This one is hard.
I don't usually get emotional about strangers' deaths but in so many ways Neil Peart was no stranger: Rush were massive for me when growing up and their music is part of my DNA.
Indeed, Neil was the reason I took up drums - Farewell to Kings was my first Rush album and I saw them on that tour, Feb 13th 1978 Leicester, UK. I saw them numerous times since, whenever they came to the UK.
Inspirationally, he was always seeking to improve himself. Embarassed by his performance with the Buddy Rich big band, he went off to see Freddie Gruber, re-jigged his technique, and came back a looser, more feel-oriented player. Players that reinvent themselves so successfully are few and far between. He could have sat back and enjoyed his rep as one of the world's best, but he didn't.
Cheers,
Steve
|