Neil Peart, the iconic, influential drummer of the enduring progressive-rock trio Rush, has died at age 67, on Jan. 7, 2020, in Santa Monica, California, after having been diagnosed with brain cancer.

The drummer and primary lyricist of Rush, his band with bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson, Peart received numerous awards for his musical performances, including an induction into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1983, making him the youngest ever to receive that honour.

Along with his bandmates, Peart was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1996 – the first rock band to be so honoured, as a group. Peart was also co-inducted into the Canadian Songwriter Hall of Fame along with Lifeson and Lee. And in 2013, after 40 years together, Rush was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

As a drummer who inspired everyone from The Rheostatics’ Dave Clark to Nirvana’s Dave Grohl, Peart was widely celebrated among the worldwide drumming community for his exacting technical proficiency, and the overwhelming power and stamina of his incendiary live performances. Moving from his initial hard-rock style in the spirit of The Who’s Keith Moon and Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham, to incorporate more swinging jazz elements, reminiscent of Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, Peart developed a well-earned reputation as one of the greatest drummers of the classic-rock era, and well beyond. Modern Drummer voted him the Best Rock Drummer of the Year no less than nine times – the last two in 2006 and 2008.

As a lyricist, Peart spent his early days with Rush focused on realms of fantasy, science fiction, mythology, and philosophy. Moving forward, in songs like “2112,” Peart concentrated on the struggle of an individual against the collectivist forces of a totalitarian state. From the mid-‘80s onward, he objectively addressed more social, emotional, and humanitarian issues, using symbols and metaphors. Rush fans worldwide have always considered his words thoughtful and intelligent.

After a few fruitless years pursuing music in England, Peart returned home and joined the then-local band Rush in the summer of 1974. He replaced original drummer John Rutsey just two weeks before the group’s first tour of the U.S., where he played his first gig in front of more than 11,000 people.

In  1997, Peart faced great tragedy as his first daughter and then-only child, 19-year-old Selena Taylor, was killed in a single-car accident on Highway 401 near Brighton, Ontario. His common-law wife of 23 years, Jacqueline Taylor, succumbed to cancer only 10 months later, in 1998.

Devastated, Peart took a long sabbatical to mourn and reflect, and travelled extensively throughout North America on his motorcycle, covering a total 88,000 km. After his trip, Peart returned to the band, and wrote a book, Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road, documenting both his physical and emotional journeys. Peart ended up writing and publishing six more nonfiction books focused on his travels and personal stories.

Peart is survived by his current wife, photographer Carrie Nuttall, and daughter Olivia, with whom he lived in Santa Monica, California in his later years, and by his bandmates Geddy lee and Alex Lifeson. SOCAN extends our deepest condolences to them, and mourns the loss of this legendary musician and songwriter – as do his extended family, friends, Rush fans, music lovers, and no doubt the thousands of drummers worldwide who were inspired by his work.



SOCAN is pleased to offer new accommodations in Nashville exclusively for all SOCAN songwriters, composers, and music publishers visiting the city to further their career, craft, or business. Located in East Nashville, the brand new SOCAN Nashville House lies in the heart of an up-and-coming creative community, while still close to the downtown core.

Applications must be submitted to SOCAN no earlier than three months prior to the start date of the requested stay period, and the standard stay is one week, from Monday to Sunday. The maintenance fee per stay is $200 CAD, and the maximum number of guests per stay is two, including the SOCAN member.

The amenities are two queen beds; linens and towels; a sofa; a dining counter and stools; flatware, utensils, and other tableware; cookware; a French coffee press and a toaster; a microwave oven, stove, full-size fridge, dishwasher, and garbage disposal; a washing machine-dryer combo; a vacuum cleaner; a private bathroom, with basic toiletries and a hair dryer; a furnished sitting/meeting/songwriting room; walk-in-closets and a large, private backyard; wi-fi with unlimited data; and on-site parking.

For more information, or to apply, click here.



Tate McRaeTATE McRAE
Teen dance star. Future pop idol. First song, “One Day,” blew up immediately on YouTube. With her single, “tear myself apart,” signed to RCA Records.

Watch the video for “tear myself apart.”

 

 

 

 

 

Stephanie KowalSTEPHANIE KOWAL
Emerging, L.A.-based composer. Won SOCAN Foundation Award for Best Original Theme in 2018. One of eight winning composers in the Los Angeles Live Score Film Festival in 2018. Assistant to Emmy-nominated composer Tony Morales. Worked on NBC’s Scorpion and Disney’s Elena of Avalor.

Watch the trailer for “Sir John A and the Anti Quenched.

 

 

 

Nk.FNk.F
A.K.A. Nikola Feve. Renowned EDM producer, mixer, masterer, and sound engineer. Part of TrackBastardz collective with Cris Dop. Has co-created hugely successful music by Booba, Damso, Orelsan, Kobo, Niska and PNL. Regularly tops the charts. Brings weight, evolution to Francophone hip-hop.

Watch the video for PNL’s “Au DD.

 

 

Manila GreyMANILA GREY
Filipino-Canadian singer-rapper duo of childhood friends Soliven and Neeko. Active together since 2016. Make “West Coast wave” music influenced by their Southeast Asian heritage. Every song produced by azel north. More than 26 million cumulative streams.

Watch the video for “Silver Skies.

 

 

 

 

Lou-Adriane CassidyLOU-ADRIANE CASSIDY
For her debut album of 2019, C’est la fin du monde à tous les jours, Cassidy wrote daringly truthful songs about the daily nature of death, the small things that slip through our fingers, memories that never fade, and what’s left when our heart’s been emptied. Having sung backup for Hubert Lenoir, she now turns heads in Europe as well as Québec, moving from ’70s pop to languid French chanson.

Watch the video for “ La pluie ne tombe jamais sur toi.

 

 

 

 

 

Shay LiaSHAY LIA
First grabbed attention by singing on Kaytranada’s 2016 Polaris Prize-winning album 99.9%. Now a long-listed Polaris nominee herself, the French-Djboutian vocalist’s Dangerous EP is a stunning piece of contemporary R&B. It features Buddy, BadBadNotGood, and yes, Kaytranada. She’s poised to conquer.

Watch the video for “Good Together.