However, it wasn't the result of grief-related stress, as Taylor had presumed. This personal tragedy was the second loss of a family member that Peart suffered in less than one calendar year.Rush's songs speak to the mind and the heart, the aim of most legit musicians. After starting out in hard rock and moving gradually toward jazz rock, Peart was known for his flamboyant style and very precise technique, which won him a legion of admirers among professionals and fans. Rush was founded in 1968 and Peart joined in 1974, replacing John Rutsey, alongside singer and bass player Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson. Just 10 months later his common-law wife of 23 years, Jacqueline Taylor, died from cancer.
He was totally into that whole glitter scene. Alex and I didn't pay much attention to that.
Rush called it quits not long after, in 2018.In 1997, tragedy struck Peart when his first daughter, Selena Taylor, was killed in a car accident at 19. They had their first child together, Olivia, in 2009.Born Sept. 12, 1952, and raised in Port Dalhousie, Ontario, Peart joined Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson in Rush in 1974 and wrote their breakout song “2112.” He was the band's drummer from spring 1968 to July, 1974. Although bandmate Geddy Lee disputed that in a 2003 interview , he did acknowledge that Rutsey had been dealing with diabetes for quite some time. Rush were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013 and celebrated their 40th anniversary tour in 2015. He later met Carrie Nuttal, and they were married Sept. 9, 2000. In January 1998, Peart and Taylor were beginning to emerge from the haze of grief when Taylor started to suffer from a persistent night-time cough and serious back pain. Neil Ellwood Peart OC (/ p ɪər t /; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian musician, songwriter, and author, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush.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. “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 (Glioblastoma),” the statement said. John Rutsey died on May 11, 2008, at the age of 54. In 1974, he reportedly left the band in part due to vaguely defined " health reasons ." From family deaths to personal connections to historical tragedies, here's the tragic real-life story of Rush.Lee's mother often spoke about life during wartime. John Rutsey would have been 54 years old at the time of death or 62 years old today. Just a few months later, Taylor passed away after suffering a series of strokes.