Legendary rock drummer plans Atlanta date to showcase art

ATLANTA - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Rick Allen is best known for producing the pulse-pounding percussion on hits like "Pour Some Sugar On Me." But these days, you’re just as likely to find the Def Leppard drummer unleashing his creativity with a paintbrush.

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"I started out painting from a young age and loved where it took me," says Allen. "And then, of course, I joined Def Leppard round about my 15th birthday — which is unheard of — and then the music kind of consumed me for several years. And then my youngest daughter, she will be 11 soon, it wasn’t very long before the two of us started painting together and it really just sort of reignited my passion for painting."

Allen is set to showcase his art here in Atlanta next month, stopping by the Wentworth Gallery at Phipps Plaza on Saturday, Dec. 11 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 12 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (click here for more information on the gallery). The artist says it’s a chance not just to show off and sell some of his work, but also to meet fans in a unique setting.

"You know, Def Leppard meet-and-greets, they’re great and we get a lot out of it and I’m sure the people that come along to them do. But it’s quite brief. Whereas, when I get to talk with people in an art gallery-type setting, it’s a lot more intimate and I get to know them a lot better. In fact, to the point where a lot of the originals that have been sold, I keep in touch with the people that bought them!"

Click the video player in the article to hear more from Rick Allen and to see some of his artwork.

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