“We’ve shared a lot of emotions together,” says Elliott, who calls May “the sixth member” of his band. May also poured some love on Def Leppard when they got their spot on Hollywood’s RockWalk in 2000. We were opening for Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow.” “He’s always been an incredible supporter of the band since we first met him backstage, I think in Montreux in 1981.

“It was a no-brainer for us,” says Elliott of asking May to do the honors. I’ve got everything they’ve ever done, and I still play their stuff all the time.”Īlso cranking up the excitement for Elliott is who will be inducting Def Leppard: Brian May, guitarist and co-founder of Queen. Every band is British, and then you’ve got two female Americans - one black, one white,” says Elliott, 59, who is particularly honored to enter the hall with Bryan Ferry’s art-rock outfit, Roxy Music: “I’ve been a fan since I was 12. Making it in on their first nomination - although they have been eligible for rock’s exclusive club since 2005 - Def Leppard will be enshrined in a 2019 class that also includes the Cure, Janet Jackson, Stevie Nicks, Radiohead, Roxy Music and the Zombies. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame starts to shake off tone-deaf historyīut 42 years after first bringin’ on the headbanging in Sheffield, England, the band behind such ’80s pop-metal classics as “ Photograph,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and, of course, “ Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Friday at Barclays Center.

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