Rick Allen of Def Leppard Talks About Recovery Journey After Assault
Rick Allen, the iconic drummer of Def Leppard, recently opened up about his recovery journey after being assaulted after a show in Fort Lauderdale in March. In an exclusive interview with « Good Morning America, » Allen talked about the attack, where he was « totally blindsided. » Despite losing his left arm in a car crash in 1984, Allen feared he would be attacked again and reached his hand up in the air to show he was no threat. A woman reportedly came to help Allen, but the suspect allegedly attacked her too. Fort Lauderdale police arrested Max Hartley, a 19-year-old from Ohio, shortly after he allegedly attacked the drummer and the woman who tried to interfere in the incident.
Building Supportive and Healing Communities
Allen and his wife, Lauren Monroe, have experience with building supportive and healing communities. In 2001, they created the Raven Drum Foundation to help survivors of trauma, especially veterans and first responders. Instead of focusing on the « how » and « why » bad things happen, the foundation puts a focus on both physical and mental health. To cope with the recent attack, Allen turned to something that was there for him after the car crash that took his arm: his drums. Now, Allen is back on stage for a small show in Sheffield, England, where Def Leppard was formed and near the spot of the car accident that took his arm nearly 40 years ago.
Resilience and Gratitude
Despite the attack, Allen remains resilient and grateful for his strong support system. He is back on stage, making people happy and showing the world what resilience looks like. Allen said, « I know that I’m not going to be playing music in a band forever, but while I am, I plan on making as many people happy as I possibly can. And this is my time. This is my opportunity. » Allen’s recovery journey is a testament to the power of resilience and gratitude in the face of adversity.
Keywords: Rick Allen, Def Leppard, assault, recovery journey, supportive communities, Raven Drum Foundation, resilience, gratitude.