"Suddenly, you were gone
From all the lives you left your mark upon"
Never were those words more true than today, when we learned of the shocking passing of Neil Peart this past Tuesday, January 7th, after a
three and a half year battle with brain cancer (Glioblastom). Always fiercely private, he kept his illness a secret to all but a few. In one of life's ultimate cruelties ("The Stars Look Down" indeed), Neil retired from drumming in 2015 only to be diagnosed with cancer a year later. He leaves behind his wife Carrie and daughter Olivia. Here's a collection of news items announcing his death and those that have come out to pay tribute to his loss.
- Neil Peart, Rush Drummer Who Set a New Standard for Rock Virtuosity, Dead at 67 - RollingStone.com
- Neil Peart slipped out of his concerts quietly. He left this life the same way - NationalPost.com
- Rush drummer Neil Peart dead at 67: 'Rest in peace brother' - FoxNews.com
- Neil Peart, drummer and primary lyricist for Rush, dead at 67 - CBC.ca
- Neil Peart dead at 67: Slash, Brian Wilson and more stars pay tribute to legendary Rush drummer - FoxNews.com
- Jack Black, Questlove, Geezer Butler, Chuck D, Brian Wilson & more pay tribute to Neil Peart - BrooklynVegan.com
- Tributes To RUSH's Neil Peart Pouring In From Members of METALLICA, KISS & Others In Music, Comedy Community In Wake of His Death - MetalInjection.net
- Rush drummer Neil Peart dead at 67 from brain cancer: 'Rest in peace brother' - USAToday.com
- Neil Peart, Drummer and Lyricist for Rush, Dies at 67 - NewYorkTimes.com
- Legendary Rush drummer Neil Peart dies of brain cancer at age 67 - Yahoo.com
- Neil Peart, the drummer and lyricist of Rush, has died at 67 - CNN.com
- Rush Drummer Neil Peart Dies After Battle With Brain Cancer - Pollstar.com
- Rush's Neil Peart: unassuming, thunderous drummer who became a music legend - TheGuardian.com
- The rock world reacts to the death of Neil Peart - LouderSound.com
- Remembering Neil Peart: 1952 - 2020 - Stephen Humphries Blog
- Exit the Warrior: Rush's Neil Peart, 1952-2020 - BuffaloNews.com
- Jason Segel and Paul Rudd: Neil Peart Was a ‘Thunderbolt of a Human Being’ - RollingStone.com
- Remembering Neil Peart, A Monster Drummer With A Poet's Heart - NPR.org
- Eulogy for Neil Peart, Champion of Freedom - AIER.org
- Neil Peart obituary - TheGuardian.com
- This Wasn't Supposed to Happen: Some Thoughts About the Death of Neil Peart - Donna Halper Blog
- The Misfit Awesomeness of Neil Peart and Rush - NewYorker.com
- Love remains, though everything is lost - PhilipWilding.com
- Neil Peart In Memory: 1952-2020 - HudsonMusic.com
- Remembering Neil Peart: How the Rush drummer helped music thrive in Canada - CBC.ca
- Avid Motorcyclist And Accomplished Drummer Neil Peart Dies - CycleWorld.com
- Rush didn't chase fame, hits or groupies – yet there will never be a better rock band - The Telegraph
- Rush Drummer Neil Peart Passes - ModernDrummer.com
- Write Now: Neil Peart Forever Changed Way Drummers Drum - The Post-Journal
- Rush Music Sales Rise by More Than 2,000 Percent - UltimateClassicRock.com
- Rush Music Streams Surge 776% in U.S. After Death of Drummer Neil Peart - Billboard.com
- Rush Claims 23 of 25 Spots on LyricFind Global Chart After Neil Peart's Death - Billboard.com
- Neil Peart memorial at Lakeside Park picks up steam - St Catherines Standard
- Neil Peart faced cancer battle with “bravery” and “humor”, says Jethro Tull drummer Doane Perry - ConsequenceofSound.net
- In Memory of Neil Peart: Fantasy, Science Fiction, and the Mystic Rhythms of Rush - TOR.com
- Neil Peart family ‘on board’ with a St. Catharines memorial - St Catherines Standard
- Rush’s ‘2112’ Climbs RS 200 After Neil Peart’s Death - RollingStone.com
- Rush Infuses Hot Rock Songs Chart After Neil Peart's Death, Led by 'Tom Sawyer' - Billboard.com
- Neil Peart: Dynamic and influential rock drummer who forged a style of his own - Independent.co.uk
My dad died May of 1993. It was so devastating to me that by the time Rush released "Counterparts" in October of the same year, I was thinking about ending it all. Rush pretty much saved my life by giving me something to look forward to by putting out a new album. That was the one thing that got me through. Thank you so much for that Alex, Geddy and Neil. Thank you Neil for writing, "Nobody's Hero".
ReplyDeleteBeautiful words
ReplyDeleteSo sad to hear this news,my wife and are have played rush all day, deepest sympathies to his family and alex and geddy, rip, modern day warrior,
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ReplyDeleteNeil's words and music helped a geeky, outcast kid make it through life and as a geeky outcast adult.
ReplyDeleteIn my best days and worst days of my life, Rush's music rallied my spirit and soothed a damaged soul and id.
Through it all, thank you for making the journey smoother reminding me the point of a journey is not to arrive.
Rest easy New Guy and condolences to your friends and family.
I don't think I could come up with anything better, more concise or as truthful (about my own life) as what you just said. Peart and Rush have had a much deeper impact on a lot of folks than they could ever realize.
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