Neil Peart

Neil Ellwood Peart (September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian musician and writer best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush. Peart received numerous awards for his musical performances, including an induction into the Modern Drummer Readers Poll Hall of Fame in 1983, making him the youngest person ever so honored. His drumming was renowned for its technical proficiency and his live performances for their exacting nature and stamina.

Peart was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and grew up in Port Dalhousie (now part of St. Catharines). During adolescence, he floated between regional bands in pursuit of a career as a full-time drummer. After a discouraging stint in England to concentrate on his music, Peart returned home, where he joined Rush, a Toronto band, in mid-1974, six years after its formation. They released nineteen studio albums, with ten exceeding a million copies sold in the United States.

Peart was one of rock’s greatest drummers, with a flamboyant yet precise style that paid homage to his hero, the Who’s Keith Moon, while expanding the technical and imaginative possibilities of his instrument. His drum fills on songs like “Tom Sawyer” were pop hooks in their own right, each one an indelible mini-composition; his lengthy drum solos, carefully constructed and packed with drama, were highlights of every Rush concert.

His drumming was often the envy of his peers as told in their own words: “Neil is the most air-drummed-to drummer of all time,” former Police drummer Stewart Copeland told Rolling Stone in 2015. “Neil pushes that band, which has a lot of musicality, a lot of ideas crammed into every eight bars — but he keeps the throb, which is the important thing. And he can do that while doing all kinds of cool (stuff).”

A rigorous autodidact, Peart was also the author of numerous books, beginning with 1996’s The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa, which chronicled a 1988 bicycle tour in Cameroon – in that memoir, he recalled an impromptu hand-drum performance that drew an entire village to watch.

Neil will long be remembered for his poetic lyricism with Rush. Lyrics to songs such as "Limelight" highlighted his own personal idiosyncrasies:

"Living in a fish eye lens
Caught in the camera eye
I have no heart to lie
I can't pretend a stranger
Is a long-awaited friend."

His social anxiety was often misunderstood, as he found the crowds of adoring fans difficult to cope with. While bandmates Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson spent hours before and after shows signing autographs and taking photos with fans, Neil could be found secluded backstage reading books to pass the time on tour. It is not that he didn't care for fans, quite the opposite, he knew he wasn't equipped to be what the fans made him out to be. He was human after all.

Neil may be gone, but his music, writings, lyrics, and impact will never be forgotten. Rest in peace.

Lucas Funeral Homes may not be the funeral home to serve the Peart family in their time of need, but we are some of those adoring fans who air-drummed to Rush songs over the decades. Fans from across the world deserve to share their love and grief together, so we are hosting a Community Tribute at our Lucas Funeral Home in Keller. Please join us anytime from 5 to 8pm on Saturday, February 1, 2020. This is a place for Rush fans in Dallas Fort Worth to come together as a community and show their support for one another.