Richard John Cyril "Rick" Allen (born November 1, 1963, Dronfield, Derbyshire, England) is the drummer for the English hard rock band Def Leppard. He is famous for overcoming the complete amputation of his left arm and continuing to play with the band, which subsequently went on to its greatest popular success worldwide.
The son of Geoff and Kathleen (Daly), Allen started out drumming with his mother's kitchen utensils when he was five, using a t...
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Richard John Cyril "Rick" Allen (born November 1, 1963, Dronfield, Derbyshire, England) is the drummer for the English hard rock band Def Leppard. He is famous for overcoming the complete amputation of his left arm and continuing to play with the band, which subsequently went on to its greatest popular success worldwide.
The son of Geoff and Kathleen (Daly), Allen started out drumming with his mother's kitchen utensils when he was five, using a tambourine as additional percussion. At about the age of 10 he successfully persuaded his parents to get him a drumkit; by agreeing to take lessons and paying half the cost of the kit. He got a red sparkle Del-Ray drum kit; after six months of lessons he began playing with his first band, Smokey Blue. Later on he played with bands called Rampant and the Johnny Kalendar Band.
When Allen was 15, his father replied on his behalf (Allen himself didn't want to reply, as he was ready to give up the drums) to an ad placed by a band called Def Leppard...
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