Page 65 - Classic Rock - The Complete Story of Def Leppard 2019

he man born Richard John Rick Allen: the to rejoin Def Leppard. After tears and joy played drums – although my dad may
invincible man.
Cyril Allen in Dronfield, at his “comeback” gig at Donington in ’86, have done a little bit, perhaps in Scouts,
just south of Sheffield, on came the runaway success of Hysteria, and because I found his drumsticks.

November 1, 1963 peppers – from October 2003 – personal
his conversation with self- happiness as the husband of musician/ How old were you when you got your
deprecation and insights therapist Lauren Monroe, with whom he first kit?
that suggest the words has a four-year-old daughter. He’s very I must have been about 11. When I first
“positive mental attitude” close, too, to an 18-year-old daughter asked, my parents said no – we couldn’t

define him much better from his first marriage. That ended in really afford it. But then they said: “If you
than his status as a member of Def 2000 after a spousal abuse charge (in go for lessons and don’t lose interest then
Leppard or, more commonly, the world’s 1996) prompting a spell of community we’ll think about it. And in the mean time
best-known one-armed drummer. service and entering a programme with you can wash cars and do jobs around the

He joined the Leppard ranks at the age Alcoholics Anonymous. neighbourhood to get some money
of 15 , and the band had sold close to 10 In 2001 he and Lauren established the together and then we can put it all
million albums before he was old enough Raven Drum Foundation based in Malibu together and see what we can do.”
to drink – though he did that to excess in his now native California. Its mission
anyway. He lost his left arm, aged just 21, statement: “To serve, educate, and Can you tell us about your pre-Def
when the car he was driving crashed off empower veterans and people in crisis.” Leppard bands?

the A61 south of Sheffield en route to visit Positive mental attitude indeed – saving The first band I was in was called GRAD
his parents on December 31, 1984. He lives as well as driving rock’n’roll… – Garth, Richardson, Allen and Dunford
later admitted: “I was going too quick – – but then someone told us to change the
not just in the car, but in life.” Was there any music in your family? name to Smokey Blue, which was

Positive mental attitude got him out of My mum’s sister played piano, my mother probably the worst thing we ever did. We
hospital earlier than predicted, allowed used to sing in the choir… but not were young, playing covers… I’d just got
him to learn a new way of playing drums, anything that stands out. Nobody really my first drumkit and was immediately in
a band, which was the reason I wanted the
JOE’S PARENTS MORTGAGED kit in the first place. My friends, who were

a little older than me, all had guitars. It
THEIR HOUSE. MY PARENTS PUT A was a ‘first gig in my parents living room’
type of band, you know?
But I got thrown out of the band – after
BUNCH OF MONEY IN. EVERYBODY an altercation with the guitar player – so I

STEPPED UP. THEY JUST WANTED TO joined Rampant who were from Hoyland
Common near Rotherham. That was fun

SEE LEPPARD SUCCEED. because that got me into more rock songs
– Deep Purple, Zeppelin, Sabbath,

CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM 63