“Always loved it. I always loved what it sounded like and after I saw my first gig, Deep Purple, it was all over. I pestered my mum and dad for an electric guitar for like two years and on my 16th birthday I got a guitar.”-Phil Collen (Def Leppard)
Philip Kenneth Collen was a late starter by all standards, especially when you consider his current iconic rock star status as lead guitarist for the world famous multi-platinum selling rock-n-roll band DEF LEPPARD.
Born in Hackney, East London, England on December 8th, 1957, Phil was influenced by everything from the Rolling Stones to the Motown sound to glam rock, hard rock, punk, or anything with flair. He got his first guitar at the age of 16 after pestering his parents for two years. His father Ken, a cross country truck driver and his mother Connie, a devoted housewife, were persuaded that it was the right thing to do. This came about after 14 year old Philip was taken by his cousin to his first rock concert to see Deep Purple. “The experience changed my life.” Collen left school at sixteen to work in a factory and as a dispatch rider. Influenced by legendary guitar players such as Ritchie Blackmore, Jimi Hendrix, and Mick Ronson, he soon developed a flashy, aggressive style of playing rock guitar. After musical stints in earlier bands Phil quit his day job and went on tour as a guitarist with the London-based post-punk glam rock band ‘Girl’. 3 years later Collen joined Def Leppard in 1982 during the Pyromania album recording sessions playing guitar solos on the hits ‘Photograph’, ‘Foolin’’, and ‘Rock Of Ages’ among others. Pyromania was Def Leppard’s breakthrough album and turned the young British quintet into rock super-stars almost over night. They spent the summer of 1983 at # 2 on the Billboard charts behind Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the biggest selling album of all time. Pyromania sold in excess of 10 times platinum and received a Diamond award in the US and Canada. After the Pyromania tour ended tragedy struck. During the recording of the Hysteria album drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm in a car accident on New Year’s Eve 1984. The band chose not to replace Rick. He re-learned how to play the drums using his left foot to replicate left arm percussion. His dedication to the band paid off and upon the release of Hysteria Def Leppard had their best selling album to date releasing seven singles from the album including the smash hits ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ and ‘Love Bites’. They received their second diamond album selling over twelve million copies in the U.S alone putting them in an exclusive group of only six bands ever to achieve two diamond albums in America. Def Leppard was now among rock-n-roll’s elite which included The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Eagles, and Van Halen. Fortune and fame, however, often have a price to be paid, and tragedy was to strike the band again. While creating songs for the Adrenalize album Steve Clark was found dead in his London home due to a mixture of painkillers and alcohol. Clark had been Phil’s best friend and guitar partner in the band. The pair had been dubbed ‘The Terror Twins’ due to their “on tour shinnanigans”. Soon the name became synonymous with more than pranks and their classic harmonious guitar playing became known as the ‘Def Leppard sound’. Adrenalize was released with Phil Collen recording the guitar parts for both players and was the number one album in the U.S during the 1992 L.A. riots. The nineties also saw the release of the Slang album and the ever popular Vault, Def Leppard’s greatest hits album which has achieved quadruple platinum status in the U.S.A.
Expanding their reach Def Leppard collaborated with two country mega-superstars. Tim McGraw was featured on their Sparkle Lounge single ‘Nine Lives’ while Taylor Swift teamed up with the band swapping hits on CMT’s Crossroads which also has been released as a DVD and garnered the band two CMT nominations.
In 2011 while Def Leppard released their very first live album ‘Mirrorball’ and embarked upon their world tour by the same name. Phil’s alternate band MANRAZE released their second critically acclaimed album Punkfunkrootsrock. With Phil contributing lead vocals and stellar guitar chops the band performs a dynamic modern day mix of punk, funk, rock, and reggae with bassist Simon Laffy formerly of the late 70’s band Girl and legendary Sex Pistols’ drummer Paul Cook. The band’s debut album Surreal has been re-released in the US and the UK to rave reviews which compare the band to the Police, the Foo Fighters, and the Clash. Manraze’s accolades precede them. In 2009 Phil Collen was the only artist to play twice at Donnington’s Download Festival in the UK with both bands, Manraze and Def Leppard. In 2011 Manraze was granted express permission by Jimi Hendrix’s estate to cover the legend’s timeless classic ‘Fire’. The band’s extraordinary performance of the song has been well received and has been lauded as one of the best covers of 2011. Manraze recorded the catchy rock/dance mashup ‘Take On The World’ as a theme for British film-maker Mark Sloper’s documentary ‘The Showdown: I Superbiker’. The film, due out Spring 2012, is a heart-stopping sequel continuing its razor-sharp focus on British superbike racing champion Tommy Hill and his ultimate rise to superbike racing glory.
Nowadays the interest in Phil Collen’s physical health regimen and diet are as intense as the interest in his musical & artistic expression. Phil trains as a practicing Muay Thai kickboxer and utilizes weight work-outs culminating in three workouts a day, six days a week under the watchful eye of his trainer Muay Thai kickboxing champion/world champion coach Jean Carrillo to get to and maintain his current fitness level. The two are planning to share via dvd an insightful look into Phil Collen’s workout regimen. There is also a three tier workout/training dvd system titled ‘Physical Mechanics’ for those who are looking to get fit with Phil on its way.
