Neil Peart

Neil Peart (born September 12, 1952, Hamilton, Ontario) is the drummer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band Rush. Peart joined Rush in the summer of 1974, two weeks before the group's first U.S. tour, replacing original drummer John Rutsey. Peart's inclusion took the band in new musical and lyrical directions due to Peart's technical drumming and love for science fiction/fantasy literature. Peart is probably most famously known for his expansive drum kit, which consists of both electronic and acoustic drums, as well as lengthy live drums solos.

In the early days with Rush, Peart was heavily influenced by British hard rock drummers such as Keith Moon and John Bonham, however, in the mid 90's he adopted a more jazz oriented style reminiscent of Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa. It was during this time that he studied under the direction of jazz instructor Freddie Gruber.