His name is Rick Allen, and he is the drummer for the rock band, Def Leppard. He joined them in 1978 when he was just 15 years old. Rick lost his left arm in a car accident on New Year’s Eve of 1984 but continued to play with Def Leppard until 1989. In 1996, he rejoined the group and had been drumming ever since!
Rick is a fantastic role model for people who have disabilities or are facing challenges in life. His story shows that it’s never too late to turn your life around and pursue your dreams!
What famous rock band had a drummer with only one arm?
Def Leppard. His name is Rick Allen, and he is an inspiration to people with disabilities or facing challenges in life.
How did drummer Rick Allen lose his arm?
Allen lost his arm in a car crash, but he still drums with Def Leppard.
Allen was dating Miriam Barendsen at the time of this accident, and it is reported that they were both seriously injured when their Corvette crashed into a wall or other objects along Highway A57 near Sheffield.
Doctors tried reattaching Allen’s left arm before amputating because infection set in from where there was nerve damage caused by severing blood vessels during surgery; however, after losing most functions associated with having an intact limb, including feeling sensations on the skin surface- drumming became crucial for his psychological state.
To continue drumming, he got a specially designed electronic kit made specifically so musicians who have been disabled can play traditional instruments while retaining similar skills and hand coordination.
How does Def Leppard drummer play with one arm?
In short, he controls snare drum hits over a pedal.
He plays with four electronic pedals, including left-right trigger sounds of a hi-hat, bass drum, and snare drums. He uses his foot to play the pieces he used before when using only one arm; now, both feet are involved in every note.
Does Rick Allen have a prosthetic arm?
He does not wear a prosthetic arm but is forced to wear an extreme 3-foot long extension on the left sleeve of all of his concert t-shirts because he has a missing cuff patched onto the shirt.
It’s tough to tell unless you’re standing under stage lights with him and see it waving back and forth from your vantage point during a song or making gestures from the up top because those are the only times where it registers as being outstretched.
How old was Rick Allen when he joined Def Leppard?
Rick Allen was 15 when he joined Def Leppard. Unfortunately, he got in just before they signed their first big contract.
His mother replied on behalf of him to an advertisement placed by Def Leppard for a drummer. The band looked for a replacement for Tony Kenning.
Allen joined the band on November 1st, 1978.
Did Rick Allen play drums on Hysteria?
Yes, Allen played drums on Def Leppard’s fourth studio album called Hysteria. Def Leppard released Hysteria on August 3rd in 1987, under Mercury Records.
It was their best-selling release to date, with over 20 million copies sold worldwide. Album won the charts as first on both Billboard 200 and UK Album Charts.
It was the last album to feature guitarist Steve Clark before his death.
The album “Hysteria” came as an homage to the car accident Rick Allen and all media coverage around that terrible event.
The album was produced by Robert John “Mutt” Lange and featured songs co-written with guitarist Steve Clark.
What nationality is Rick Allen?
Rick Allen is British. He was born in England and still lives there today.
On November 1st, 1963, he was born in Dronfield Derbyshire, England, to Geoffrey and Kathleen Moore.
Rick started playing percussion instruments when he was nine years old.
Is Rick Allen married?
Yes, he is currently married to Lauren Cuggino Monroe. They married in 2003. She is also a musician, and they collaborate on each other’s music projects.
Before Lauren Rick was married to Stacy Lauren Gilberd from 1991 to 2000, in 1995, he was arrested for spousal abuse and sentenced to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
Rick Allen’s charity company
He is the founder and owner of One Hand Drum Company is not only a fantastic musician and a caring human being.
He has founded The Raven Drum Foundation with his wife, Lauren Monroe, to help those in need, offering healing arts programs and education initiatives for people going through tough times or veterans trying their best despite having major obstacles life throws at them all around us every day.
The gear
Rick Allen had to modify his acoustic drumkit for it to be able to play with one arm. The main change was switching from using the left hand on a snare drum to some pedals that substitute this.
Rick’s modified drum setup creates greater possibilities due to having both components available simultaneously – providing him full range while retaining natural sounds typically seen within live performances by their respective types alone.
He likes to focus on the acoustic elements of his drumkit in the recording studio, where he has a chance to experiment more and record multiple tracks.
On stage, however, he had added a software-based sampler with mesh pads (initially made by Simmons) that helped him play tricky parts. With left foot hit an electronic hi-hat, bass drum, snare drum, floor tom.