Richard Allen

Richard Allen was born on the 1st of November, 1963. He was born in Derbyshire UK. Richard is not known by his real name Richard. He gets called Rick instead. Rick is in the English rock band Def Leppard. Def Leppard has been around since 1977. Rick joined Def Leppard in 1978 a year after Def Leppard formed.

Rick Allen at a younge age sitting at his drum kit (yanous.com/pratique/culture/culture001117.html)

Rick joined Def Leppard when he was fifteen. Rick dropped out of school at the age of fifteen so he could go and tour with the rest of the crew from Def Leppard. Rick is famous for not only being in the English rock band Def Leppard, but for overcoming the complete amputation of his left arm and continuing to play the drums for the band.

Rick had been playing the drums for eleven years before he lost his arm. He lost his left arm in a car accident when he was 21 years old. It was on 31st of December 1984 where he was on his way to a New Year's party at his family's home. After the accident Rick thought that he couldn't be a great drummer for Def Leppard any more. He spent three and a half weeks in hospital trying to fix his arm. When Rick was in hospital he started tapping his feet and realized that he could find away to play the drums again.

Rick Allen (Google images)

After the accident Rick started to play the drums on a semi electronic drum kit which helped him heaps. Joe Elliott the lead singer for Def Leppard said that it had made Rick a better drummer than he was with two arms. In 1986 the drumkit was completely electronic, but since 1995 some parts are acoustic again, depending on his studio or live setting.

Rick is currently still alive and living in Los Angeles with his wife Lauren. Rick is important to me because he got right back up and back into drumming after he lost his arm. He is someone that I can always look up to as a role model. He has made the worst thing that has happened and made it into a success and become famous from it.