DEF LEPPARD's PHIL COLLEN: 'STEVE CLARK Was My Best Friend'

August 7, 2007

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen spoke to Mark Voger of the Asbury Park Press about the death of the band's guitarist Steve Clark, who passed away of drug-related causes in 1991.

"Me and Steve — Steve was my best friend," Collen said.

"We used to be drinking buddies. We used to get into all sorts of trouble. I actually stopped drinking years ago. He was still alive at the time.

"He totally got progressively worse. Unchecked, I think, a lot of people don't realize they have a problem. My initial reaction was kind of a denial thing. 'Oh, he just likes to drink.' But things were happening that didn't happen before, which is one of the reasons I stopped drinking. All of a sudden, I wouldn't remember things — what happened last night and just weird things. It got to be too much.

"I saw that happening with Steve. He was totally aware of it. We'd sit and talk about it for hours. I said to Steve's then-girlfriend, 'You know, I think Steve's having some problems with this.' It just got worse and worse and worse. He went to rehab and all these things. It was just too late, really. It was just unfortunate that it went too far."

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