Def Leppard's Phil Collen
When the 2003 Music Midtown lineup was unveiled at a recent press conference, an amazing thing happened. Superstar acts like Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow and Tony Bennett received polite applause or indifferent mumbling, but when Def Leppard was announced, a Tabernacle full of jaded journalists and music industry parasites actually roared their approval.
The melodic metal band, originally from Sheffield, England, had massive success in the mid- to late '80s despite death, dismemberment and personnel changes. Yet Def Leppard never broke up and a recent documentary on VH-1 helped usher in renewed interest in the band. For half a decade, their radio and video hits were inescapable, including the pop anthems "Hysteria," "Pour Some Sugar On Me," and "Photograph."