Phil Collen
Philip Kenneth Collen (born 8 December 1957)[1] is an English musician who is best known as the co-lead guitarist for the rock band Def Leppard. Collen joined the band in 1982 during the recording of the Pyromania album.[2] Before joining Def Leppard, Collen had performed with a number of bands in the burgeoning British glam metal scene. Outside of Def Leppard, he has been involved in a number of side projects; those projects include the trio Man Raze, with which he is the lead singer and sole guitarist.
For the drummer/singer of Genesis, see Phil Collins. For other people with similar names, see Phil Collins (disambiguation).
Phil Collen
Philip Kenneth Collen
One-half of "The Terror Twins" with co-guitarist Steve Clark: 1983–1991
8 December 1957
Hackney, London, England
Musician
- Guitar
- vocals
1974–present
Early life[edit]
Collen was born in Hackney, London. He got his first guitar, a red Gibson SG, on his 16th birthday, and taught himself how to play.[3] He played with several bands including Lucy, Tush, and Dumb Blondes.
He left school to work as a motorcycle dispatch rider for a typesetter until his band Girl got their first record contract.[4] During his tenure with Girl, Collen's career began rising, spurred by the relative success of the albums Sheer Greed and Wasted Youth, which allowed him the opportunity to play at more significant venues.[5]
A young Collen can also be seen on the back cover of Deep Purple's live album Made in Japan as the live photo was actually taken at the Rainbow Theatre in London, a concert Collen attended, and not in Japan.[6]
In an interview, Collen revealed that he was approached by Steve Harris to join Iron Maiden replacing guitarist Dennis Stratton.[7]
Personal life[edit]
Collen has lived in the United States for 25 years and currently resides in Orange County, California. He commented, "I'm almost a California native now." He has five children: Rory (born 1990), Samantha (born 2004), Savannah (born 2009), Charlotte (born 2014) and Jaxson (born 2018).[21] He was married to actress Jacqueline Collen-Tarolly (1989) and Anita Thomas-Collen (1999). He married actress and costume designer Helen L. Simmons in 2010.[22]
Collen is a vegan[23] and has been a vegetarian for 35 years.[24] Collen is also colorblind.[25]
Collen is known for his dedication to fitness and has trained extensively in martial arts for over 20 years. He began his martial arts training in Kenpo Karate,[26] earning a black belt. He also has studied kickboxing with Benny Urquidez and Muay Thai with Jean Carillo.[27][28]
Equipment[edit]
In 1989, Collen worked with Jackson Guitars to develop the Jackson PC1, an "ergonomically correct" electric guitar, although according to Collen, he designed them because "they looked cool", and they ended up having bad balance, as well as a "really weird shape".[29]
As of 2011, his live rig with Def Leppard consists of various Jackson PC1 guitars (some modified), all equipped with DiMarzio pickups, Floyd Rose tremolo units, and a Floyd Rose sustainer driver. Collen uses several Fender acoustic guitars. Collen uses D'Addario 0.13–0.54 and 0.13–0.56 gauge strings, and he uses steel picks.[30]