Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen, who lost his arm in an accident and is still in the band 38 years later

He received thousands of letters from his fans during his stay in the hospital, and it was then that he decided to exchange tears for the effort and regrets for a challenge: playing the drums again. They were necessary for an iron will that is proof of great determination and ups and downs. It wasn’t a stubbornness or a utopia, it was just a calm reflection of all it takes to get back to the beat of a rock band with one arm and two legs.

The road has cost the lives of hundreds of musicians in the last half century. Not long ago, artists and bands fell asleep on the go. It was the end of a concert, and the next day the tour they were playing had to quickly catch a bus or even a few cars to get to the next destination. so they did type The nascent Spanish pop and rock bands of the ’60s. There weren’t always private planes or budgets to transport the big crews and all the gear a tour requires. However, it should not be forgotten that some privileged people who own them also suffer death. there is situation dude holly, ritchie valens Y Big BopperDied in a plane crash near Clear Lake in Iowa (USA) in 1959.

Today roads have improved, vehicles have become safer, and also tours have lost some epic and adventure to provide safety and comfort to the performers. many fly jets private, others rent planes. The trips of the strongest groups are often planned differently. Although among performers there are sometimes fatal accidents caused by pressing the accelerator pedal too quickly or carelessly. And sometimes things end in tragedy.

That was the case with Allen. On December 31, 1984, Rick was 21 and had been drummer for six years for Def Leppard, a British hard rock band that has become one of the biggest in the genre with the following albums. High’n’Dry Y Pyromania. That day, the English musician He was behind the wheel of a Corvette with his girlfriend Miriam Baredsen. Near the town of Sheffield in England. It was on a one-lane road in all directions. A vehicle blocked the road ahead. It was an Alfa Romeo that was speeding past him before. Allen says that every time he tries to overtake, the Alfa Romeo accelerates and blocks him. He pushed the gas pedal to the ground until he got tired, the musician’s Corvette roared hastily and shifted into the right lane to pass him. But the curve closed unexpectedly for Allen, and he lost control. The car deflected off the road, over a stone wall, and into a nearby field. The young musician was thrown from the sunroof, but when the seat belt was untied, his left arm was broken off inside the vehicle. An ambulance arrived at the scene 45 minutes later. Allen was still conscious. He knew he had lost his arm. When he got to the hospital, he fell into a coma. It would be like this for two weeks.

Doctors The member was initially resettled, but a serious infection forced them to back down. He later found out when he woke up from his coma. Then he realized the enormity of the tragedy. I’ll never play again, he thought. He was only 21 years old.

His love for drums has been there since childhood. At the age of five, he spent hours beating kitchen utensils in his home. With On, he managed to get his family to buy him a battery and began taking lessons. His early passion for percussion made him a part of some bands before his time. In 1978, a band calling themselves Def Leppard posted an advertisement stating they were looking for a drummer. It was Rick’s mother, who was still a teenager, who responded, her son took a chance, and on November 28 of that year, He became a drummer in the formation at the age of 15.

He would drop out of school a year later, almost at the same time that the other Def Leppard members quit their jobs to focus on music. His talent was indisputable. In a short time, they went from playing in garages to opening. AC DC. In 1980 the band released their first album. during the night. they would come later High’N’Dry (1981) and Pyromania (1983), compiled with admiration and enthusiasm by the British public.

Allen was in the hospital depressed and unsuccessfully trying to think calmly. He did not see a way out of the situation he was in. shock Who had just suffered. “What am I going to do with my life now?” he asked himself over and over. Until one day, the answer appeared definitively. It was the answer to two different questions that led to the same place, because he added a new one to the first question: “If only I could play the drums with one arm?” If there was any possibility, he wanted to explore it. Allen replied to himself: “I want to try.”

