As I sit here dealing with the sad passing of Neil Peart, for good reason commonly known as the legendary drummer and lyricist for the Canadian rock trio Rush, I am less grief-stricken than I initially was and have become more reflective. Along with millions of other fans around the world, I cried a lot in the first few hours after hearing the news of his death. It hurts a lot, but the tears have subsided.
Rush has played such an important role in my life that it is impossible to imagine my world without those three guys. My first exposure to his music was stealing my sister’s Archives album from her record collection. I looked at his photos and read the notes while listening to the amazing music on that compilation from his first three albums: Rush, Fly By Night and Caress of Steel. I was eleven. The following year, 1979, after the release of their fourth album, Hemispheres, my uncle brought my sister and me to see them at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ. A cooler thing couldn’t have happened to a twelve year old.
Although sometimes complex, the ideas presented in their songs fascinated my young mind and made me think differently about things. Rush were very positive mentors to a boy who was struggling with feelings of alienation, being “different” and bullies in the schoolyard. They brought me hope. Somehow just knowing those three guys were out there made me feel better. His songs lift me up to this day.
Their music is charged and the lyrics are beyond thought-provoking; they are expanding. Rush told us that it was okay for him to care, to love, to be afraid, to wonder, and to be different. They made us think and feel. In the song Vital Signs we were told that it is imperative: “Everyone has to deviate from the norm.”
With eleven Rush concerts under my belt, I’m way behind a lot of die-hard fans, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t made an impact. Rush has had more of an impact on my life than any other band, musically and philosophically.
When I think about it, the reason I am so saddened by the death of Neil Peart is the same reason I am so inspired to go on and be better than the man I was yesterday. Many of us have been greatly influenced by the words and life of Neil Peart. He told us, and in fact he showed us, how important it is to fill our “wagons” with experiences and wonders. As my train rolls down the tracks of life, I’m going to load them up more than ever.
There will be no more shows. No more albums. Rush is forever in our memory and in our ears. The last show my wife and I attended was August 10, 2015, in row two of the R40 show in Philly, 36 years after my first show, and the year they announced it would be their last tour. Fans hoped there could be at least one other album, but that was the end of it. Four and a half years later, Neil Peart is gone.
I often thought about what I would say if I ever met Neil somewhere during his travels. He was a reserved person, dispirited and embarrassed by adulation. I figured if I ever ran into him, I’d just say thank you. The same is true for Alex and Geddy, just a thank you and a handshake. Maybe a selfie.
So there’s just one thing to say now: Rest in peace, Neil Peart, and thank you.