Thread: RIP Neal Peart

Tragic loss, a young man at 67, an enormous talent, whose last years were a tragedy. Read his book, his daughter was killed in a car crash near their cottage in Muskoka, the chief of the local police department showed up at their door to tell them their 19 year old daughter had died.

His wife truly lost it, they became more and more estranged, she'd given up, then was relieved when she was diagnosed with cancer, felt that this was her way to join their daughter, refused treatment and passed away - Neal felt she died of a broken heart. He then just walked out one day, decided to travel on his motorcycle.

I grew up in the Beach in Toronto, still here, Geddy Lee used to live on Glen Manor Drive, all of us kids would walk by every morning on the way to high school, he'd usually be around at that time getting into his red Porsche, and he'd always wave back to us. We'd see all the guys of Rush along with Kim Mitchell (Max Webster) frequently walking along the boardwalk at the beach, they always said hi to everyone.

Every New Years Eve, all through high school, we saw Rush and Max Webster at Maple Leaf Gardens, an epic show every year, we always had front row floors (great benefit of having a Father who could always get the best tickets) and Rush was such a huge part of my youth, and my identity living in this area in Toronto.

He was an epic talent, wrote all the lyrics, his drumming was legendary, Rolling Stone had him below Bonham, Keith Moon, and Ginger Baker, personally, I'd put him equal if not better than Bonham, his technical skills were unrivalled. I can see Bonham and Baker on the list of best rock drummers, but don't know how Moon made it there....

RIP - Neal Peart, been listening to lots of their stuff.

I always thought this song was about an area in the Beach, it was called, "The Nature Trail", us kids called it, "The Nache", could walk to school through it, lots of parties there, people were always going for walks in it, or just outside the Trail was the street where Geddy's house was on Glen Manor, my house was down the street from his. It's still there, really a spectacular oasis in the city.