The music world lost one of its all-time greatest drummers, Neil Peart, on January 7th.
After a year-long battle with brain cancer, the acclaimed stickman and lyricist for the band Rush died aged 67.
Neil Peart, drummer for the progressive rock band Rush, died on January 7th, with hundreds of musicians paying tribute to the influential stickman.
Drummers the world over have been flooding social media with tributes to one of the greatest to sit behind a kit. The likes of Taylor Hawkins, Dave Grohl, Questlove, Lars Ulrich, Slash and hundreds more have expressed their love and affection for Peart.
Having joined Rush in 1974, Peart became a mainstay on all their albums except for their debut. As he continued to evolve with Rush, pushing their sound into new stratospheres, his drumming style would begin to influence more and more drummers the world over.
Neil Peart would go on to retire from drumming and Rush in 2015. In an interview with Drumhead Magazine, he stated, “It does not pain me to realise that, like all athletes, there comes a time to… take yourself out of the game.”
His influence on the world of drumming is comparable to that of Keith Moon and John Bonham. He was rated 4th in Rolling Stone Magazines Greatest Drummers of All Time. As the tributes continue to come in, Taylor Hawkins from Foo Fighters describes his abilities in the most precise way possible, “Neil Peart had the hands of God.”
Check out some of the tributes below:
RIP Neil Peart pic.twitter.com/PxNZ3W5WSs
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) January 10, 2020
Sad to hear of Neil Peart passing. RIP. pic.twitter.com/2iMWJq1uoo
— Geezer Butler (@geezerbutler) January 10, 2020
At the end of a crazy @rockhall night in 2013 where @rushtheband & @PublicEnemyFTP were inducted. It was just myself & Neil PEart alone talkin & laughing low in relief the long night was over-a small table backstage sharing a unique moment without much word. Rest in Beats my man
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) January 10, 2020
