The story of this musician represents an example of self-improvement and talent, managing to remain the drummer of one of the most outstanding groups of ‘heavy metal’ for almost four decades despite the irreparable damage suffered after a traffic accident
Rick Allen (Derbyshire, England, 1963) is today one of the most beloved musicians in the world of rock. Fans know the tragedy of him and his overcoming story. Thirty-eight years ago, this charismatic drummer, now also a painting artist and a man who is committed and supportive through his foundation, suffered a traffic accident in which he lost his left arm. Everything seemed to indicate then that his musical career was over, but Allen found the support of his friends and the band members and decided to face what, a priori, seemed impossible.
He received thousands of letters from fans during his stay in the hospital and it was then that he decided to change the tears for the effort, and the regrets for a challenge: to play the drums again. For this they were necessary great determination and an iron will that is proof of ups and downs. It was not an obstinacy or a utopia, but a calm reflection about everything it would take to get back to the rhythm of a rock band with only one arm and two legs.
The road has claimed the lives of hundreds of musicians in the last half century. Not so long ago, artists and groups slept in transit. It was the end of a concert and the need to quickly get on a bus or even several cars to get to the next destination on the tour where they played the next day arose. This is how they also did tour the incipient Spanish pop and rock groups of the 60s. There were not always private planes or budgets to move large teams and all the paraphernalia that a tour requires. Although it should not be forgotten that some of the privileged people who did have them also suffered fatalities. There is the case Buddy Holly, ritchie valens Y The Big Bopperwho died in a plane crash near Clear Lake, in Iowa (USA), in 1959. It was said that rock died that day.
Today the roads have improved, the vehicles are safer, and also, the tours have lost a bit of epic and odyssey to gain in safety and comfort for the artists. many fly in jets private, others charter planes. The trips of the most powerful groups are planned differently in most cases. Although there are still fatal accidents among artists from sometimes stepping on the accelerator with too much impetus or recklessly. And sometimes things end in tragedy.
That was the case with Allen. On December 31, 1984, Rick was 21 years old and had been the drummer for Def Leppard for six years, a British hard rock group that had already become one of the greats of the genre with albums like High’n’Dry Y Pyromania. That day, the British musician He was behind the wheel of a Corvette with his girlfriend, Miriam Baredsen, near the town of Sheffield, in England. He was doing it on a one-lane road in each direction. Ahead, a vehicle blocked his way. It was an Alfa Romeo that had passed him at speed earlier. Allen recounts that every time he tried to overtake him, the Alfa Romeo accelerated and prevented him. Until he got tired, he stepped on the accelerator, the musician’s Corvette roared impetuously and he moved into the right lane to pass him. But the curve closed unexpectedly for Allen and he lost control. The car skidded off the road, over a stone wall and into a nearby field. The young musician was thrown from the sunroof, but the seatbelt, when released, severed his left arm, which remained inside the vehicle. An ambulance arrived at the scene 45 minutes later. Allen was still conscious. He knew that he had lost his arm. Upon arrival at the hospital he fell into a coma. He would be like this for two weeks.
The doctors The member was initially replanted, but a serious infection forced them to back off. He found out later, when he woke up from his coma. Then he became aware of the magnitude of the tragedy. “I will never play again & rdquor ;, he thought. He was only 21 years old.
His love for drums was there from his childhood. At just five years old, he spent hours pounding the kitchen utensils in his house. With ten he managed so that his parents bought him a battery and he began to receive classes. His early passion for percussion made him part of some bands prematurely. In 1978, a group calling themselves Def Leppard posted an ad saying they were looking for a drummer. It was the mother of the still adolescent Rick who responded, her son tried his luck and on November 28 of that year, At only 15, he became a drummer in the formation.
A year later he would drop out of school, almost at the same time that the rest of the 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 for AC DC. In 1980 the group released their first album, On Through the Night. later they would arrive High’N’Dry (1981) and Pyromania (1983), collected with admiration and fervor by the British public.
Allen was in the hospital with low spirits, trying unsuccessfully to think cold. He saw no way out of his situation, shock who had just suffered. “What will I do with my life now? & Rdquor ;, she repeatedly asked herself. Until one day her answer emerged firmly. It was an answer to two different questions that led to the same place, because to the first question she added another: “What if I could play the drums even with one arm? & Rdquor; If there was any possibility, he wanted to explore it. Allen answered himself: “I want to try it & rdquor ;.
