Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith recently revealed details about a previously unknown audition he had with Def Leppard in the early 1990s. He shared his experience in an interview featured on MetalJournal.
The revelation came when Smith was asked about rumors regarding his potential involvement with Def Leppard following the tragic passing of their guitarist Steve Clark in 1991.
“Yeah, I did. I went over to L.A. for a couple of days. Phil [Collen, Def Leppard guitarist] phoned me up — him and Ross Halfin [legendary rock photographer] phoned me up and said, ‘Would you be interested in coming over?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ So I went to L.A. I played with him for a couple of days,” Smith explained.
Smith described the audition process and his impressions of the potential collaboration.
“I sat down with Phil. We went through some songs. It sounded good, it sounded good. And they’re a great bunch of guys. But it didn’t work out. Plus I had — my Psycho Motel [band Smith formed after leaving Maiden in 1990] album was just about to come out, so I was kind of, you know… But who knows? It was worth pursuing. They did okay without me,” he continued.
The audition took place during a period when Smith had temporarily left Iron Maiden to pursue other musical projects, including his band Psycho Motel.
Smith’s potential involvement with Def Leppard came during one of the band’s most challenging periods. This followed the devastating loss of their guitarist Steve Clark.
Ultimate Classic Rock reported that Steve Clark died on January 8, 1991, at the age of 30 after consuming alcohol and prescription pain medication. His girlfriend found the guitarist motionless on his couch in the early hours of the morning. He had died in his sleep from what was later ruled an unintentional overdose.
Loudwire revealed that an autopsy showed Clark’s blood alcohol level was three times the British legal driving limit. He had consumed a lethal combination of alcohol, Valium, and codeine. The tragedy marked the end of a long struggle with alcoholism that had plagued the guitarist for years.
Phil Collen, who would later reach out to Smith for the audition, had previously attempted to help Clark overcome his addiction. Def Leppard UK documented that Collen had arranged for Clark to attend rehab in 1989. The treatment ultimately proved unsuccessful in preventing the guitarist’s tragic end.
Despite the devastating loss, Def Leppard managed to honor Clark’s memory through their music. Louder Sound noted that the band incorporated Clark’s pre-death songwriting contributions into their 1992 album “Adrenalize.” The album became their last major commercial hit and reached No. 1 on the charts.
