Def Leppard Rick Allen Talks Playing Drums and Fine Art

Carol Ruth Weber
8 min readJun 19, 2023

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.

Image Courtesy of Carol Ruth Weber

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.

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Carol Ruth Weber

Carol’s objective is to write pieces that inspire and stimulate. Her work is seen on multiple platforms including Huff Post, CBS, NYNJ, care.com, and many more.