He brought it up with his bandmates. The vocalist Joe Elliott He would confess years later that they were shocked by the accident and doubted that Allen could play again, but they did not think of abandoning him. ”We couldn’t put up a ‘Battery Wanted’ ad, It’s not the British way of doing things & rdquor ;, I would say. One of those who supported the drummer the most was guitarist Phil Collen. He was the one who gave him the most encouragement and spent the most time in the hospital, accompanying him almost daily. His visits became essential, along with the love of the family and the fans so that Allen did not throw in the towel. Also Steve Clark (who would die in 1991 due to his addiction to alcohol), the other guitarist in the group, was by his side and showed him strong support. One of the first signs of affection came in the form of a letter signed by Phil collins.Allen, still in his hospital bed, found that he was able to play much of some of his favorite songs using his feet.
Def Leppard returned to the studio to work on a new album. Allen, still in his hospital bed, realized that he was able to play much of some of his favorite songs using his feet. He began to analyze what steps he should take to try to continue playing the drums. One of the people who were decisive at first for me to face the challenge was Jeff Rich, drummer for Status quo. Also The manufacturer of electronic drums Simmons was key, which developed for Allen a kit electronic, a special battery that included a trigger that could be used with the foot. After leaving the medical center, Allen locked himself in with this new device and began to practice. His Def Leppard colleagues, meanwhile, continued to make progress on his new record work. The new battery combined acoustic elements with other electronics, and that added a remarkable complexity to its handling.
The set de Allen featured the main drums in the center and on 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. He spent five months practicing, getting used to this new way of playing with a new, custom-designed hybrid battery. After that time he traveled to Holland and appeared with mixed drums in the studio where Def Leppard was making progress on the new album. There, he showed his fellow trainees what he was capable of. He played a theme led zeppelin and left them speechless. The wait and the trust had been worth it.
The next step was to return to a stage, to a live concert and see if it was up to snuff and what was the public’s reaction. In the summer of ’86 Def Leppard went on a mini-tour that included gigs at some of the biggest festivals in Europe and also some pubs in Ireland. At some of those concerts, Jeff Rich (Status Quo) shared the stage with the group playing acoustic drums while Allen played electronics. After a few performances, the final test came: playing without Rich’s support. Def Leppard’s drummer comeback passed the test.
Later, it was the turn of Donnington, one of the great festivals of the old continent. They were big words. There Def Leppard performed before 75,000 people who erupted with joy when Joe Elliott said: “On drums, Rick Allen & rdquor ;. At that moment, before the screams and gestures of the fans, and knowing that his parents were on one side of the stage, tears ran down Allen’s cheeks as if trying to come out after having traveled a long course full of adversities and sacrifices. . He was back. Above, on a stage. He had made it.
The following year, the band released their new album, Hysteria. It was a real commercial bombshell, of which more than 30 million copies were sold; a work full of great topics such as Pour Some Sugar on Me, Love Bites, Animal, Love And Affection, rocket or the namesake Hysteria, with a careful production and a sound that received praise from music critics and placed them at the pinnacle of heavy metal worldwide. Since then, Allen has continued to participate in all the group’s recordings and tours, and his drums have gained a more natural sound and incorporated new elements as a samplers (pre-recorded by himself).
Turned to one of the most famous drummers on the rock scene and a benchmark for his desire to excel, Allen now lives in Malibu (California). In 2001, he and his wife, Lauren Monroe, gave life to the Raven Drum Foundationa non-profit organization dedicated to helping different groups ranging from minors with disabilities to war veterans, including mothers and children who have suffered domestic violence.
The energy of the percussionist in Def Leppard also gave free rein to his passion for photography and painting. In this last field, his first works had an abstract character that has evolved into the most realistic portrait of rock legends. In one of his last exhibitions, paintings with the faces of Johnny Cash, Kurt Cobain, Eddie Van Halen and Charlie Watts, drummer of the Rolling Stones -died last year-, who was always the true idol that pushed Allen and whose inspiration served him to dedicate himself to playing that instrument.
Next June, Def Leppard will perform again in Madrid together with another classic band, motley crue. And on stage behind a colossal drum kit will be Richard John Cyril Allen, the musician who refused to give up his childhood passion. Today, many years later, he continues to play all the parts of his special drums with the same enthusiasm with which he pounded the kitchen junk as a child.