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A revelatory, redemptive, and “wild...juicy” (Rolling Stone) memoir from the lead guitarist of the legendary hard rock band Def Leppard—the first ever written by one of its members—chronicling the band’s extraordinary rise to superstardom and how they maintained it for three decades.
Meet Phil Collen. You may know him as the lead guitarist in Def Leppard, whose signature song “Pour Some Sugar on Me” is still as widely enjoyed as when it debuted in 1988. Maybe you’ve heard of him as the rock star that gave up alcohol and meat more than twenty-five years ago. Most likely you’ve seen him shirtless—in photos or in real life—flaunting his impeccably toned body to appreciative female fans.
But it wasn’t always like this. Collen worked his way up from nothing, teaching himself guitar from scratch and slogging it out in London-based pub bands for years; that is, until Def Leppard formed and transformed from unknowns to icons, from playing openers in near-empty arenas to headlining in those same stadiums and selling them out every night. But as Collen discovered, true overnight success is a myth. Like the other band members, he had to struggle and fight his way to the top; in the end, he says, “our work ethic saved us.” Just as it still does.
Adrenalized is an amazing underdog tale featuring a bunch of ordinary working-class lads who rose to mega-stardom, overcoming incredible obstacles—such as drummer Rick Allen losing an arm in a car crash and the tragic death of guitarist Steve Clark, Phil’s musical soul mate. Featuring personal, never-before-seen photos of Collen and his band mates on stage and off, Adrenalized is a fascinating account of the failures, triumphs, challenges, and rock-solid dedication it takes to make dreams come true.
Phil Collen
Phil Collen is the co-lead guitarist of Def Leppard, together with Joe Elliott, Rick Savage, Vivian Campbell, and Rick Allen. Def Leppard's career includes numerous ground-breaking multi-platinum albums--including two of the best-selling albums of all time, Pyromania and Hysteria. Phil has loved comic books since childhood.
With more than 110 million albums sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards in the U.S., 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame(R) inductees Def Leppard - Joe Elliott (vocals), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick Savage (bass), Vivian Campbell (guitar) and Rick Allen (drums) -- continue to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career the band has produced a series of classic ground-breaking albums that set the bar for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group's spectacular live shows and arsenal of hits have become synonymous with their name, leading Def Leppard to be heralded as the world's greatest live rock band. Def Leppard's influential career includes numerous hit singles and ground-breaking multi-platinum albums--including two of the best-selling albums of all time, Pyromania and Hysteria, capturing the group's legendary tracks, bringing together classic Leppard hits such as "Rock of Ages," "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Foolin." For the first time, in January 2018 Def Leppard debuted their full recording catalog worldwide via streaming and download platforms. As they did with the original release of their records, Def Leppard dominated the worldwide charts again, which found their albums charting in the iTunes Top 10 in more than 30 countries, including Hysteria at #3 in the US, and #5 in the UK. Def Leppard also had the #1, #2 and #3 records on the US catalog albums chart. The band have gone on to amass a staggering 6 billion streams since 2018, reaching a younger 18-44 demographic that now represents 58% of their fanbase. Additionally, the band have garnered an impressive 15 million followers across their social media platforms.
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