Few stories of famous rock stars overcoming tragedy and beating the odds are as inspiring as that of Def Leppard’s longtime drummer, Rick Allen. On this day in 1984, Rick Allen was involved in a near-fatal car accident that resulted in the loss of his left arm. When he returned to live performances with Def Leppard just a couple of years later, he inspired a whole generation of young, disabled musicians.
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The Accident
On December 31, 1984, Allen was driving in his Corvette with his then-girlfriend Miriam Barendsen in the English countryside. A road rage incident occurred in which another car refused to let him pass, and Allen let his frustration get the best of him. He accelerated to pass the car, which caused him to lose control of his own vehicle. They crashed into a field, and Allen’s arm was severed in the wreck. Barendsen sustained a head injury but survived mostly unscathed.
Doctors attempted to reattach Rick Allen’s arm, but a bad infection left doctors with no choice but to amputate.
Rick Allen Faced Adversity With Courage
Allen said that he felt defeated when he was first injured. However, something clicked in his mind that changed his perspective on his future as a musician. Maybe it was thousands of well-wishing letters that he received from fans. Maybe it was the support of his family, friends, and bandmates. Either way, Allen chose to face his new disability with the intention of playing the drums again. And that he did.
Def Leppard went on hiatus for a couple of years until one fateful day on August 5, 1986. It was Allen’s first live performance since his accident, technically a rehearsal for their August 16 Monsters Of Rock Fest performance in England, but a positively shocking performance nonetheless. Allen hit the stage with an innovative electronic drum kit setup and blew everyone out of the water.
Since then, Allen has been able to adopt acoustic drum kits again, depending on the specific setting. He has continued to perform live with Def Leppard ever since, making him one of the longest-running members for about 47 years.
Allen also went on to found the Raven Drum Foundation, a charity that focuses on empowering victims of trauma, such as veterans and disabled youth, through wellness programs and drumming classes.
Photo by John Atashian/Getty Images
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