Looking at the picture, you can see that this drummer is severely handicapped because of only having one arm. On December 31, 1984 Allen was in a car crash that would ultimately cost him his left arm. Though Def Leppard knew Allen was at a major setback, they went on hiatus while he was recovering. The band often came by the hospital and spoke words of encouragement to Allen. Jeff Rich, previous drummer for Status Quo helped Allen design a electronic set for him to play on and personally worked with Allen to redevelop his playing style.
I wanted to include this back-story because...well, it's my main source of inspiration. This has it all: band mates that stuck by his side during a tough trial, and achieving success even at an extreme handicap. I truly respect Def Leppard more as a band for not treating Rick as "just a drummer." They looked at him as a true friend and would not continue their success without him. Rick Allen owes a little credit to Jeff Rich, but I believe he should be patting him self on the back right now. If he did not have the motivation within himself to relearn his playing, then he would most likely living in his former self. He could have felt sorry for himself for the remainder of his life, but he chose not to let a lost arm stand in the way of doing what he loves.
When I first read this article, it changed me in two ways.
- To be there for all my friends; no matter what the circumstance is. You never know how big of an influence you can be to someone in their time of need. Besides, I know I would love to have a few good friends during a crisis to give me encouraging words.
- To live out my dreams, no matter what. Climb the highest mountain, sail through the raging seas, whatever it takes to meet your goals. You can sit back and watch your life fly by and think to yourself, "I wish I had done that," or take chances and achieve what you have always wanted. If Rick Allen can go through a tragic accident and push on to do what he wants, so can I.
I remember this dude from last year and i was like whoa, he's amazing. There shouldn't be any reason why someone can't do something as long as they put their mind to it. I mean this guy only has one arm and he manages to sound like a person with two arms. I can definitely see him as an inspiration for you so he is a great role models for upcoming drummers and just about everybody else.
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