Article source unknown (possibly Metal Edge).
1989?

A living testament to the power of perseverance and detrmination, Def Leppard's Rick Allen made a miraculous comeback after losing his left arm in an auto accident five years ago. "If you're thrown in the deep end, you swim, and that's basically what I did," says the Sheffield smashmaster, who devised an electronically rigged kit that enabled him to continue in the role of Lep "Thunder God" on record and on stage.

"Your adrenalin starts pumping and your senses are on edge, and you see all the people smiling," he describes the sensation. "I wouldn't stop that feeling for anything. It's a good release and good exercise as well," adds Rick, who began drumming when he was 10. He banged on kitchen countertops and an old tambourine until his mom gave in and bought him a drum kit on the condition he'd pay for half. He soon joined a band and made his debut in his parents' living room, playing for neighbors and friends. "That was the first time I got the feeling of making people happy with music," he says. Rick played in several bands before he spied an ad that read "Leppard Loses Skins" in a local paper, and was only 15 when he joined the group with which he'd make musical history.

Speaking from experience, Rick offers the following advice: "Don't get disillusioned with it early on."