Joe Elliott is a British singer-songwriter and musician who has a net worth of $50 million. Joe Elliott plays guitar, keyboard, drums, and piano and is a founding member and lead vocalist of the hard rock band Def Leppard. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the band has sold over 110 million records worldwide.
Early Years
Joseph Thomas Elliott was born on August 1, 1959, in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, to Joseph William Elliott and Cynthia Gibson. He attended King Edward VII School in Sheffield and went to his first concert at the age of 11 – a performance by T. Rex at Sheffield City Hall. Nine years later, Elliott would be performing there with Def Leppard.
In 1977, Elliott met English guitarist Pete Willis of the newly formed rock band Atomic Mass, who introduced Elliott to the other members and asked him if he would be interested in joining the band. Elliott accepted the invitation and later suggested they change the name of the band to Def Leppard.
The “Def Leppard” E.P. was released in 1979. The “On Through the Night” album was released in 1980. The “High ‘n’ Dry” album was released in 1981. The “Pyromania” album was released in 1983 and reached #2 on the Billboard charts, while the song “Rock of Ages” off the album reached #10. The “Hysteria” album was released in 1987 and reached #1 on the Billboard charts. The “Adrenalize” album was released in 1992 and reached #1 on the Billboard charts. The “Retro Active” album was released in 1993 and reached #9 on the Billboard charts. The “Slang” album was released in 1996. The “Euphoria” album was released in 1999. The “X” album was released in 2002. The “Yeah!” album was released in 2006. The album “Songs from the Sparkle Lounge” was released in 2008 and reached #5 on the Billboard charts. The album “Mirrorball: Live and More” was released in 2011. The album “Viva! Hysteria” was released in 2013. The album “Def Leppard” was released in 2015 and reached #10 on the Billboard charts. The album “The Story So Far – The Best Of” was released in 2018. The album “Diamond Star Halos” was released in 2022 and reached #10 on the Billboard charts. In 2023, the band released the album “Drastic Symphonies,” collaborating with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on remixed songs from their catalog.
In 2024, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band’s massive hit album “Pyromania,” the album was re-released as a compact disc and Blu-ray collection which includes previously unreleased demos, recording session mixes, two live concert performances and the singles’ videos. The collection reached #2 on the Billboard album chart and has sold over 10 million copies in the United States.
Past members of Def Leppard include Tony Kenning, Steve Clark, and Pete Willis, who was cut from the band due to excessive drinking. Present members, besides Elliott, include Rick Savage on bass and backing vocals, Phil Collen on guitar and backing vocals, Vivian Campbell on guitar and backing vocals, and Rick Allen on drums. In 1984, Allen’s arm was injured during a motor vehicle accident. Doctors had to amputate the limb when an infection developed. He continued playing drums with the use of a custom-made electric drum which he is able to operate with his feet.
