It was New Year’s Eve, 1984, when Def Leppard member Rick Allen was in a brutal car accident. It ended up costing him his arm. As the band’s drummer, this not only transformed life as he knew it but also put his career in jeopardy. In the immediate aftermath, Allen says there was a point he didn’t even want to live, because of his amputation.
Jump ahead to 2022 and Def Leppard just released their twelfth studio album, Diamond Star Halos, with Allen as the drummer. Today 59, Allen has come a long way from the emotional place he was in right after his accident, and much of his time is now spent supporting causes that help others impacted by traumatic experiences. Here’s what Allen has to say about his mindset after the accident.
Rick Allen says he did not want to live anymore after the car crash that cost him his arm
In an interview with Page Six, Allen revisited the time he lost his arm. “I really didn’t want to be here,” he shared, “and I felt very defeated.” He adds “self-conscious” and “very awkward” to the list of descriptors. It doesn’t help that a lot of the immediate aftermath is like a blur. Allen recalled, “It wasn’t really until a couple of weeks after the accident that I realized what had happened,” because he was put under so many times. Indeed, at first doctors reattached his arm but undid the work when he suffered from infection.
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For much of this, Allen had been in a coma from the infection, so he woke again with no arm. When reality did settle in, Allen remembered feeling “I didn’t want to do this anymore.” That’s when he was given thousands of reasons to persevere. Now, he helps others do the same.
Rick Allen had abundant support after losing his arm
When Allen felt his most defeated, he had an outpouring of support from family, friends, and “hundreds of thousands of letters from all over the planet.” Allen says these moved him from that dark headspace into something else, where he discovered “the power of the human spirit.” Now, Allen is keeping the cycle going.
In addition to touring – rocking out on the drums with a custom electronic drum set just for him – Allen is also supporting veterans. He is the co-founder of The Raven Drum Foundation, which sets up alternative, artistic medical programs, including circle drums, specifically aiding veterans suffering wtih PTSD. Allen has a profound reason for using drums in his mental healing, explaining, “The first thing any of us ever hears is our mother’s heartbeat so we’re rhythmic beings, it’s just a very ancient form, it immediately taps into healing.” Art therapy is a psychotherapeutic technique offered by thousands of specialists to address part of the broad healing process.
If you or someone you love has exhibited suicidal thoughts or actions, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
