Def Leppard’s Rick Allen has launched a new art exhibition tour across the US to help war veterans.
The drummer – who lost his arm in a car crash in 1984 – has felt a connection to those who’ve suffered life changing injuries at war, and his tour ‘Rock Allen: Drums For Peace’ will support the Project Resiliency’s Warrior Resiliency Program.
Speaking to Billboard, he said: "I knew after my accident that something was different about me – good and bad. I never really realized what I was dealing with until I started getting involved with the military community."
The 53-year-old rock legend visited the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and the "traumatic" experience inspired him to focus his and his wife Lauren Monroe’s efforts with their own Raven Drum Foundation.
He added: "[I was] seeing a lot of potential and a lot of healing. After my visit…I got back to my hotel and called my wife and said, ‘You know, we’ve got all this suffering going on right in front of us, and I’d love to be able to help,’ and we refocused Raven Drum Foundation to work with our wounded warriors."
Rick began visiting Wounded Warriors support groups, and has explained how it helped him cope with his own battle with post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from his accident.
He said: "I have people I can call if I’m having sort of a crappy day – or a crappy week for that matter. There are people that I can call that I know are gonna give it to me straight and they’re going to talk me down off the ledge, as it were."
The legendary musician also discussed his love for art, and revealed his passion came even before his love for rock ‘n’ roll.
He added: "I’m not trained but it’s something that I really enjoy doing simply because it takes me to the same place I go when I play music, sort of the mindless place where you’re just in the moment and there are no rules – almost a meditative state."
Rick Allen was inspired by war veterans
