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All About Rick

FULL NAME: Richard John Cyril Allen

BORN: November 1, 1963, Derbyshire, England

PARENTS: Geoffrey Allen and Kathleen Daly (remarried). Geoff worked in the family steel business when Rick was growing up, while his Mom worked at a printing company. Rick now has a stepdad named Jim.

SIBLINGS: One brother, Robert (four years older). Robert was the band's tour manager in the early days. He has worked as Tim McGraw's tour manager and has also worked with Taylor Swift.

EDUCATION: Left school at the age of 15 to become a full-time member of Def Leppard.

DRUMMER INFLUENCES: Ian Paice, Stuart Copeland, Keith Moon, John Bonham, Simon Kirk, Gene Krupa.

MARITAL STATUS: Married to Lauren (Monroe) on October 10, 2003. Formerly married to Stacy (Gilbert) from September 29, 1991 to about 2000.

CHILDREN: Two daughters.

  • Lauren Shane, born 5/20/97, with first wife Stacy.
  • Josie Caite, born 12/1/10, with current wife Lauren.

    RESIDENCE: Calabasas, California

    HOBBIES: Swimming, photography, spiritual books, meditation, participating in drum circles, and using music and the arts as a form of healing.

    PERSONALITY TRAITS: Incredible sense of humor, posesses a positive outlook, determination and courage. Rick describes himself as "a kid, giving, fun."

    EQUIPMENT: Zildjian cymbals & Ahead sticks, Drum Workshop drums (DW), Acupad drum pads, Marshall Amps. His kit is a combination of foot pedals, Acupad drum pads, and the natural snare, high hats and bass drum.

    FUN FACTS:

  • Nickname - "Tripod."
  • Rick is a vegetarian.
  • From 1992 until 2012, Rick has had a dog named "Ricky" who sometimes toured with him.
  • Rick speaks a little bit of Dutch and lived in the Netherlands for a while.
  • While recording "On Through the Night" at Ringo Star's home studio, a then 16-year-old Rick destroyed Ringo's lawn with a dirt bike he received as a Christmas present.

    SIDE PROJECTS:

  • Playing with the Mark Mason Project in May/June 2000.
  • Credited with co-writing the music for Brink, a Disney TV movie.
  • Lending his drumming talents to artists like Tim McGraw and Krishna Das in 2004.
  • Contributing to the soundtrack of the 2004 movie "The Spirit Riders".
  • Co-host of "Resiliency Radio", a radio talk show, debuting in February of 2010.
  • In April 2012 Rick launched "Rick Allen Art," which is a visual art project that translates Rick's drum rhythms into an abstract graphic design.

    CHARITY WORK:

  • Rick and his wife, Lauren, founded the Raven Drum Foundation in 2000. It is a nonprofit organization that helps the physically challenged which employs spiritual methods as well as music and ancient wisdom to achieve this. Rick received a humanitiarian award on August 29, 2001 for his efforts with this cause. On March 18, 2007, Rick and Lauren were presented with a "Hero Award" for their efforts to provide nonviolence and peace within the community through Raven Drum.
  • In 2005, as part of an outreach program, Rick began inviting soldiers who have returned from Iraq as amputees to meet him. Many of these men and women are around the same age that Rick was when he lost his arm and he feels a strong desire to reach out to them.
  • In 2007, Rick organized the "One Hand Drum Company" in an effort to aid funding to the outreach projects Raven provides. Part of this includes artwork of Rick's now famous "Stick Rick" drawings.
  • In the summer of 2010, Rick became involved as a supporter of "Amy's House," a respite care center in Sheffield, England that offers care to children with disabilities.
  • In October of 2012, Rick received the Carry Forward Award from the Wounded Warrier Project for all the work he and the Raven Drum Foundation have done for veterans.

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

    Rick, who could very well be described as the "heart" of Def Leppard, got his first drum kit at the age of 10. After years of banging on his mother's countertops and denting the wood furniture, Rick's mom agreed to get him the drum kit on two conditions - that he pay for half, and that he take lessons and stick with them. With that out of the way, Rick joined his first semi-pro band at the age of 12.

    A few days after his 15th birthday, he saw an ad in the newspaper titled "Leppard Loses Skins" from a local band who were in need of a drummer. Rick asked him mom to call and he auditioned for the band. Rick then became the permanent drummer for Def Leppard. When the band got their first record deal with Phonogram Records, Rick's father had to sign the contract for him as Rick was too young. That occured on 8/5/79 and the signing took place at Rick's home on Green Lane in Dronfield, England. Rick was only 15 years old.

    On New Year's Eve 1984, Rick and his then girlfriend Miriam were involved in a severe car accident just outside Sheffield, England on their way to Rick's parents' house. Rick's left arm was severed at the shoulder by the seatbelt as he was thrown from the car. Doctors re-attached the limb, but after an infection set in they had to remove it.

    At the tender age of 21, Rick's courage and determination refused to let this tragedy ruin his career and eventually led to the custom-built drum kit that he still plays today. Rick's left foot does the job that his left arm used to by utilizing a series of foot pedals. Thanks to modern technology and an incredible drive to overcome the odds, Rick's position with Def Leppard was secured and he would thereafter be known as the one and only "Thunder God."

    While initially relying heavily on electronic drum sounds with Hysteria and Adrenize, 1996's "Slang" saw Rick on all acoustic set for the first time. Rick now uses a combination of the two to achieve the sound that he desires. Def Leppard's tenth studio album, "X" (released in 2002), marked a first for Rick in that he was given co-writing credit for the majority of songs on the album.

    Currently Rick and the band are taking a break after being on tour promoting the "Rock of Ages" movie with Poison & Lita Ford.