Joe Elliott

Arguably the most popular hard rock band of the '80s (and definitely one of the most tragedy-prone) was Def Leppard, fronted by singer Joe Elliot. Born in Sheffield, England, on August 1, 1959, Elliot became transfixed by such rockers as David Bowie, T. Rex, Queen, and Thin Lizzy as a teen. As an escape from Birmingham's tough, steel-town streets, Elliot would often fantasize about fronting his own band, one that he made billboards for even though it was purely fictional: Deaf Leopard. By the late '70s, he hooked up with the band Atomic Mass (who contained guitarist Pete Willi...