Today is Neil Peart's Birthday.
The iconic drummer of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Band Rush was the second drummer in the band, after the dismissal of John Rutsey in 1974. Aquiring the nickname 'The Professor' Peart reshaped the sound of drumming in rock, with his technical proficiency and live performances. Rush released nineteen albums, with ten selling over a million copies in the U.S. Peart's style was deeply rooted in rock, being inspired by Keith Moon, Ginger Baker, and John Bonham, but as time passed, he began to follow more jazz musicians like Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. By 1994, Peart became a student of jazz instructor Freddie Gruber, and changed his playing style to incorporate jazz and swing styles.
In addition to being an iconic drummer for the band Neil was also Rush's primary lyricist, writing some of the most classic rock songs in history. "Limelight", Spirit Of The Radio, "Tom Sawyer", and "Subdivisions" are rock staples and required listening for those looking to sharpen their playing ability to perform Progressive rock. Peart, also wrote seven books based on his travels and personal stories, and coauthored with Kevin J. Anderson three steampunk novels based on Rush's final album, Clockwork Angels.
Neil retired from touring in 2015, and the band disbanded due to his health issues, shortly after. His three-and-a-half-year battle with glioblastoma would end on January 7, 2020, at age 67. He left behind a legacy rarely matched in the world if music, as his play redefined what it meant to be a rock drummer. He set the bar by which all others were compared and changed the shape of rock music in the same manner as Van Halen & Hendrix.
Today we celebrate one of the greatest musicians of all time the Canadian legend Neil Peart.
Happy Birthday Neil.