Information AboutSteve Clark |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT STEVE CLARK | |
| 1960 births | |
| 1991 deaths | |
| english heavy metal guitarists | |
| def leppard members | |
| drug-related deaths | |
| people from sheffield | |
and Steve Clark, dubbed as "The Terror Twins".]] .]] Stephen Maynard Clark ( April 23 , 1960 – January 8 , 1991 ) was the co-lead guitarist for British Rock band Def Leppard until his death in 1991 . BIOGRAPHY Childhood and adolescence Clark was born and raised in Hillsborough , the north-western suburb of Sheffield , England . From an early age he showed interest in music -- his mother even took him to a concert by The Shadows when he was six. At eleven he asked his father for a guitar, his father agreed on the condition Steve learned to play. His favorite guitarist was Led Zeppelin 's Jimmy Page ; after hearing "How Many More Times," he fell in love with the sound and knew he wanted to continue with a musical career. He soon replaced his classical guitar with an electric. After that, Steve started learning some Led Zeppelin songs note by note, improving his technique. Career and technique Before joining Def Leppard in 1978 , he played cover songs with his small band, ''Electric Chicken'', in Sheffield. Around that time, he met Pete Willis (Def Leppard's original guitarist/founder). Steve asked for a spot in the band and joined Def Leppard in January 1978. According to Joe Elliott in '' Behind The Music '', Clark auditioned for Def Leppard by playing all of Lynyrd Skynyrd 's "Freebird". While a guitarist for Def Leppard, he was one of the main contributors to the band's music and lyrics. More importantly, Clark threatened to leave the band if they didn't stop rehearsing and actually play somewhere. Considering the impact he had on the band's skill level and songwriting, lead singer Joe Elliott scrambled to find a suitable gig. The rest, as they say, is history. He and Pete Willis shared lead guitar duties, but many of the band's gems could be attributed to Clark's virtuosity. One track of note was the instrumental Switch 625 off of High 'n' Dry. When Willis was asked to leave due to his drinking problem, former Girl guitarist Phil Collen auditioned for the band. Elliott gave Collen a copy of Stagefright, a track off the band's Pyromania album, asking Collen to come up with a solo for the song. The next day Collen played the solo for the band and he was in. Clark and Collen were dubbed the Terror Twins in homage to Aerosmith's Toxic Twins ( Steven Tyler and Joe Perry ). Over the years, Collen quit drinking, stopped eating meat, and adopted a healthy lifestyle; Clark did no such thing. The other members of Def Leppard looked upon Steve as a great entertainer and he always surprised them. His musical work was only interrupted by an alcohol bottle. Band member Joe Elliott said while other band members were out playing soccer, visiting family, or watching a movie, the only thing on Steve's mind was a bottle or a guitar. In fact, one night in Minneapolis, Steve was found unconscious with a blood/alcohol level of .59, almost double that of John Bonham at his death. Since the late 1980 's, Clark's addiction to alcohol was damaging the guitarist's musical career. He often showed up intoxicated, causing problems in the recording sessions for Hysteria and that is why Phil Collen played most guitar solos on the record and Steve Clark's role was limited. The lyrics to the song White Lightning on the album Adrenalize hint at Steve Clark's addictive lifestyle. During the Hysteria 1988 World Tour, Steve alternated the intro riffs for two Def Leppard songs " Gods Of War " and " Bringin' On The Heartbreak " (with Phil Collen on acoustic) -- the band members have stated that while he was a corrupted alcoholic, he was always ready, and sober, for a concert. He is best remembered for the powerful riffs that drove Def Leppard's first four albums in the 1980s, for which he was also nicknamed as "The Riffmaster". His distinctive style can be heard in particular on "Wasted" (from '' On Through The Night ''), " Bringin' On The Heartbreak " (from '' High 'N' Dry ''), "Die Hard the Hunter" (from '' Pyromania '') and " Gods Of War " (from Hysteria ). During Steve's time with the band, Joe Elliott nicknamed him "White Lightning", because he was usually dressed in white clothes on-stage and his live performances were very enrgetic. His other aliases were "Riffmaster" and "Steamin". He contributed to half of the songs on the band's 1992 album " Adrenalize " before his death. DEATH In 1991 , Clark was found dead on his couch by Janie Dean -- his girlfriend at the time. The autopsy revealed he died from a mixture of anti-depressants, painkillers (used for a rib injury), and alcohol. There was no evidence of suicidal intent. At the time of his death, he was on a six-month leave of absence from Def Leppard . The band had allegedly grown despondent over their repeated, failed efforts to help Clark and decided time off was the only solution. Shortly after Clark's death rumours began circulating that he had in fact been permanently fired from the band giving rise to theories that this may have been the cause of his potential suicide. These rumours still persist partly aided by the bands subsequent ambiguous comments on the subject. Clark's struggles were well documented in the VH1 biopic Hysteria - The Def Leppard Story . Tesla , who opened for Leppard on the ''Hysteria'' tour, recorded a tribute to Steve Clark on their ''Psychotic Supper'' album, called "Song & Emotion (To Our Friend, Steve 'Steamin' Clark)". GEAR Clark used Gibson Les Paul and Gibson Firebird guitars. He also occasionally used Gibson EDS-1275 guitars in concert. During Clark's career, he used four different customized signature Guitar Picks (Yellow, Purple, and stainless steel types). They are extemely hard to find nowadays. SEE ALSO NOTES EXTERNAL LINKS
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