Hamilton-born Neil Peart of rock band Rush has died
- Michael Kras
- 11 Jan 2020
Canadian music legend Neil Peart has died at the age of 67.
The Hamilton-born and St. Catharines-raised drummer, known for his virtuosic musicianship and muscular, longform drum solos as part of the famous Canadian rock band Rush, died on January 7th, 2020 in Santa Monica, California. His death was announced to the public by Peart’s family on January 10th.
The cause of death was glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer that had, until recently, been kept secret from the public.
In 2015, after playing a 40th anniversary tour with Rush that ended up being their last ever, Peart stepped away from music, citing chronic tendonitis as part of the reason for the break. The fuller details of his declining health and his three-and-a-half-year battle with cancer weren’t revealed until his death.
“It is with broken hearts and the deepest sadness that we must share the terrible news that on Tuesday our friend, soul brother and band mate of over 45 years, Neil, has lost his incredibly brave three and a half year battle with brain cancer,” said Peart’s bandmates in an official statement on Rush’s website.
The statement also encourage Peart fans to make donations to their favourite cancer charities and research groups in Neil’s name.
Lead image courtesy of @glen_sobel
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