![]() In 1994 he produced a tribute album to Buddy Rich and big-band jazz, called Burning For Buddy: A Tribute to the Music of Buddy Rich. Peart and his bandmates were inducted into the Canadian Songwriter Hall of Fame (2010), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2013), and the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame (2020). He and his bandmates are Officers of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honor - as well as recipients of the Governor General’s Award, the country’s highest artistic honour. The drum solos he performed during the Rush tours were legendary. Neil has long been celebrated by other drummers in polls and cited influences, and won numerous awards from the drum magazines, for his recorded work, live performances, and overall musicianship. Over the years their shows elevated steadily in both production and musical values. Along the way, Rush earned a reputation for their elaborate live shows and became a perennially popular touring band. They gradually built on that modest popularity with A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, and Permanent Waves, then cemented their classic rock status with the enduring favorite, Moving Pictures, in 1981. It was Rush’s fourth album, 2112, released in 1976, that brought the band their first measure of success. Neil appeared on Rush’s second album, Fly By Night, in 1975, contributing most of the lyrics–as he would throughout their career. In July, 1974, he auditioned for an unknown Toronto band, and joined Rush on the eve of their first American release and tour. His influences then included Phil Collins, Bill Bruford, and Billy Cobham. Returning to Canada in 1972, Neil began working at his father’s farm equipment dealership, playing part-time in local bands. At eighteen, he moved to London, England, a time about which he has said: “I was seeking fame and fortune, and found anonymity and poverty. Early influences were Gene Krupa, Keith Moon, Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker, Michael Giles, John Bonham, and Michael Shrieve. ![]() Catharines, Neil began drum lessons at age thirteen, studying with local teacher Don George, then played in a succession of rock bands. Neil Peart was born September 12, 1952, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and first lived on the family dairy farm, near Hagersville. ![]() Have you ever written a song so epic that, by the end of the song, you were actually being influenced by yourself at the beginning of the song?” I’ll be listening to “2112” on loop for the rest of the day in Peart’s honor.At the Topic of the Town diner, Littleton, New Hampshire | Photo courtesy of About Neil Peart Do you ever get tired of being so awesome and kicking so much ass?” Colbert asks, before going for the kicker. ![]() (Just look at Lifeson’s giggly smile! He’s so happy to be there.) “You’ve been touring for over 30 years. Without spoiling the fun, Colbert, among other things, gets the trio to sign his hand and tries to stage an intervention for Peart’s “drum dependency.” He also presides over the interview on an extremely tall stool. Somehow, they agreed to give me the interview. So, I begged the nice folks at CC to let either of the videos see the gilded light of day again. Sadly, for reasons unbeknownst to Rush fans, Comedy Central took down both the interview and performance from all of its official online pages - even a dip into low-quality YouTube copy territory turned up unsuccessful. (Peart died at the age of 67 from brain cancer.) I didn’t know much about Rush 12 years ago, but the modest Canadian virtuosity of Peart, Geddy Lee, and Alex Lifeson soon birthed a lasting obsession, and I have this appearance to thank for it. It is … an incredible five minutes of increasingly silly questions, and the chat (paired with the subsequent performance of “Tom Sawyer”) was one of the first things I thought of upon learning of the death of drummer Neil Peart earlier this month. ![]() Back in 2008, Rush delighted one of their all-time biggest fanboys, Stephen Colbert, by stopping by The Colbert Report for their first American television interview in decades. ![]()
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