Shipping his drums would take more than a month, and in the meantime, he would try to find gigs with bands of his favorite record labels. In June of 1971, Peart moved overseas to London, England, to chase his dream. He promised his parents he would return to school if it didn’t work out. Peart would leave high school early to pursue his musical ambitions. He played in several bands during his teenage years and eventually joined the Canadian rock band Rush in 1974.īefore landing the gig, Neil would need help finding his place in the music world, playing and touring locally with bands from his hometown, most notably J.R. Peart began playing drum lessons at age 13 and was heavily influenced by jazz greats such as Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. “The dimly lit barn, redolent of straw and cow manure, was an early imprint, and later in life a dairy farm always seemed to smell like “home.” Wherever I traveled, from Switzerland to Senegal, my deepest memories were triggered by … cow dung.” Neil Peart, Traveling Music, p. Much of his young life was spent working as a farm equipment parts manager for his father, Glen Peart, in St.

Neil Peart was born on September 12, 1952, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Known for his intricate rhythms, dazzling solos, and cutting-edge techniques, Peart is one of the greatest drummers ever. He is best known for being the drummer and lyricist for the progressive rock band Rush, which he joined in 1974 and toured with until 2015. Music history will never forget Neil Peart, the renowned drummer, lyricist, and novelist.

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