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Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Phil Collen of Def Leppard opens up (Includes interview)

The iconic rocker curated his wife, Helen L. Collen’s “Gratitude” fine art photographic exhibit at 393 Broadway. “This is wonderful because I missed the last one in Los Angeles,” he said. “It is great to see these photos since I remember when a lot of them were taken. It is nice to see everything come full circle.”

Helen L. Collen  wife of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Phil Collen of Def Leppard

Helen L. Collen, wife of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Phil Collen of Def Leppard
Kerika Fields-Nalty

Collen revealed that he will be flying off to Europe to perform at the European festivals with Def Leppard. “After Europe, we will go to Canada and Las Vegas,” he said.

This summer, from August 14 to September 7, Def Leppard will kick off “The Sin City Residency” at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. “We’ve performed in Las Vegas before,” Collen admitted. “We will be there for almost a month so that will be cool.”

On being a recording artist in this digital age, Collen responded, “We’ve always stepped up to whatever is there. We’ve embraced everything really. Technology is a great way to get your music out there. There are always things out there.”

Regarding the recent passage of the Music Modernization Act (MMA), Collen said, “Publishers were supposed to protect us. Like everything, laws are made and people break them all the time. We need as much protection as we can get.”

Rock star Phil Collen

Rock star Phil Collen
Helen L. Collen

Most recently, this past March, Collen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn as the lead guitarist of Def Leppard. The band garnered the largest number in the fan vote component. “The fan vote was amazing,” he said. “That was the most important part about it. We are really appreciative of our fans because they really stepped up.”

What made that night in Brooklyn extra special for the band was Dr. Brian May of Queen inducted them into the hallowed Rock Hall.

Aside from Def Leppard, Collen is also a part of the blues side project, Delta Deep where he plays lead guitar and is featured on the vocals, along with Debbi Blackwell-Cook on vocals, Forrest Robinson on percussion and drums and Robert DeLeo on bass.

Helen L. Collen  baby Jaxson and Phil Collen of Def Leppard

Helen L. Collen, baby Jaxson and Phil Collen of Def Leppard
Gary Hahn

In their personal lives, Phil and Helen are celebrating the first birthday of their baby son, Jaxson. “It is all happening, so the trick is to keep at it, and good things will happen,” he said.

For his fans and supporters, Collen said, “Thanks for staying by us. Come down and check us out.”

To learn more about Def Leppard’s upcoming residency in Las Vegas, check out their official website.

Read More: Digital Journal reviewed Helen L. Collen’s “Gratitude” fine art photographic exhibit.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 20,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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