Rush drummer Neil Peart died January 7, 2020 at age 67 in Santa Monica, CA after having been diagnosed with brain cancer, according to a statement issued Friday by family spokesperson Elliot Mintz. His death was confirmed by Meg Symsyk, a media spokesperson for the progressive rock trio comprising Peart, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson.
As reported by Rolling Stone, Peart was widely considered one of rock’s greatest drummers, with a flamboyant yet utterly precise style that paid homage to his hero, The Who’s Keith Moon, while going well beyond that example. He joined singer-bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson in Rush in 1974, and his virtuosic playing and literate, wildly imaginative lyrics – which drew on Ayn Rand and science fiction, among other influences – helped make the trio one of the key bands of the classic-rock era. His drum fills on songs like “Tom Sawyer” were pop hooks in their own right, each one an unforgettable mini-composition. A rigorous autodidact and a gifted writer, Peart was also the author of numerous books.
Neil Peart September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020 pic.twitter.com/NivX2RhiB8
— Rush (@rushtheband) January 10, 2020
The trio was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994, joining the U.S. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. The band played its last tour in 2015, with Peart revealing the following year in the Rush documentary Time Stand Still that he had fought intense physical pain during that final run.
His survivors include his wife Carrie and daughter Olivia. Funeral plans are pending.
RIP Neil Peart 1952-2020. The @Rushtheband drummer died January 7, 2020 at age 67 in Santa Monica, CA after having been diagnosed with brain cancer.Click To Tweet
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