Bio

Joseph Thomas Elliott, nickname "Zeff", was born on August 1, 1959 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England & attended the King Edward VII school. He is the lead singer of the rock band Def Leppard.

Joe & Def Leppard

Joe Elliott first met one of Def Leppard's original guitarists, Pete Willis, by chance when he missed a bus. After finding out they were both musicians, Joe met the rest of the band - Atomic Mass - & auditioned first as a guitarist, then singer. He sang Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" & missed the octave change in the song, but he impressed the rest of the band with his looks & enthusiasm & was hired. They even took Joe's suggestion to change the band's name to "Deaf Leopard", which was later changed to Def Leppard because at the time, punk bands with animals in their name were popular in Britain & Def Leppard did not want to be a punk band. Joe soon became an important part of the band, contributing his songwriting skills. As a songwriter, he draws inspiration from his eclectic taste in music. He has said that the lyrics to Def Leppard's songs are not personal, but are meant to be easily accepted by the listener. He also plays guitar, drums, piano, & electric keyboard & can be seen with KISS-style make-up playing drums in Def Leppard's video for "Rocket". Joe spent his early days in Def Leppard, working at a bread factory, where he swept floors pretending to be AC/DC frontman Bon Scott.

Side Projects

In addition to singing for Def Leppard, Joe has worked on tributes for Freddie Mercury, Alice Cooper, Mick Ronson, Ian Hunter, & David Bowie, among others. He had the honor of opening the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992 by joining the remaining members of Queen & Slash to sing "Tie Your Mother Down". He has also guested on several other projects. He & Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen once had a side project together called Cybernauts. It was short-lived, & the album released online in the mid-90's has since been deleted.

Joe as Producer

Released in September 2003 through Sanctuary Records, Ricky Warwick's Tattoos & Alibis was produced by Elliott.

Personal Life

Joe currently lives in Dublin, Ireland, with his wife Kristine, who he met while she was working in wardrobe for the band. He also maintains a recording studio in his home called Joe's Garage in which he has recorded & produced many major artists. Artists have also recorded there while Joe was on tour with Def Leppard.

Fun Facts

  • He is a Sheffield United fan.
  • Joe has stated on many occasions that his favorite band is Mott the Hoople. Other influences include David Bowie, Queen, & T. Rex.
  • Joe has had mumps twice in his life, the second time being during the recording of Def Leppard's album Hysteria.
  • He is naturally left-handed, but plays guitar right-handed.
  • He is a vegetarian.
  • He is 6' 1 1/2" tall.

    Quotes

    "You better wake up and smell the roses before they're on your coffin lid!"