The song that made Def Leppard choose their guitarist

Each member contributes to the style of music, but one of the biggest influences is guitarist Steve Clark. Joe Elliott was involved two years before the band formed. He came up with the name, designed posters, and had an idea for the type of music he wanted to make, but that sound didn’t start to develop until Clark joined.

It was a no-brainer for the band that Clark had to be part of their musical troupe. When he auditioned, he showed up in form and delivered a solo performance that blew the rest of the band away. The song in particular was one that, if played correctly, would cement any guitarist as a master of their craft.

Joe Elliott spoke about his audition, saying, “His audition was ‘Freebird’ by Lynyrd Skynyrd, he just did the whole thing by himself and it was like, wow, this guy is amazing,” he said, “And he looked great. He carried his guitar too low, he was too skinny and had blonde hair, a denim jacket and no shirt on.”

“Freebird” is a song that completely defines Lynyrd Skynyrd as a band. It’s hard to listen to the track without being moved. The guitar starts off simple, sweet and melodic, reflecting the feeling of being in love but not being able to commit. The solo then takes the song to another level, as what started as a jam became one of the most iconic and exciting guitar solos in rock history.

The fact that Clark showed up for his audition and played the song flawlessly made it hard for the band to turn him down. The rest is history, as Clark brought a fascination to the band that made them one of the most exciting and versatile bands of their time.

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