Rush lead vocalist Geddy Lee shared an old photo on his Instagram account in which he was performing with Neil Peart as a tribute on the drummer’s death anniversary. Lee expressed his thoughts and feelings about Peart by highlighting that he will always miss him.
The original drummer of Rush, John Rutsey, decided to leave the band around 1974 due to his creative differences with the other band members and health problems, as Rutsey was suffering from juvenile diabetes. Following his departure, the remaining Rush members auditioned five different drummers, and they decided to hire Neil Peart.
Peart was playing for J R Flood, but thanks to his friend who convinced him to join the auditions, he became Rush’s new and most known drummer and a part of the power trio, besides Lee and Lifeson. Rush gained international fame and commercial success, and the band members continued to play together for over 40 years. However, in 2018, Lee revealed that they didn’t have any plans to tour or work on new records.
Rush members released an official statement announcing their disbandment after their longtime friend and bandmate Neil Peart passed away on January 7, 2020, because of an aggressive form of brain cancer named glioblastoma. They highlighted that they couldn’t perform or make music without Peart and never forgot to pay tribute to their friend. On his death anniversary, Lee mourned the late drummer’s passing, saying that he can’t believe that it’s been two years already while adding that he has missed making him laugh.
Lee’s IG post read:
“I miss making this guy laugh.
Hard to believe it’s been two effin years.
Continue to rest in peace, my friend.
September 12, 1952
January 7, 2020.”
You can check out the photo below.
