Remembering The Professor Drummer Neil Peart

To quote a Rush song, Time Stands Still. 6 years have passed now. We lost Neil Peart, the musician and author, who passed away at the age of 67 on January 7 after a private, three-and-a-half-year struggle with brain cancer, He famously eschewed the spotlight and rarely gave interviews. However, the Ontario native was a quiet leader who shaped Rush's voice, writing the bulk of the band's lyrics and maintaining a steely, rock-solid presence behind the drum kit.

Neil Peart joined Rush in July 1974 after original drummer John Rutsey left, getting the gig through a friend's recommendation and an audition where his powerful, Keith Moon-esque drumming blew away Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, despite his unconventional appearance, arriving in a Ford Pinto with drums in trash cans. He quickly became the band's primary lyricist, helping to define their progressive sound and launch their international career, stepping in just two weeks before their first U.S. tour. 

He joined officially on July 29, 1974, and played his first show just two weeks later on August 14, 1974, at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh. 

Peart wasn't just a percussionist; he was the creative engine behind much of Rush's lyrical content and musical complexity from 1974 until his retirement, solidifying his legacy as "The Professor" of rock drumming. 

Neil Peart's first songs with Rush appeared on their second album, Fly by Night (1975), with "Anthem" being the album's opening track and the first Peart-penned song the world heard, though "Beneath, Between & Behind" was the first lyric he wrote, with music developing later. While "Beneath, Between & Behind" was technically his first lyrical contribution, "Anthem" was the first song released featuring Peart's drumming and lyrics, signaling Rush's new direction. 

My heart is still sad as I sit here, listening to Rush, typing these words. 6 years ago, we lost the best rock drummer of all time. In typical Neil Peart fashion, he quietly passed away on January 7. No one outside of his family and friends knew it until his bandmates, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, released a statement. Peart had been battling with brain cancer for over three years before succumbing.