Phil Collen has revealed his reason for leaving the Def Leppard / Journey co-headlining tour back in May. The guitarist flew to California to be with his wife Helen who suffered complications while giving birth to their son.

“She actually died and they brought her back to life,” Collen told Mitch Lafon of Rock Talk with Mitch Lafon, explaining there was “internal bleeding and just, craziness.”

When Collen left the tour suddenly less than a week after it kicked off, Steve Brown of Trixter filled in. Brown was a natural choice, having previously filled in for a member of Def Leppard when guitarist Vivian Campbell underwent treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

“He can sing like a champ,” Collen says of Brown. “He knows all Joe’s parts even.  He sings amazing and he’s a great guitar player. So it was a no-brainer. And I said, ‘Can you step in for me?’ Everyone was cool, they said, ‘Go.’ I went, and everything was fine.

Collen continued on, explaining that both wife Helen and baby Jackson are “doing great”.

Hear the full interview below.

Def Leppard’s co-headlining tour with Journey continues through October 6th. Click here for a list of dates.