of course 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 - and most importantly, to our incredible, loving fan base out there:

Two words: THANK YOU.

Jon Bon Jovi Speech

(Bob Buchmann) - Our next speaker is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer,

Songwriters Hall of Fame member,

lifetime member — that I actually saw in his new book, the card that makes him a lifetime member.

Of course: singer, songwriter, guitarist, actor, author, philanthropist, ringleader of the band Bon Jovi — Jon Bon Jovi.

Thank you.

Def Leppard 2025.

Jon Bon Jovi:

Thank you, Bob.

I am Jon Bon Jovi, and I am a Def Leppard fan.

I was a fan before I became a friend.

Before I had ever written Runaway, I heard the band from Sheffield who were Bringin' On The Heartbreak.

These guys were my age, from a working-class city called Sheffield in England, which was thousands of miles away from a place called Sayreville, in New Jersey.

Yet there was something that I was drawn to — the melody, the guitars, the young guys with the audacity to put it out there in front of major recording acts and not flinch.

We first met in 1986, on a festival show in Germany, and I quickly realized that these guys were going to be my friends.

They had just come off the huge success of Pyromania, with monster songs that defined what rock radio would sound like, and Bon Jovi was just releasing our third album, Slippery When Wet.

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 Hysteria, and we recorded New Jersey, it was the MTV era, and what we refer to as the Gold Rush.

Now, there have been many a long night in various cities after each other's shows — 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.

The music of Def Leppard was born and raised in our generation, but has continued to reach new audiences who have made it their own for four decades and counting.

Their work ethic, their resilience, their ability to tour year after year, their influence on some of music's biggest names — including the reigning queen, Taylor Swift — is legendary.

Their legacy is, in fact, etched in stone.

From their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to this spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the name Def Leppard will always be.

So to my friends — Joe, Sav, Phil, Vivian, and Rick — I want you to know that I am grateful that I was the one you asked to celebrate this honor by inducting you on this day.

May our friendship grow, but never grow old.

I hope you guys love this day, and live forever on this — the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Various Photos/Videos