Rick Savage
| Rick Savage | ||
 Savage performing with Def Leppard in 2018 | ||
| Background information | ||
| Born as: | Richard Savage | |
| AKA: | Rick "Sav" Savage | |
| Born | Dec 02, 1960 (age 64) Sheffield, Yorkshire, England | |
| Occupation: | Musician (Bass guitar) | |
| Genre: | Heavy metal, hard rock, glam metal, arena, rockpop, rock | |
| Member of: | Def Leppard | |
| Yrs active: | 1976–present | |
| Web site: | http://defleppard.com | |
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Richard Savage (born December 2, 1960) is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist and a founding member of the rock band Def Leppard. Savage and lead singer Joe Elliott are the only two remaining original members of the band. Along with drummer Rick Allen, they are also the only members who have played on every album.
Biography
Savage was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, and educated at Tapton Secondary School in Sheffield. In his youth, he learned to play guitar alongside his older brother. They played songs such as Rod Stewart's "Maggie May" and Don McLean's "American Pie." Despite being a Sheffield Wednesday supporter, Savage also pursued a career as a professional football player with Sheffield United. As a teenager, he was an enthusiastic runner and attended the Hallamshire Harriers athletics club in the Hillsborough area of the city. Ultimately, he chose music and formed a band with a few schoolmates, including Tony Kenning and eventually Pete Willis. As Atomic Mass, they primarily covered songs by Queen, Slade, Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, and other popular rock artists of the time.
At one point, they determined that Willis was the better guitar player, so Savage switched to the bass guitar. In need of a singer, they auditioned Joe Elliott, an acquaintance of Willis. They later added guitarist Steve Clark and changed their name to Def Leppard.
Savage contracted Bell's palsy around 1994, which caused his facial muscles to weaken and become partially paralyzed. He has recovered, but the effects of the disease are still visible, especially when he is fatigued.
- From an interview by Gordon Shearer on DefLeppard.com
Shearer: "What about when you developed Bell's palsy? Did that change how you dealt with things? There was a lot of gossip and many comments. I can imagine going from your position – from ultimate rock sex god to...."
Savage: "It was tough to come to terms with and to understand why. I often fell into the 'why me?' mindset, partly due to the disability. It was mainly about not being able to eat properly or sleep without putting a patch on my eye because it wouldn't close, among other things. The hardest part was the impact on my daily life. In comparison, it’s really a very minor debilitating condition. It'll keep you humble to see what Rick Allen went through and how he managed. So, while I would have preferred not to have contracted the disease, I did, and I make the best of what I have."
Personal life
Savage is married to Paige Savage, with whom he has three children (one from Paige's prior relationship). The family moved to Enniskerry in 2013 but returned to Sheffield in 2016.
More information
- Career, filmography, discography and bibliography information may be available at [ Wikipedia:Rick_Savage ]
External links
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