Steve Clark

2.1. Childhood and Adolescence

Stephen Maynard Clark was born and raised in Wisewood, a district of Sheffield, to Barrie and Beryl (née Beckingham) Clark. From an early age, he demonstrated a keen interest in music. At the age of six, he attended his first concert, featuring Cliff Richard and the Shadows, which further fueled his passion. When he was eleven years old, his father purchased his first guitar on the condition that he commit to learning how to play it. Clark subsequently studied classical guitar for a year. However, his musical direction shifted significantly after he first heard the groundbreaking music of Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin at a friend's house. After leaving school, Clark's first employment was with the engineering firm GEC Traction, where he worked as a lathe operator. He was three years into a four-year apprenticeship with the firm when Def Leppard secured a record deal with Phonogram Records.

2.2. Musical Influences and Early Activities

Clark's early musical development was heavily influenced by the raw power and innovative guitar work of artists such as Jimmy Page and bands like Led Zeppelin. Before he joined Def Leppard, Clark honed his skills by playing cover songs with his band, Electric Chicken, within the local music scene of Sheffield. These early experiences provided him with a practical foundation in performance before he embarked on his professional career.

3.1. Joining Def Leppard

In 1977, Steve Clark met Pete Willis, Def Leppard's original guitarist and a co-founder, at a technical college in Sheffield. Willis noticed Clark reading a guitar book and inquired if he played. Following this encounter, Willis invited Clark to audition for his band, which was actively seeking to add a second guitarist to its lineup. Despite the initial invitation, Clark did not attend the audition. However, a chance meeting occurred again when Willis and singer Joe Elliott ran into Clark at a Judas Priest concert, where Willis extended his invitation once more. Clark eventually accepted and came down to their rehearsal room, officially joining Def Leppard in January 1978. During his audition for Def Leppard, Clark reportedly impressed the band by playing the entirety of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" without any accompaniment, a feat recounted by Joe Elliott in Behind the Music.

3.2. Songwriting and Guitar Performance

Steve Clark was an exceptionally prolific songwriter for Def Leppard, either writing or co-writing over 90% of the band's songs. His remarkable talent for creating memorable guitar riffs earned him the enduring nickname "The Riffmaster." Initially, Clark shared lead guitar duties with Pete Willis. However, toward the end of the recording sessions for the 1982 album Pyromania, Willis was asked to leave the band, and was subsequently replaced by guitarist and backing vocalist Phil Collen. Clark and Collen quickly formed a strong bond, becoming close friends and developing the distinctive dual-guitar sound that became a trademark of Def Leppard. Their close friendship and shared propensity for alcohol-fueled antics offstage led them to be famously known as the "Terror Twins." A key aspect of their success as a guitar duo was their fluid ability to seamlessly swap between rhythm and lead guitar roles, with both musicians adept at performing either role within the same song.

3.3. Musical Background and Guitar Equipment

The unique guitar partnership between Steve Clark and Phil Collen was further enriched by their entirely different musical backgrounds. Clark was a classically trained musician who possessed a deep understanding of music theory and could read and write music. His approach was rooted in the rules and science of music, having been significantly influenced by artists such as Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin. In contrast, Collen, much like Pete Willis, was largely self-taught, developing his fast, alternate-picking technique through studying the work of jazz players like Al Di Meola. Clark once articulated this contrast, stating, "I do read and write and I know the rules of music which is great in a two-guitar band because we're so different in our approach to playing. Phil will play something if it sounds right, whereas I look at things and say: 'it's wrong to play that note; it's not musically correct'." Throughout his career, Clark primarily used Gibson Guitars. He officially signed an endorsement deal with Gibson in 1987, and the company produced several custom-specification guitars for him. While Gibsons were his main instruments, he was occasionally seen playing other guitars, such as a Fender Stratocaster, notably for the song and its accompanying video "Love Bites". Clark also utilized Fenders in the studio from time to time, valuing their unique sound.

3.4. Later Album Contributions and Posthumous Recognition

Although Steve Clark's name appears on numerous songwriting credits for Def Leppard's 1992 album, Adrenalize, his direct contributions to the album's recording were limited. According to Joe Elliott in the liner notes of the Adrenalize deluxe edition, only a few riffs that Clark had demoed were ultimately incorporated into the album. His other involvement primarily consisted of occasionally approving the material the rest of the band was working on, often simply remarking that it was "cool." The song "White Lightning" from Adrenalize specifically described the effects of Clark's struggles with alcohol and drug addictions. However, the deluxe rerelease of Adrenalize features a demo of the song "Tonight", which Clark performed in. This demo was recorded in 1988 and was initially intended as a B-side for the Hysteria album. Clark was also involved in the recording of the demo for the band's 1995 single "When Love & Hate Collide" just days before his death in 1991. This version of the song resonated with the sound of the Hysteria and Adrenalize albums, distinct from the newer direction of the band's subsequent album, Slang. The demo of "When Love & Hate Collide" contains what is considered the final solo Clark ever performed. Additionally, a demo of Clark's solo for the song "Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)" was discovered but was never integrated into any official release.

Beyond his direct contributions, Clark's influence was widely recognized. Tesla, who served as an opening act for Def Leppard during the Hysteria tour, recorded a tribute song dedicated to him titled "Song & Emotion (To Our Friend, Steve 'Steamin' Clark)" for their album Psychotic Supper. Clark himself received posthumous honors and recognition for his musical prowess. In 2007, he was ranked No. 11 on Classic Rock Magazine's list of "100 Wildest Guitar Heroes." Further cementing his legacy, Clark was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of Def Leppard.

