10 Hard Rock Bands That FIRED Members
2. Def Leppard - Pete Willis
Def Leppard's rise to fame was one of the most rapid success stories of the 80's. With some of the members still in their early 20's, the band quickly gained traction with their sophomore smash High n Dry, with hits like "Bringin on the Heartbreak." As they returned to the studio, the band was willing to do whatever it takes to make the best hard rock record they had ever heard.
The resulting album Pyromania was a phenomenal success, but it cost them one of their guitarists. Even though the entire band had indulged themselves in alcohol abuse, guitarist Pete Willis found himself unable to keep up with his bandmates. During the recording of the album, Willis would sometimes come into the sessions half-drunk from the night before and turning in lackluster guitar performances.
After giving Willis a few ultimatums, the band realized that they just needed to cut him loose altogether. Midway through recording, Willis was replaced with guitar Phil Collen, whose more fluid guitar playing fit right in next to guitarist Steve Clarke's more raucous soloing. Though Willis is present on Pyromania in the rhythm tracks, his time in the hard rock spotlight had been quickly snuffed out.