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.”
