Def Leppard Guitarist Rocks a Vegan Diet

Legendary rock band DEF LEPPARD is enjoying critical acclaim for its 12th studio album, 'Yeah!', and — in the midst of a whirlwind world tour — guitarist Phil Collen took time out of his busy schedule to record a public service announcement (PSA) for PETA in which he sings the praises of a vegetarian diet.

'Not only is a vegetarian lifestyle healthier, it's better for the animals and for the environment,' says Collen, who has been a vegetarian for more than 20 years. Visitors to PETA's Web site GoVeg.com can watch Collen's videotaped interview and enter a drawing to win a Fender guitar signed by Collen, which he has had with him on this current tour.

In an exclusive interview with GoVeg.com, Collen talks about how making the connection between living, breathing animals and the carved up bodies on his plate was what convinced him to forgo animal flesh once and for all.

'It started freaking me out eating dead body parts,' he says. 'The whole Jeffrey Dahmer fridge concept of things was weird. It started when I was a kid, but you know, you have that whole parent propaganda when they say, 'Oh no, you got to eat this, and it's OK,' and even when you go, 'Well, that chicken is kind of like...a dog,' and they go, 'Come on, eat, eat, eat your meat,' and I always felt kind of uncomfortable. And I think when I got to a certain age, when you start making choices for yourself, that's when I was like well, I am not going to do this anymore.'
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