Def Leppard Rick Allen Talks Playing Drums and Fine Art
--
Rick Allen, the famed drummer for Def Leppard, has revealed an amazing artistic side beyond his musical attributes. Allen is wowing fans and gaining new ones with his beautiful fine art collections named “Drums for Peace” and his “Art To Wear” Collections.
Rick Allen Drums On
Allen has proven to be a powerful force continuously drumming his life beyond expectations. The drummer, born Richard John Cyril Allen, joined the British rock band, Def Leppard, at the young age of 15 in 1977 right before the group signed their first contract in 1978. With Allen putting the beat in their heavy metal sound, the band quickly gained fame.
Only four years after the release of their first album in 1980, the drummer was sidelined by a horrific car accident in 1984. Admittedly speeding in the English countryside, Allen could not maneuver his Corvette around a sharp turn and literally hit a wall. That wall would change his life forever.
Although wearing a seatbelt, with the car flipping over multiple times, Allen was thrown from the vehicle. His left arm was literally ripped off during the accident. The drummer survived the crash but despite efforts to reattach his limb, his arm did not make it.
Yet this was not to be the end of Allen’s drumming career. The band had just been commercially recognized by the masses in 1983 after the release of “Pyromania.” Not only did Allen concede to the notion of never drumming again, his bandmates rallied in full support of Allen’s efforts to continue drumming.
Allen looked to his feet to take over for the loss of his left arm. A customized drum kit was designed for Allen to be able to play the snare drum with his foot. In 1986 the band got together in a pub to watch Allen perform his new-found drumming skills. He was a hit, and, soon after, Def Leppard was back on stage in full force at the “Monsters of Rock” festival in England. Fans excited to have their favorite drummer return on stage gave Allen a wonderful inspiring ovation.
Rick Allen Is an Artistic Force
With their bandmate drumming in full force, Def Leppard played on. Their “Hysteria” album, released in 1987, firmly planted the heavy metal…
