Def Leppard’s one armed drummer: Rick Allen accident explained - is he joining band members on 2023 UK tour?

Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen has been recovering from an attack in the United States in March
Rick Allen will perform with Def Leppard on their European tour. (Getty Images)Rick Allen will perform with Def Leppard on their European tour. (Getty Images)
Rick Allen will perform with Def Leppard on their European tour. (Getty Images)

Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen is joining his bandmates on a huge European tour which sees him and his group perform at venues including Sheffield, Lytham Green and Budapest.

Allen, who is affectionately known by fans as Thunder God, is regarded as one of the greatest drummers of all time and he has spent the majority of his career performing with just one arm. Allen has played a huge role in the band’s commercial success as they released popular hits such as Pour Some Sugar On Me, Hysteria and Love Bites.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The popular drummer has also recently recovered from a violent attack in the United States and claims he has spent the last few months getting his “mind and body” ready for the upcoming tour. But what happened to Rick Allen in the United States - and how did he lose his arm? Here is everything you need to know.

Who is Rick Allen?

Rick Allen was born in Dronfield, Derbyshire, on 1 November 1963 and he joined Def Leppard in 1978 when he was just 15-years-old. On 31 December 1984, Allen was involved in a serious car crash in Sheffield which resulted in him losing his left arm. 

The band took a hiatus from performances during this period and didn’t return to the stage until August 1986. During this period Allen explained that he had to re-teach himself how to play the drums.

Allen overcame his injury and continued to play a defining role in the band as the drummer as his group enjoyed further success by releasing a number of iconic albums including Hysteria (1987) which features the groups most recognizable hit Pour Some Sugar On Me.

Will Rick Allen join Def Leppard on their 2023 tour?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In March of this year, Allen was allegedly attacked outside a Fort Lauderdale hotel in Florida.

The drummer was reportedly smoking a cigarette when someone ran towards the musician and knocked him over. Allen fell and hit his head on the ground, causing injury, according to the police.

Shortly after the incident, Allen shared an update on Twitter which said: “Thank you everyone for your overwhelming support. Your love and prayers are truly helping. My wife Lauren was thankfully not with me at the time of the incident. We are together now and working on recovering in a safe space.”

Since then Allen has posted a further update, expressing his excitement for the tour. Allen posted: “Thank you all so very much for all your love and support over the last month. I am still recovering and getting my mind and body ready for the upcoming Def Leppard tour. Just wanted to say hi and let you know, There Will Be Rock!”

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.