Born on December 8, 1957, in Hackney, London, Phil Collen’s musical journey started with a guitar he got for his 16th birthday, his Wikipedia page read. He then joined Def Leppard in 1982 and played a key role in their rise to fame during the ‘80s.
We’re here to look into the guitarist’s life, achievements, and estimated net worth after decades in the industry.
Collen’s Introduction To The Music Industry
Phil Collen: Def Leppard Vault
After getting his first guitar, a red Gibson SG, Collen taught himself how to play and developed a flashy style, influenced by the likes of Ritchie Blackmore and Jimi Hendrix, he wrote on his old website.
Before joining Def Leppard, the guitarist performed in the British glam rock scene with several bands, including Lucy, Tush, and Dumb Blondes. His first notable success came with the band Girl, which released two albums, ‘Sheer Greed’ and ‘Wasted Youth,’ opening the way to performances at larger venues (per Fandom.com).
His Contributions To Def Leppard
Photo Credit: Uschi Brem-Freund/Def Leppard Vault
Collen replaced Pete Willis in Def Leppard in 1982 after the latter was fired for alcohol-related issues, according to Music Radar. Joe Elliott invited him to audition during the recording of ‘Pyromania,’ playing solos on tracks like ‘Photograph’ and ‘Stagefright.’
Wikipedia shared that Collen quickly bonded with fellow guitarist Steve Clark, and their dual-guitar sound became a trademark of the band, earning them the nickname ‘Terror Twins.’
In the following years, the guitarist wrote on his personal website that Def Leppard gained major success with ‘Pyromania’ and ‘Hysteria’ albums. Metal Castle explained in 2023 that Collen played a key role in shaping the band’s sound and helped their reputation as one of the most successful rock bands, selling over 110 million albums worldwide.
The Guitarist’s Side Projects
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Outside Def Leppard, Collen has worked on various projects, including the band Man Raze with Simon Laffy and Paul Cook from the Sex Pistols as well as a collaboration on the blues project Delta Deep and performances with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci on the G3 Tour in 2018, his Fandom wiki page noted.
The guitarist also co-wrote a graphic novel titled ‘Hysteria,’ inspired by the band’s album of the same name. The book exploring the dark side of rock stardom will be published in 2025, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
With all that work, as of today, Collen’s net worth is estimated at $20-25 million, Celebrity Net Worth and Metal Castle claim.
A Few Facts About His Personal Life
Photo Credit: Def Leppard
In addition to being a successful musician, Phil Collen is a martial arts and fitness enthusiast. He told Grammy Magazine in 2014 that he weight trains regularly and tries to eat healthy.
The father of five is also a vegan for health reasons, as Viva! revealed before. He gave up on meat first, becoming a vegetarian in the 1980s, and later turned to veganism. He now lives in Orange County with his third wife, Helen Simmon (per Wikipedia).
