CELEBRATION DAY – 23RD APRIL:
Each year I wonder what Steve would be up to if he were still with us. But I don’t just wonder about that on his birthday… I wonder about that often on many days. It’s good to think about him in a positive light. He remains forever young and forever special.
But the possibilities… imagine what wonders we’d have been treated to… the other artists and musicians he’d have gone on to work with. One can only dream. But it’s good to dream sometimes.
Birthday’s are times for celebration. We remember Steve with a smile today and be grateful for the short time he was with us to help create and build the foundations of Def Leppard, where his legacy is showcased on the band’s first four albums all released in the 1980’s. His work finally landed Def Leppard into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2019. His legacy is there for all to see and hear. A unique guitar superstar and creative genius who understood the language of music.
Steve Clark was clearly born with a gift and used it extremely cleverly. He was one of those rare gems. We remember him fondly as always and celebrate and treasure the music he gave to us on his special day and every day.
Happy birthday Steve,
With much love.
“I couldn’t help but think how, God!, just no-one, truly no-one can take his place. He had this way when he played live about him. He pulled out all these weird bends to the end of notes, vibrato, and some strange haunting melody lines.
It’s not like he would change it drastically, and then, mixed with the regular stuff he was playing. Just his playing! Really really haunting, in a romantic, melodic kind of way. The way Chopin must have left people in his day, but of the rock genre!”
~ Alex, October 2005
“The man’s whole approach to solos were classical; he used extensive scale knowledge to come up with those licks, and he was plain awesome. Especially note Steve’s little solo break between the first chorus of Bringin’ On The Heartbreak and the second verse; that run he does is the ‘A’ Aeolian scale and it’s amazing. Nothing blues about it.
…it’s scale knowledge and music theory that made him unique. Steve was not this “feel – bluesy player”, he was a classical technician that knew the fretboard. Beautiful guitar work!”
~ Hurricane Joe (R.I.P.), July 2007
David Plastik
