38 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD's JOE ELLIOTT Apologises For EL PASO Comments

Tuesday, 23rd November 2021

Joe Elliott 1983

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott flew to California on this day in 1983 to apologise for comments he made during their US tour.

The notorious "El Paso" incident took place on 7th September 1983 during a show at the Community Center in Tucson, AZ.

They had played a show in El Paso, TX the night before at the El Paso County Coliseum where a small group of youths who Joe had identified as Mexican were throwing things at the band on stage.

At the Tucson show during the participation section of 'Rock Of Ages' Joe used the phrase "Greasy Mexicans" when trying to get the audience fired up and telling them last night's crowd had made much more noise.

Joe believing at the time he was using similar humour to American comedians Cheech And Chong and everybody would get the joke.

Sadly for him a journalist in the crowd, who was not aware of who his comments were actually aimed at, took offence and told local reporters and DJs in El Paso.

The result was Joe Loya (El Paso director of the League of United Latin American Citizens) calling for a boycott of Def Leppard's music and Arin Michaels (program director for radio station KLAQ) being pictured ripping up the 'Pyromania' LP cover.

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