Remembering Neil Peart on his 72nd Birthday

Today marks the fifth birthday remembrance of Neil Peart since his tragic passing back in January of 2020. Though there is still a sense of surrealism at the fact that Neil is gone in body, the strength of his spirit remains as vibrant as ever.

Neil Ellwood Peart was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and grew up in Port Dalhousie (now part of St. Catharines). During adolescence, he floated between regional bands in pursuit of a career as a full-time drummer. After a discouraging stint in England where he attempted to concentrate on his music, Neil returned home where he joined Rush, a Toronto-based band, in mid-1974; six years after its formation. Early in his career, Neil's performance style was deeply rooted in hard rock. He drew most of his inspiration from drummers such as Keith Moon, Ginger Baker, and John Bonham, players who were at the forefront of the British hard rock scene.

In fact one of the earliest confirmation of Neil's admiration of The Who's Keith Moon came from the December 1974 feature article from Beetle Magazine titled Rush: American Kids are Crazy:

Neil Peart flails away at his massive kit, filling in any gaps and touching all the bases. "I draw from a lot of sources," he says, admitting that he has a place in his heart for a chosen few percussionists. "But I suppose visually the closest comparison would be Keith Moon."

Recently I’ve been looking back at the very beginning of Neil’s career with Rush, the circumstances surrounding his acceptance into the group and the baptism-by-fire, so to speak, of his first tour with the band as they began their initial foray into the United States:

Rush was ready to invade the United States.

First, however, some changes had to be made. John Rutsey, on the brink of the first U.S. tour, left the band. Press releases talked about "musical differences", but in fact Rutsey is a diabetic, and his longtime friends knew that his health would simply not stand up to an extended tour.

Neil Peart, an articulate, experienced drummer from St. Catharines, Ontario, got the job-and immediately Lee and Lifeson began to change their approach. Peart, simply, was a more flexible drummer, technically more proficient, and able to add a variety of new rhythmic changes to what is, essentially, a rhythm group.

Even at that early stage in his career, his prowess behind the kit, as well as his skills behind the pen, were already being recognized. With each passing album and each passing tour, Neil Peart cemented his legacy as a formidable, other-worldly drummer while his contributions as Rush’s lyricist elevated the trio beyond the simple and generic rankings of a ‘rock and roll band.’ Neil’s fierce intelligence, coupled with his unwavering dedication to his craft, allowed him to cultivate deep meaning and imagery through every verse he wrote. Though he was a deeply personal and private person, Neil nevertheless exposed his heart to his fans through his rhythmic, powerhouse drumming, while through his writings he exposed us to his soul.

Today we remember and celebrate Neil's everlasting legacy; not with a tear but with the joy he brought to this world during his all-to-brief journey around the sun.

Happy Birthday, Pratt. RIP

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