Def Leppard Guitarist Viv Campbell Missed Band’s First 2025 Concert Due to Cancer Treatment

Vivian Campbell, Phil Collen, Rick Allen, Rick Savage, and Joe Elliott of Def Leppard attend the Press Conference with Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, and Poison announcing 2020 Stadium Tour on December 04, 2019 in Hollywood, California
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Def Leppard rocked the stage during their first performance of 2025 at Feria Estatal De León in Leon, Mexico. But while fans enjoyed the show, they quickly noticed that one bandmate was missing: longtime guitarist Viv Campbell.

During the show, frontman Joe Elliott told the crowd, “Vivian Campbell cannot be with us tonight. He’s just recovering from some treatment for his cancer. So, manfully, please say hello to the guy that’s standing in for him tonight, Mr. John Zocco on guitar.” Zocco is a touring guitarist and also works as the band’s photographer.

Joe Elliott of Def Leppard performs onstage during the "Summer Stadium" tour at Truist Park on July 13, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia

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Campbell was first diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2013. He updated his fans on Facebook, noting that “the cough that wouldn’t quit” was the first sign of his cancer and what nudged him to get checked out. His chemotherapy treatments worked and he went into remission in 2014. Unfortunately, the cancer returned in June 2015.

In 2023, he opened up about his cancer battles during an episode of the Lymphoma Voices podcast. He shared, “I’m still dealing with the lymphoma. It’s sort of like – it’s an American expression – Whac-a-Mole. You beat something back and then it pops up somewhere else. But it’s been a pretty consistent battle, but it hasn’t been too difficult for me. I deal with it fine. I’ve been able to live my life.”

Viv Campbell of Def Leppard during Def Leppard in Concert at The Joint at The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas - November 13, 2005 at The Joint at The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

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Campbell continued, “For the bulk of those 10 years, I actually was doing immunotherapy. Starting in June of 2015, I started taking a drug called pembrolizumab. I remember at the time my doctors wanted me to do radiation and maybe a combination of radiation and chemo. And I just thought, ‘Well, let’s just try this immunotherapy thing. Let’s see if this works.’ So I managed to get on the trial. I’m happy to say that it worked well for me.”

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