Rush
Rush is a celebrated Canadian rock band formed in Toronto in 1968, known for its intricate compositions and thoughtful lyrics. The band comprises three key members: Geddy Lee (vocals, bass, keyboards), Alex Lifeson (guitar), and Neil Peart (drums and lyrics), with Peart's contributions defining much of their lyrical depth until his passing in 2020. Rush gained significant attention in the 1970s, especially after the success of their album "2112," which established them as major players in the rock genre. Their 1981 album "Moving Pictures," featuring the iconic single "Tom Sawyer," solidified their superstardom and led to historic performances, including four sold-out nights at Wembley Arena.
Throughout their career, Rush received numerous accolades, including induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013 and recognition as officers of the Order of Canada. The band went on hiatus after personal tragedies affected Peart, but they reunited for tours and projects until Peart's retirement. Following his death, Lee and Lifeson have expressed a willingness to honor Rush's legacy while acknowledging the challenges of continuing without Peart. Their influence on music remains significant, and they continue to be celebrated for their artistry and contributions to rock music history.
Rush
Music group
Alex Lifeson
- Born: August 27, 1953
Neil Peart
- Born: September 12, 1952
- Died: January 7, 2020
- Place of Death: Santa Monica, California
Geddy Lee
- Born: July 29, 1953
- Alex Lifeson
- Guitarist
- Geddy Lee
- Singer and bassist
- Neil Peart
- Drummer
Contribution: A Canadian rock band from Toronto, Rush has been considered one of the most successful music groups in Canadian history and one of rock’s most influential bands. Rush rose to fame quickly and became the third largest seller of consecutive gold and platinum records and videos in the United States. Band members included vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist Geddy Lee; guitarist Alex Lifeson; and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, who passed away in 2020.
Early Years
Geddy Lee, born Gary Lee Weinrib on July 29, 1953, in Toronto, was the child of two Holocaust survivors from Poland. Alex Lifeson was born Alexander Zivojinovich on August 27, 1953, in Fernie, British Columbia, to Yugoslavian parents. The boys met in junior high school in the Willowdale neighborhood of Toronto, and in 1968, they formed a band with original drummer John Rutsey, who played on the 1974 album Rush but left the band that same year due to health reasons. Rutsey was replaced by drummer Neil Peart, born September 12, 1952, in Hamilton, Ontario. Rush’s lineup then remained the same.
Road to Fame
Rush got its big break in 1974 when Cleveland radio station WMMS started to play the band’s song “Working Man” on a regular basis. Record companies began to call, and soon the band’s debut album was rereleased in the United States.
With this release, Rush began its steady rise to fame. At the time, Rush was the biggest selling debut LP released by a Canadian band. Two years later, with Peart as drummer, the group released 2112, its first album to sell more than a million copies. In 1977, the single “Closer to the Heart,” part of the album A Farewell to Kings, became Rush’s first single to chart internationally.
Rush’s 1981 album Moving Pictures, featuring their most recognizable single, “Tom Sawyer,” propelled the group to superstardom, The band’s popularity continued to grow, and the group made history in 1983 by selling out London’s Wembley Arena for four consecutive nights. Later that same year, they became the first rock act to perform a series of shows at Radio City Music Hall. Rush continued to perform steadily until 1997, when Peart suffered the tragic loss of his wife and daughter, and the group went on an indefinite hiatus.
In 2002, Rush returned to the stage, performing in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, for a tour that ended with the group’s first ever shows in Brazil. Two years later, Rush released a cover album, Feedback, to celebrate the band’s thirtieth anniversary.
Rush released Vapor Trails in 2007 and Clockwork Angels in 2012, the latter of which received critical accolades as the band’s best album in almost two decades. The album won a Juno Award for rock album of the year. After marking the original release of their debut album by putting out the collector's box set R40, which includes a large amount of live concert footage, in 2014, the band toured together once more in 2015. Following the tour's conclusion, the group's members indicated that they would likely not be reuniting to make new music or tour again, and it was reported that Peart had effectively retired. On January 7, 2020, Peart died at the age of sixty-seven in Santa Monica, California, following a battle with brain cancer.
After Peart’s death, Lee and Lifeson both held open the possibility that Rush could reunite one day but doubted it would happen because they felt it was close to impossible to go on without their bandmate. However, in 2022, Lee and Lifeson did play together at the twenty-fifth anniversary celebration of the TV show South Park.
Awards and Acknowledgments
Rush received numerous awards and acknowledgments. In 1990, the band received both the Mayor’s Award at the Toronto Music Awards and the Group of the Decade Award for their contribution to Canada’s music industry. On February 26, 1997, Lee, Lifeson, and Peart became the first rock musicians recognized as officers of the Order of Canada, the highest honor the Canadian government can bestow upon a civilian.
At London’s Classic Rock Roll of Honor Awards in 2010, the band received the Living Legend Award. The same year, Beyond the Lighted Stage, an authorized documentary of the band, premiered at Tribeca Film Festival, earning the audience award. After years of falling short, Rush was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Also in 2013, the Canadian government issued Rush postage stamps.
Personal Lives
Lee married Nancy Young in 1976; the couple has two children. Lifeson also has two children with his wife, Charlene, whom he married in 1975. Rutsey died from complications from diabetes in 2008, at age fifty-five. Peart married Carrie Nuttall in 2000; together they had one child, who was born in 2009. His first wife (by common law), Jacqueline Taylor, died from breast cancer in 1998. They had a daughter, Selena, who died in a car accident ten months before her mother’s death.
Bibliography
Banasiewicz, Bill. Rush: Visions—The Official Biography. New York: Omnibus, 1988. Print.
Barnard, Linda. “Out of the Box, the History of Rush.” Toronto Star, 27 Apr. 2010, www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/out-of-the-box-the-history-of-rush/article‗e4b16e8e-1dcc-5c69-b665-19afc590cea6.html. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.
Chiu, David. “Rush Featured on New Canadian Stamp.” Rolling Stone, 19 July 2013, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/rush-featured-on-new-canadian-stamp-232825/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.
Collins, Jon. Rush:Chemistry—The Definitive Biography. London: Helter Skelter, 2005. Print.
Greene, Andy. "Watch Rush’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Reunite at ‘South Park’ 25th Anniversary Concert." Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2022, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/rushs-geddy-lee-alex-lifeson-reunite-south-park-25th-anniversary-1395740/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.
Lewis, Randy. “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2013 Induction a Real Rush.” Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2013, www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-xpm-2013-apr-19-la-et-ms-rock-hall-fame-2013-rush-heart-public-enemy-donna-summer-20130419-story.html. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.
Pareles, Jon. "Neil Peart, Drummer and Lyricist for Rush, Dies at 67." The New York Times, 10 Jan. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/arts/music/neil-peart-dead.html. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.