4.1. Relationships

Steve Clark was engaged to Lorelei Shellist, an American model, and their relationship spanned seven years. Shellist later detailed in her autobiography, Runway Runaway, that Clark's ongoing struggle with alcoholism played a major role in the dissolution of their engagement. Following this, Clark became engaged to Janie Dean, who was a recovering heroin addict, shortly before his death.

4.2. Alcoholism and Rehabilitation Attempts

Clark's battle with alcohol and drug addiction escalated throughout his career, becoming increasingly severe. In 1989, his bandmates, including Phil Collen, staged an intervention in an attempt to persuade him to stop his alcohol abuse. Clark agreed to enter a rehabilitation center but left prematurely without completing the program, subsequently resuming his drinking. Weeks before his death, the severity of his condition became acutely apparent when he was found unconscious inside a bar in Minneapolis. He was immediately rushed to the Hazelden Addiction Treatment Center. His bandmates traveled to Minneapolis to be with him, where a doctor urged them to convince Clark to re-enter a rehabilitation program after his blood alcohol level was recorded at 0.59. To put this into perspective, Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham had a blood alcohol level of 0.41 when he died in 1980.

Clark later checked into another rehab facility, located in Arizona, with the assurance that his position in Def Leppard would be held open for him until he regained his health. While at this facility, he met Janie Dean, a recovering heroin addict. The two agreed to support each other in their efforts to overcome their respective addictions and soon became engaged. However, despite these efforts, Clark began drinking again. According to Phil Collen, keeping Clark sober became "almost impossible" after Dean entered his life, and tracking his whereabouts became equally challenging.

5.1. Circumstances of Death

At the time of his death, Steve Clark had been granted a leave of absence from Def Leppard to address his health issues. His bandmate Joe Elliott recalled that Clark was given six months off with the expectation that he would focus on his well-being in his home in Chelsea, engage in self-care, and organize his life. However, Clark reportedly spent most of this time at a nearby pub, engaging in behavior that led to incidents such as falling down stairs and cracking a rib. Such injuries necessitated serious medication, which he then combined with continued alcohol consumption. Weeks prior to his death, Clark had been found unconscious in a bar in Minneapolis and taken to a treatment center, where his alarming blood alcohol level prompted urgent calls for rehabilitation from medical professionals and his bandmates. On January 8, 1991, Janie Dean found Steve Clark dead on his couch. He was 30 years old.

5.2. Cause of Death and Findings

The postmortem examination revealed that the official cause of Steve Clark's death was respiratory failure. This was attributed to a lethal mixture of alcohol and prescription drugs found in his system. At the time of his death, Clark's blood alcohol level was recorded at 0.30, and morphine was also present in his system. Daniel Van Alphen, who had been drinking with Clark the night before, testified that they had visited a local pub and returned to Clark's home at midnight to watch a video. Clark was subsequently buried at Wisewood Cemetery in Loxley, Sheffield, located near his family's residence.

6.1. Musical Legacy

Steve Clark's distinctive guitar playing style and his significant contributions to songwriting were fundamental to the development of Def Leppard's sound and their global success. Known as "The Riffmaster," his ability to craft memorable and powerful guitar riffs became a hallmark of the band's music. His dual-guitar partnership with Phil Collen, famously dubbed the "Terror Twins," showcased a dynamic interplay between his classically-informed approach and Collen's self-taught techniques, creating a unique and influential sonic identity. Clark's deep understanding of music theory combined with his creative flair left a lasting imprint on Def Leppard's musical direction, contributing to the band's iconic status in the hard rock genre.

6.2. Tributes and Recognition

Clark's enduring impact on the music community has been honored through various tributes and forms of recognition. The band Tesla, who toured with Def Leppard, released the song "Song & Emotion (To Our Friend, Steve 'Steamin' Clark)" on their album Psychotic Supper as a direct homage to him. His talent has also been acknowledged by music publications; in 2007, he was ranked No. 11 on Classic Rock Magazine's list of "100 Wildest Guitar Heroes." The pinnacle of his posthumous recognition came in 2019 when he was inducted into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of Def Leppard.

7.1. Studio Albums

Steve Clark performed or contributed to the songwriting on the following studio albums by Def Leppard:

• On Through the Night (1980)
• High 'n' Dry (1981)
• Pyromania (1983)
• Hysteria (1987)
• Adrenalize (1992) (songwriting and demos only)

7.2. Compilation and Live Albums

Steve Clark's work is featured on the following compilation and live albums, as well as extended plays by Def Leppard:

• The Def Leppard E.P. (1979)
• Retro Active (1993)
• Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980-1995) (1995)
• Best of Def Leppard (2004)
• Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection (2005)
• Viva! Hysteria (2013) (contains an intro to "Gods of War" taken from Live: In the Round, in Your Face, a live album where Clark performed)

7.3. Videos and Other Visual Media

Steve Clark is featured in the following video releases and visual media projects by Def Leppard:

• Historia (1988)
• Live: In the Round, in Your Face (1989)
• Visualize (1993)
• Video Archive (1995)
• Best of the Videos (2004)
• Rock of Ages - The DVD Collection (2005)
• Viva! Hysteria (2013) (features the intro to "Gods of War" from a live performance where Clark was present)