How DEF LEPPARD Formed 45 Years Ago This Month In SHEFFIELD

Wednesday, 30th November 2022

Early Def Leppard 1978

Read the story of how Def Leppard formed as a band 44 years ago this month in Sheffield, England.

Rick Savage, Pete Willis and Tony Kenning had formed a short-lived band called Atomic Mass in the summer of 1977.

By the Autumn they were joined by a new singer called Joe Elliott and in November the first line-up of "Deaf Leopard" was born.

Joe had attended the only live performance by Atomic Mass at Tapton school gym in summer 1977.

Their setlist included a Queen song, 'Whole Lotta Love' by Led Zeppelin and 'Boris The Spider' by the Who with Rick Savage still playing guitar at the time. By September 1977 he'd taken up playing the bass and they started looking for a new singer.

The story of their formation was told in the 1987 biography book Animal Instinct.

Unlike U2, who celebrated 40 years together on 25th September 2016 having formed that day in 1976, there is no specific date for Def Leppard's formation.

Def Leppard celebrated 40 years together in November 2017 in the same year that 'Adrenalize' became 25 and their most successful album 'Hysteria' turned 30 years old.

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