Def Leppard’s Rick Allen Has Already Begun Prepping Memoir

Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen revealed he's already started writing his memoir, according to Blabbermouth. Allen, who lost his left arm in a 1984 car accident, appeared on the Dr. Music webcast and explained, “I started one many moons ago, but at that time, I think what the publisher was looking for was shock value. And I didn't particularly wanna write that kind of book. I wanted to write something that was more inspirational — something that delved into what it takes to go through what I went through and come out the other side with some sort of dignity and grace. So, I may revisit that. But right now, I'm super busy with everything else.”

During a recent chat with Modern Drummer, Allen, who revolutionized one-armed drumming with the help of the Simmons drum company, recalled how his bandmates were nothing but supportive after his accident: “They left the decision to me, whether I wanted to go on or not, and they gave me time to grow and develop, really, a whole new style (of drumming) and that's all I needed — I just needed the time. I needed the time to build my confidence and realize that I could do it.”

Allen said that at no point did his bandmates pressure him or give him an ultimatum, realizing he was dealing with a myriad of health and emotional issues at the time: “Nobody ever said, 'Well, you have to make a decision now.' I think that was the most important thing — just that time that they gave me just to find myself.”

Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen revealed that although some bands that span the decades soldier on despite deep inner-band turmoil, Leppard are still a bunch of dudes that love hanging out and making music together: “I think the saving grace is we still like each (laughs) other. We can all hang out in the same room, y'know what I mean? We don't take separate cars, we don't have separate hotels. And I think a lot of the success we had was fantastic. But honestly, I think a band grows from some of the not so good times. Like, losing (founding guitarist) Steve Clark and, y'know, my accident. I think that's been really important for us, and it's really sad to see other bands not quite being a team.”