Legendary drummer Neil Peart dead at 67

The king is gone, but he’s not forgotten. It has just been reported that the world lost one if it’s most revered percusionists, with Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart passing away at the age of 67. A family statement says Peart died in Santa Monica, Calif., after battling brain cancer for more than three years. The news is coming as a shock to many, the family says he’d been diagnosed with brain cancer 3 years ago, but hadn’t announced it to Rush’s legion of fans around the world.

Neil Peart was born on September 12, 1952 in Hagersville, Canada. At the age of 14 he recieved his first drum kit. 1974 Peart joined Canadian band Rush, joining them for their second album and stayed with them until the very end, helping to create what will be remembered as one of Canada’s greatest bands. Neil Peart was an inspiration to drummers not only across the country, but around the world, including Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins, who inducted the drummer and his band into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.

“The highest possible compliment is if someone that you admire respects your work,” Peart told Classic Rock. “To those that have said I inspired them to start drumming, the first thing I say is: ‘I apologise to your parents.’ But it’s wonderful just to be a little part of someone’s life like that.”

Peart is survived by his wife, Carrie, and their daughter, Olivia Louise Peart.