Def Leppard Vocalist Joe Elliott Makes Surprise Appearance at Billy Joel Concert in Michigan

2022-07-12

Def Leppard has launched a virtual museum, "The Def Leppard Vault," featuring an archive that will continue to grow with interviews, photographs, videos and more.

Story by Cat Badra, photo by Anne Erickson

Joe Elliott was a special guest during Billy Joel’s recent concert in Michigan

When artists have gigs in the same area over the same weekend, sometimes, cool collaborations happen that are very unexpected. That’s exactly what happened Saturday night (July 9) when Billy Joel was in Detroit to headline Detroit’s Comerica Park, the home of the Tigers. During the show, Joel brought out Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott for a guest appearance.

Def Leppard were slated to perform on “The Stadium Tour” Sunday evening (July 10), the trek also featuring Motley Crue, Poison and Joan Jett. Because of the scheduling, Elliott happened to be in town on Saturday, so he was available for the surprise appearance. Elliott joined Joel and his band for an action-packed versions of the Def Leppard hit “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”

Wearing a black T-shirt and black and white animal print jacket, Elliott strutted on the stage, and the audience erupted in excitement. Joel’s band launched into “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” and Joel offered some rocking background vocals, too. Watch fan-shot videos of the Joe Elliott-Billy Joel performance below.

Joel’s setlists on his current tour have included a range of classics, plus some unique songs that you don’t always hear played live. In Detroit, on top of Elliott’s guest turn on “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” Joel performed “Piano Man,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “Start Me Up,” “Nessun Dorma” and many more.

This isn’t the first time Joel has brought a famous name on stage for a surprise performance. In 2014, Joel brought AC/DC’s Brian Johnson on the stage during a New York Madison Square Garden. Years earlier, in 2017, Joel brought Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose out during a show in Los Angeles. As for Def Leppard, find the band’s full roster of upcoming “Stadium Tour” dates here.

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Cat Badra

Meet the expert - Cat Badra is a music writer for Audio Ink Radio and a range of other music, sports and lifestyle publications. She's a graduate of Michigan State University with a master's degree in theater and speech. Contact her at cat@audioinkradio.com.