Steve Clark: A Special Guy

Steve Clark was many things to many people. Son, brother, grandson, bandmate, friend or lover to name just a few. He has touched so many peoples lives. I know Steve through his music and the things we share in common, of which there are many.

I was never fortunate enough to know Steve personally but he has touched my life in so many ways. For me, he's special on so many levels - I love his music, his sense of humour, his creativity, his intelligence, his strength, his courage, his sensitivity - my list is endless. He has affected my life in so many ways, two of those being that he inspired me to pick up a guitar back in '91 and that I don't drink because of what he went through.

To me he was a true musician - someone interested in the whole of a song, not just some way over the top guitar solo. He understood the importance of taking into account the whole song when creating guitar solos - you won't find an irrelevant guitar solo in any of Steve's songs. He played his guitar with feeling and emotion - a very welcome antidote to the 'speed merchants' who are more interested in how many notes they can cram into two seconds, and who's work to me sounds 'clinical'. The only way I can really sum up Steve's playing and how it affects me is to say that Steve expressed his soul through his hands.

As the years pass I become even more interested (if that's possible!) in Steve as a person. He is someone who I look up to, someone who is an inspiration to me personally. I have learnt a lot from Steve and his short life and he is one of the reasons I am still around today. Knowing how hard Steve battled his depression gives me the courage to battle my own and his music is a constant comfort to me - there is so much I owe Steve for, so much he has given me over the years. Steve was a truly beautiful person... and I'm not just talking looks-wise here... though of course he was a real cutie, too! ;)

Despite being in one of the world's most successful rock bands, Steve was a very down to earth kind of guy which would have been in no small way due to his practical nature and working class background (I myself am very proud of my own working class background). He was a kind, sensitive and considerate man. It's clear to see that he was an intelligent guy, with an enquiring mind - he had a wide ranging taste in music, and appreciated art, archaeology, the cinema and theatre (though if you only listened to Joe you would think that all Steve's interests consisted of were his guitar, crossword puzzles and drinking... far from the truth, though towards the end of Steve's life as his depression and drinking took over he would have lost interest in most things).

And then there was the sense of humour. On days off, Steve could often be found smoking his Marlboros with his feet up, watching his Peter Sellers movies, of which the Pink Panther films are probably his best known. Steve seemed to have a passion for comedy and maybe that was down to his depression as it is a great help (I speak from personal experience). You can't mention Steve and humour without mentioning some of the Terror Twin antics, though my own personal favourite was actually committed with Phay, not Phil, as they moved a sleeping Pete Willis, still in his bed, out onto the chilly hotel patio... along with all the hotel room furniture. And for anyone familiar with the Def Leppard Tour Manager's video I will only have to mention two words: "Chef Leppard" :) Steve had a smile that could light up the darkest room.

Writing and playing music weren't the only creative activities Steve enoyed - one of my favourite things that I ever found out about Steve was that he used to enjoy drawing. I discovered that for definite only around August 2002. I'd always suspected he used to draw, as in interviews he used to compare producing music to a painting... but to find out for definite that Steve did actually draw, was something really special for me. Needless to say, I'd give anything to see one of his drawings, but I know I'll never be lucky enough.

It's one of my biggest 'crap things' in life that I was never lucky enough to see Steve live in concert.. and an even bigger one that I never had the chance to talk to him. There are so many things we seem to have in common, so much so that a whole week would never have been enough... yeah, I know - that's greedy, but I could never tire of talking to Steve. For me as for many others, Steve wasn't just a special guy - he was a very special guy.