Def Leppard Drummer Rick Allen has shared a heart-felt letter that Phil Collins sent him after his arm was amputated as a result of a near-death car crash.
Allen revealed that he received a bunch of condolence letters, following the crash in 1984, including one from Phil Collins.
“Phil Collins happened to be one of the first letters that I opened, a letter of encouragement while I was actually still in hospital in 1985. So if you get to see him, please send him my love and regards,” the drummer said during an interview with Mitch Lafon.
When asked what was written in the letter, Allen replied, “just incredible words of encouragement. There were hundreds of thousands of letters but his stood out because he obviously knew what it would be like or he had an inkling of what it would be like to be a drummer and to be involved in something so horrific.
“So it just meant that much more.”
Allen was just 21 at the time of the accident and had been with Def Leppard for six years. The amputation is a massive blow for the drummer, however, Allen was determined to ensure that the loss of his arm didn’t disrupt his dream of being a famous drummer.
“At 21 years old, that wasn’t what I signed up for. I was still full of beans and ready to go. And I think the thing that the guys did for me, which took the pressure off, was: they gave me time to make the decision whether I wanted to move forward or not.
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“And that was really the crux of what I was dealing with. Did I just want to disappear and sort of blend into the scenery? Or did I want to go on?
“So when I came round and started to get an idea of what had actually happened to me… I remember at a certain point, I was like, ‘I don’t want to do this.’
“I felt way too self-conscious, I felt completely defeated. And then, I guess I woke up in a way that allowed me to see past the situation I found myself in.
“And then once I started actually playing drums again, I got it, and I realized that I could actually do this. And Mutt [Lange, producer] recognized that.”
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