CBS Eye on Veterans: Def Leppard's Rick Allen and art that helps veterans heal
CBS Eye on Veterans
On this episode:
The Rockstar and the Warriors
Rick Allen is the drummer of the iconic rock band, Def Leppard- and also a huge inspiration to veterans around the world.
Just as the band achieved fame in the early 80s, he lost his arm in a car accident. However, after re-learning to play drums, the band became one of heavy metal's most successful groups.
Above: Rick Allen talks with Eye on Veterans host, Phil Briggs.
When he's not rocking on stage, Rick is also an artist, and for over a decade has been a supporter of military veterans. We talked with him about how he first got involved with veterans at Walter Reed Military Medical Center. We also explored the deep connection he has with wounded vets because of his own traumatic injury and we learned how Project Resiliency helps veterans heal through a variety of techniques.
We also talked about his artwork, and how it provides the perfect type of therapy for everyone. His artwork is currently on display at Wentworth Gallery locations across the country and a portion of the proceeds from every sale supports Project Resiliency.
Above: One of the pieces from the Rick Allen Collection
Coronavirus Stories:
We talked about the coronavirus. Army veteran Rod Rodriguez joined us to share what he learned from a fellow Army veteran and New Jersey physician, Dr. Kamal Kalsi, on the most recent episode of the podcast “Military Matters”. We also spoke with Kobie Ali, a Maryland resident who was recently refused testing for COVID-19 despite being seriously ill and most likely contagious. His story is a cautionary tale about the wave of illness that could be getting ready to crash into hospitals around the country.
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Follow CBS Eye on Veterans host Phil Briggs @philbriggsVet or phil@connectingvets.com