Phil Collen is a practicing vegan, has been a vegetarian for 28 years, and alcohol-free for 23 years busting the myth of the classic ‘rockstar’ stereotype wide open.
The hits of Def Leppard will be featured in the blockbuster Broadway musical turned film ‘Rock Of Ages’ directed & choreographed by Adam Shankman featuring Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Russell Brand, are just a few star artists included in this rockstar revue, set for release June 2012.
Philip Kenneth Collen was a late starter by all standards, especially when you consider his current iconic rock star status as lead guitarist for the world famous multi-platinum selling rock-n-roll band DEF LEPPARD. 
Collen left school at sixteen to work in a factory and as a dispatch rider. Influenced by legendary guitar players such as Ritchie Blackmore, Jimi Hendrix, and Mick Ronson, he soon developed a flashy, aggressive style of playing rock guitar. After musical stints in earlier bands Phil quit his day job and went on tour as a guitarist with the London-based post-punk glam rock band ‘Girl’. 3 years later Collen joined Def Leppard in 1982 during the Pyromania album recording sessions playing guitar solos on the hits ‘Photograph’, ‘Foolin’’, and ‘Rock Of Ages’ among others. Pyromania was Def Leppard’s breakthrough album and turned the young British quintet into rock super-stars almost over night. They spent the summer of 1983 at # 2 on the Billboard charts behind Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the biggest selling album of all time. Pyromania sold in excess of 10 times platinum and received a Diamond award in the US and Canada. 
After the Pyromania tour ended tragedy struck. During the recording of the Hysteria album drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm in a car accident on New Year’s Eve 1984. The band chose not to replace Rick. He re-learned how to play the drums using his left foot to replicate left arm percussion. His dedication to the band paid off and upon the release of Hysteria Def Leppard had their best selling album to date releasing seven singles from the album including the smash hits ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ and ‘Love Bites’. They received their second diamond album selling over twelve million copies in the U.S alone putting them in an exclusive group of only six bands ever to achieve two diamond albums in America. Def Leppard was now among rock-n-roll’s elite which included The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Eagles, and Van Halen. 
Fortune and fame, however, often have a price to be paid, and tragedy was to strike the band again. While creating songs for the Adrenalize album Steve Clark was found dead in his London home due to a mixture of painkillers and alcohol. Clark had been Phil’s best friend and guitar partner in the band. The pair had been dubbed ‘The Terror Twins’ due to their “on tour shinnanigans”. Soon the name became synonymous with more than pranks and their classic harmonious guitar playing became known as the ‘Def Leppard sound’. Adrenalize was released with Phil Collen recording the guitar parts for both players and was the number one album in the U.S during the 1992 L.A. riots. The nineties also saw the release of the Slang album and the ever popular Vault, Def Leppard’s greatest hits album which has achieved quadruple platinum status in the U.S.A.
Expanding their reach Def Leppard collaborated with two country mega-superstars. Tim McGraw was featured on their Sparkle Lounge single ‘Nine Lives’ while Taylor Swift teamed up with the band swapping hits on CMT’s Crossroads which also has been released as a DVD and garnered the band two CMT nominations. 
In 2011 while Def Leppard released their very first live album ‘Mirrorball’ and embarked upon their world tour by the same name. Phil’s alternate band MANRAZE released their second critically acclaimed album Punkfunkrootsrock. With Phil contributing lead vocals and stellar guitar chops the band performs a dynamic modern day mix of punk, funk, rock, and reggae with bassist Simon Laffy formerly of the late 70’s band Girl and legendary Sex Pistols’ drummer Paul Cook. The band’s debut album Surreal has been re-released in the US and the UK to rave reviews which compare the band to the Police, the Foo Fighters, and the Clash. Manraze’s accolades precede them. In 2009 Phil Collen was the only artist to play twice at Donnington’s Download Festival in the UK with both bands, Manraze and Def Leppard. In 2011 Manraze was granted express permission by Jimi Hendrix’s estate to cover the legend’s timeless classic ‘Fire’. The band’s extraordinary performance of the song has been well received and has been lauded as one of the best covers of 2011. Manraze recorded the catchy rock/dance mashup ‘Take On The World’ as a theme for British film-maker Mark Sloper’s documentary ‘The Showdown: I Superbiker’. The film, due out Spring 2012, is a heart-stopping sequel continuing its razor-sharp focus on British superbike racing champion Tommy Hill and his ultimate rise to superbike racing glory.
Nowadays the interest in Phil Collen’s physical health regimen and diet are as intense as the interest in his musical & artistic expression. Phil trains as a practicing Muay Thai kickboxer and utilizes weight work-outs culminating in three workouts a day, six days a week under the watchful eye of his trainer Muay Thai kickboxing champion/world champion coach Jean Carrillo to get to and maintain his current fitness level. The two are planning to share via dvd an insightful look into Phil Collen’s workout regimen. There is also a three tier workout/training dvd system titled ‘Physical Mechanics’ for those who are looking to get fit with Phil on its way.