He brought it up with his bandmates. vocalist Joe Elliott Years later he would admit that they were shocked by the accident and doubted Allen would be able to play again, but had no plans to leave him. ”We couldn’t put the ‘Searching for battery’ ad, Not like the British did,” he said. One of the most supportive of the drummer was guitarist Phil Collen. She was the one who gave him the most encouragement and spent the most time in the hospital, accompanying him almost every day. With the love of his family and fans, his visits have become indispensable so that Allen does not throw in the towel. Also, the band’s other guitarist, Steve Clark (who would die of alcohol addiction in 1991) was by his side and showed strong support for him. One of the first signs of love came in the form of a signed letter. Phil Collins.

Still in the hospital bed, Allen realized that he could play some of his favorite songs using his feet.

Def Leppard has returned to the studio to work on a new album. Still in the hospital bed, Allen realized that he could play some of his favorite songs using his feet. He began to analyze what steps he had to take to continue playing the drums. One of the people who was initially determined to face the challenge was the band’s drummer, Jeff Rich. Status quo. Moreover The electronic drum maker Simmons developed for Allen was key. set electronic, a special battery with a foot-operated trigger. After Allen left the medical center, he locked himself in this new device and started practicing. Meanwhile, Def Leppard colleagues continued to make progress in their new record work. The new battery combined acoustic elements with other electronics, adding remarkable complexity to its use.

This set de Allen kept the main drums centered and to his right so he could use his arm on that side, while the main pedals were placed on his left to trigger the timpani and snare drums. It took five months of practice to get used to this new way of playing. a new, specially designed hybrid battery. He then went to the Netherlands and took part in mixed drums in the studio where Def Leppard was making progress on the new album. There he showed his fellow trainees what he could do. touched a theme led airship and left them speechless. It was worth the wait and trust.

The next step was to go back to a stage, a live concert, and see if it was snuff and what the public’s reaction was. In the summer of ’86, Def Leppard went on a mini tour that included concerts at some of Europe’s biggest festivals, as well as some pubs in Ireland. At some of these concerts, Allen played electronics, while Jeff Rich (Status Quo) shared the stage with the acoustic drumming band. After several performances, the final test came: to play without Rich’s support. Def Leppard’s drummer spin passed the test.

Then it came to Donnington, one of the biggest festivals of the old continent. They were big words. There, Def Leppard performed in front of 75,000 people who exploded with joy when Joe Elliott said “Rick Allen on the Drum.” At that moment, amid the cries and gestures of the fans, tears began to roll down Allen’s cheeks, knowing that his parents were on one side of the stage, as if he wanted to come out after he had traveled a long way full of hardships and sacrifices. I was back Up on a stage. I had succeeded.

The following year, the band released their new album. Hysteria. It was a veritable commercial bomb, with over 30 million copies sold; It’s a work full of great topics. pour me some sugar, love hurts, Animal, love and passion, rocket or namesake Hysteria, with careful production and a voice that garnered praise from music critics and placed them at the pinnacle of heavy metal worldwide. Since then, Allen has continued to participate in all of the band’s recordings and tours, and his drums take on a more natural sound and incorporate new elements as drums. samplers (pre-recorded by himself).

returned one of the most famous drummers of the rock scene and a touchstone for the desire to excel, Allen now lives in Malibu, California. He died in 2001 with his wife, Lauren Monroe. Raven Drum FoundationA non-profit organization dedicated to helping groups ranging from minors with disabilities to war veterans, including mothers and children who have experienced domestic violence.

The energy of the percussionist at Def Leppard also unleashed his passion for photography and painting. In this last area, his early works had an abstract character that evolved into the most realistic portrait of rock legends. In one of his last exhibitions, Johnny Cash, Kurt Cobain, Eddie Van Halen and The Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts—who died last year—was the real idol who always pushed Allen. and his inspiration helped him dedicate himself to playing this instrument.

Next June, Def Leppard will be performing again in Madrid with another classical band. mottled dough. And on stage, behind a huge drum set, will be Richard John Cyril Allen, a musician who refuses to give up his childhood passion. Today, years later, he continues to play all parts of his special drums with the enthusiasm he used to beat kitchen utensils as a child.