By Jessi Virtusio

To look back at Vivian Campbell's career thus far can make one's head spin. Not only was he a part of Dio during big records "HOLY DIVER" and "THE LAST IN LINE," but he also was a part of the blockbuster Whitesnake lineup that toured in 1987 to 1988 behind the self-titled Whitesnake mega hit CD. But, of course, Campbell is likely best known for being a guitarist for Def Leppard, a band that he has been a part of since the early 1990s.

Much of my conversation with Campbell will be in my Thursday (7/16) "Gig of the Week" in Fifty-Two Weekends, which will preview Def Leppard's summer tour stop set for Friday (7/17) at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park. The jaunt also includes Poison and Cheap Trick, which got its start in Rockford. To whet your appetite for that feature, here is what Campbell had to say about the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, what it was like to go from being a fan of the band to being a member of Def Leppard, and more.

From fan to band member

Campbell started with Def Leppard in 1992, replacing the late Steve Clark after his tragic death. "I didn't feel any pressure at all," Campbell said of that time. "I wasn't an unknown. It would have been more difficult for me if I was John Doe before and never played a big gig before. I felt so confident. I had been in so many bands prior to that…. I'd been around the block, and I felt very confident about coming into the band. I think it was a lot easier for me than the other guys in Def Leppard. They lost their friend who they had known for years. They had never played when Steve wasn't there."

"I've never felt any sort of animosity from Def Leppard. Being a fan of the band for so many years, I was very familiar with the music. … I always felt part of this band. I was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, but I've really always felt a kinship with Def Leppard. They was cemented when I saw the guys play for the first time during the Hysteria tour in 1987. I was in Whitesnake at the time. You could really tell (that) was a real band. The guys in Whitesnake, we had no real bond or kinship. You could really sense, watching Def Leppard on stage, they were really a band of brothers."

Even with Campbell's experience prior to Def Leppard, something he said he really enjoyed about joining vocalist Joe Elliott, guitarist Phil Collen, bassist Rick "Sav" Savage and drummer Rick Allen was the chance to sing in addition to playing guitar. "Ronnie Dio would never let me sing," Campbell said. "I've always loved to sing. We have a lot of vocals in every song we do. It's fun. We enjoy our work, and it shows."

Solo work

When he is not working with Def Leppard, Campbell works on solo material and released "TWO SIDES OF IF," a collection of blues favorites that he handled vocals for, in 2005. He said he's working on new material with an unknown writer and producer from Los Angeles, and described the tunes as more modern, moody and sexual as well as a showcase for his vocals.

"I really don't know what I'm doing with it," he said of the material that comes from Campbell's friend providing tracks for Campbell, who then writes lyrics. "You've got to give at least part of (your music) away. I would imagine that, once we get a record's worth (of material), we'll probably put it up on a Web site and give away three or four songs. I believe it's a karmic thing. If you release your best work and give it to people, … it will eventually come back and reciprocate in some way."

Music through the years

Speaking of coming back, rock is back in a big way, even if audiences weren't so kind after the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

"In the 1990s it was a tough sell," Campbell said of the ups and downs of playing rock music. "It takes about a decade or so for it to become acceptable again and for new audiences to discover it. I remember in the '60s, people were digging the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and acts like Jimi Hendrix. By the time you got to the 1980s, there were some great artists. … It was amazing. In the 1990s, we couldn't get arrested. I think that's true with every band. (After the) bad haircuts and bad fashion sense, you get a whole new generation. I do believe this. I've been saying, in the last seven or eight years, there's a whole new generation of Def Leppard fans. It's not all bad."

"I was always a Def Leppard fan before I was in the band. I always appreciated the effort that Def Leppard put into songwriting. There's a real craft to writing songs. That was obviously helped by Mutt Lange's guidance. Mutt Lange's defintiely a talented writer and producer. We take what we do very seriously and especially the songwriting aspect. We don't consider a good song good enough. Most of the time, we do go the extra mile and we get rewarded, and that's why we can still tour. Those songs still hold up."