Today is a bittersweet day for Rush fans as we recognize our 6th September 12th without Neil Peart. Neil was taken from us back on January 7, 2020 after a long battle with glioblastoma, and today would have been his 73rd birthday. For the past 5 years, on Neil's birthday, RUSHfest Scotland has sponsored the release of an album of Rush songs dedicated to the iconic drummer titled TRIBUTES - SONGS FOR NEIL, played by Rush tribute bands and musicians from around the world, and with all proceeds supporting cancer charities. They are continuing the tradition this year with SONGS FOR NEIL VOL. 6, which officially releases today in celebration of Neil's birthday, and with all profits going to Funding Neuro (registered charity SC042061). Highlights from this sixth volume include covers of Limelight by Nina DiGregorio & Brody Dolyniuk, Second Nature by Mike Massé & Gilson Naspolini, 2112 by Pyroclast, and Drivenby Moving Pictures. Volume 6 is available in blue vinyl, CD, and/or digital download, and you can get all the details and secure your copy here. Geddy Lee has also posted this Instagram birthday tribute to his late bandmate:
One of Neil Peart's favorite mantras was, "What is the most excellent thing I can do today?" I can think of no more fitting way to celebrate Neil Peart's legacy than for everyone to take this advice and go do something excellent today in honor of The Professor on his 73rd birthday.
Back in late 2023, Geddy Lee wrote a book of baseball stories titled 72 Stories from the Collection of Geddy Lee that he included as part of a package given to the winning bidders in a baseball auction that included much of Ged's extensive collection. He then announced via Instagram back in October of last year that he would be releasing the book for wide distribution sometime in 2025. A special, limited-edition version of the book was briefly made available around Christmas at the Rush Backstage Club. That edition is autographed, and comes encased in a red cloth-bound slipcase which includes an exclusive, custom-made Geddy Lee baseball, created specifically for this project. The standard version of the book will be available later this month, with a slated release date of September 30th (just in time for the MLB playoffs) and pre-orders are available here. And if you missed out on the special edition last year, it's been made available again, and you can order one at this location. John at Cygnus-X1.net has posted an excerpt from the book's Introduction and made it available online here.
Former Skid Row singer and Rush superfan Sebastian Bach recently appeared on the Surviving Rocklahoma podcast, and was asked if he thought musicians "have it easier today". In his answer he mentions Rush's Neil Peart:
... "Well, yeah. One of the reasons - I remember when Neil Peart of Rush passed on. It really hit me so hard, and I was like, 'Why?' Well, I knew, 'cause I'm a Rush fanatic and I'm Canadian, number one, so it's part of my DNA, but really what it came down to, I think why I was so sad was because I don't think we're ever gonna see a drummer on that level ever again because none of them are gonna put in the time to practice that much as Neil Peart did, because he didn't have the benefit or the crutch of technology to rely upon, which all these kids are having click tracks and all this stuff in their head. And I don't think we're gonna see a drummer at the level of Neil Peart from Rush ever again. Maybe we will, but he didn't have any other choice in the '70s other than to lock himself in a room and pound the fuck out of those fucking drums. And he was the best." ...
Primus frontman Les Claypool was a recent guest on Rick Beato's hugely popular YouTube show, and touched on Rush at several points in the interview. He discussed his appearance on Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bass Players Human Too?, touring with Rush in the '90s, Primus' Tribute to Kings Rush tribute tour, his favorite Rush album, and more. You can listen to the entire interview below or on YouTube
20 years ago yesterday, on September 11, 2005, Rush's Limelight is played in Terry, the TV movie on Terry Fox's unprecedented cross-Canada marathon in April 1980 on an artificial leg to raise money for cancer research as seen in this clip:
September was a HUGE month for Rush releases over the years so there are several recent and upcoming anniversaries to mention. Caress of Steel (September, 1975), A Farewell to Kings (September, 1977), Roll the Bones (September 3, 1991), Hold Your Fire (September 8, 1987), Signals (September 9, 1982), Test for Echo (September 10, 1996) and All the World's a Stage (September 29, 1976) all celebrate anniversaries this month. Have a great weekend everybody!!
