Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott is sharing an update on Vivian Campbell’s health status as the guitarist undergoes a stem cell transplant this fall in his ongoing battle with cancer.
"The latest that I'm aware of with Viv,” Elliott tells Billboard, “they were harvesting stem cells from him and do whatever they do in a Petry dish with them, and then they were gonna carpet bomb him with chemo for a week and he was gonna be kept in the hospital...Then they're gonna put the stem cells back in and do whatever they do, wave the magic wand and say 'Abracadabra.'”
“Hopefully by the middle of November they're gonna let him out,” he added. “We were under the impression he would be in the hospital until Christmas, but the last email he sent me, which was about two weeks ago, said, 'It looks like I may be able to get out of here by mid-November.’"
Elliott says that he and band members "don't bombard him with emails and phone calls every day going 'How are you doing? How are you doing?' 'cause it's like saying, 'Has your hair grown any longer since yesterday?' It's a slow process, so you're best waiting. He'll contact us when he's got something to say, but it's all fingers crossed and thumbs up and very positive vibes going around -- coming from him, which kind of rubs off, really. It makes us think there's a good outcome for this."
Campbell was diagnosed last year with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and immediately began chemotherapy and other treatments.
Def Leppard recently added Trixter guitarist Steve Brown to the lineup for a few scheduled shows while Campbell is in hospital.
Brown made his Leppard debut on September 28 at London’s Wembley Stadium when the band played the pre-game show at the first of this year's three NFL International Series games as the Oakland Raiders host the Miami Dolphins – watch the performance here.
Following the NFL gig, Def Leppard performed three casino shows in Calfornia at the end of October.
See also:
Def Leppard singer’s Down N Outz release One Of The Boys pop-up video
AUDIO: Def Leppard preview Wings classic from McCartney tribute
Def Leppard issue video of London NFL performance
VIDEO: Def Leppard debut Trixter guitarist at NFL game in London
Search Def Leppard at hennemusic
