Steve Clark
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Steve Clark |
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Stephen Maynard Clark (April 23, 1960 – January 8, 1991) was one of the co-lead guitarists for British hard rock band Def Leppard up 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 to see The Shadows perform when he was six. At eleven, he asked his father for a guitar, and his father gave him one, on the condition that Steve would learn to play.
His favourite 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 exchanged his acoustic guitar for an electric. After that, Steve started learning some Led Zeppelin songs note by note, improving his style and technique over time. More evidently because he loved Jimmy Page, Clark primarily used Gibson guitars during his timeline with Def Leppard. He occasionally used other guitars, such as Fender Strats in the Love Bites video.
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 go out and play. Considering the impact he had on the band's skill level and songwriting, lead singer Joe Elliott scrambled to find a suitable gig.
He and Pete Willis shared lead guitar duties, but many of the band's gems could be attributed to Clark's virtuosity. A notable song in mind that shows Steve Clark's iconic guitar riffs is the instrumental "Switch 625" off of High 'n' Dry.
When Willis was asked to leave due to his drinking problem, guitarist Phil Collen auditioned for the band. Elliott gave Collen a copy of Photograph,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 in one take that's on the album. Producer Mutt Lange was so impressed he recommended Collen's recruitment into the band. 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 and adopted a healthy lifestyle; however, Clark did not.
The other members of Def Leppard looked upon Steve as a great guitarist and showman. His live performances were memorable, but his work with the group was increasingly disrupted by his alcoholism.
Lead singer Joe Elliott said while other band members would be out visiting family or watching a movie, the only thing Steve was interested in was drinking and/or playing guitar. In fact, one night in Minneapolis, Steve was found unconscious with a blood/alcohol level of .59. John Bonham of the band Led Zeppelin died with a blood alcohol level of .41
Since the late 1980's, Clark's addiction to alcohol was seriously damaging his musical career. He often showed up intoxicated, causing problems in the recording sessions for Hysteria. His role with the band was limited everywhere but onstage, in which case he was always ready, able and sober.
The 1992 song "White Lightning" on the album Adrenalize was written about Steve Clark, because the members nicknamed him "White Lightning" for his preference to use white clothes on stage often.
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).
He contributed to half of the songs on the band's 1992 album "Adrenalize" just prior to his death.
Death
On January 8, 1991, Clark was found dead on his couch by his girlfriend Janie Dean. The autopsy revealed he'd died from a mixture of anti-depressants, painkillers (prescribed for a rib injury), and alcohol. There was no evidence of suicidal intent. Daniel Van Alphen, Clark's drinking companion the night before, testified that the two went to the local pub and returned to the guitarist's home at midnight to watch a video. Van Alphen said Clark drank a triple vodka, a quadruple vodka and a double brandy within 30 minutes. When Clark passed out on the couch, Van Alphen said he left. Dr. Iain West, the pathologist who performed the autopsy, testified that Clark's blood alcohol level was three times the British legal limit, and an antidepressant and painkiller were both found at levels exceeding normal therapeutic doses. The anti-anxiety drug Valium was found to be at a therapeutic level.
His guitars were sold off by his girlfriend.
At the time of his death, Clark was on a six-month leave of absence from Def Leppard. The band had grown desperate at repeated efforts to help Clark and decided time off was the only solution.
He was buried at Wisewood Cemetery, Loxley, Sheffield, near the Clark family home.
Tesla, who opened for Def 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
- Gibson Firebird
- Gibson EDS-1275 guitars in concert
- Hamer Standard
- Fender Stratocaster
See also
Notes
External links
- Steve Clark @ Def Leppard UK
- Tesla - Song & Emotion Live @ YouTube.com
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