

His first exposure to musical training came in the form of piano lessons, which he later said in his instructional video A Work in Progress did not have much impact on him. By early adolescence he became interested in music and acquired a transistor radio, which he would use to tune into popular music stations broadcasting from Toronto, Hamilton, Welland, and Buffalo. Peart attended Gracefield School and later Lakeport Secondary School, and described his childhood as happy and says he experienced a warm family life. In 1956 the family moved to the Port Dalhousie area of the town. At this time his father became parts manager for Dalziel Equipment, an International Harvester farm machinery dealer. The first child of four, his brother Danny and sisters Judy and Nancy were born after the family moved to St. Peart was born on September 12, 1952, to Glen and Betty Peart and lived his early years on his family's farm in Hagersville, Ontario, on the outskirts of Hamilton. After a three and a half year illness, Peart died of glioblastoma on January 7, 2020, at age 67. During his last years Peart lived in Santa Monica, California, with his wife, Carrie Nuttall, and daughter. However, in January 2018, bandmate Alex Lifeson confirmed that Rush was retiring due to Peart's health issues. On December 7, 2015, Peart announced his retirement from music in an interview with Drumhead Magazine, though bandmate Geddy Lee insisted Peart was quoted out of context, and suggested Peart was "simply taking a break". The two also wrote a dark fantasy novella, Drumbeats, inspired by Peart's travels in Africa. Anderson three steampunk fantasy novels based on Rush's final album, Clockwork Angels. Peart wrote a total of seven nonfiction books focused on his travels and personal stories. His lyrics for Rush addressed universal themes and diverse subjects including science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy, as well as secular, humanitarian, and libertarian themes.


In addition to serving as Rush's primary lyricist, Peart published several memoirs about his travels. It was during this time that Peart decided to revamp his playing style by incorporating jazz and swing components. In 1994, Peart became a friend and pupil of jazz instructor Freddie Gruber. As time passed, he began to emulate jazz and big band musicians Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. He drew most of his inspiration from drummers such as Keith Moon, Ginger Baker, and John Bonham, players who were at the forefront of the British hard rock scene. Billboard ranks the band third for the "most consecutive gold or platinum albums by a rock band".Įarly in his career, Peart's performance style was deeply rooted in hard rock. Together they released nineteen studio albums, with ten exceeding a million copies sold in the United States. After a discouraging stint in England, Peart returned home to concentrate on music where he joined Rush, a Toronto band, in mid-1974, six years after its formation. During adolescence, he floated between regional bands in pursuit of a career as a full-time drummer. Peart was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and grew up in Port Dalhousie (now part of St. Known to fans by the nickname 'The Professor', his drumming was renowned for its technical proficiency and his live performances for their exacting nature and stamina. Peart earned 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 honoured. Neil Ellwood Peart OC ( / p ɪər t/ Septem– January 7, 2020) was a Canadian musician, songwriter, and author, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush.
