Rush Bandmates Share Heartfelt Memories of Drummer Neil Peart's Unique Impact

Emy LaCroixSat, February 28, 2026 at 7:10 PM UTC

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It's been six years since Rush drummer Neil Peartdied in January 2020, and though his bandmates, Geddy Lee, 72, and Alex Lifeson, 72, are now ready to start touring and making music again, they don't miss him any less.

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“I just miss him,” lead singer and bassist Lee told The Guardian on Feb. 27. “I don’t know if there’s one thing I miss about him.”

Lifeson, Lee's lifelong "bestie" and Rush's guitarist, quickly chimed in with "His laugh," as a suggestion. That got Lee reminiscing.

“When he says, ‘Oh, come on!’ and calls your bluff,” Lee laughed. “I love the way Neil used to punch him [Lifeson] so hard in the shoulder. Or he’d just look at me and say: ‘Hit him!’”

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On a more serious note, Lee said that the legendary drummer was "a mentor to [him] in many ways," calling Peart "a very stimulating person to be around.” The duo even struggled to imagine how to carry on without him because he had such a unique and distinct drumming style that was hard to replace, and because he was their main lyricist.

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Of course, he didn't start as such a core member of the band. When Peart replaced former drummer John Rutsey in 1974, he was "the new guy" among two childhood best friends, and he was determined to fit in.

“Yeah, we excluded Neil like that for years," said Lee. "But he wanted in, he wanted to prove to us he could be as goofy as we were, and he was very funny. He sort of barged his way into our friendship, and it worked."

New Rush drummer Anika Nilles, who is both a woman and much younger than Lee and Lifeson at 42, found her own way to integrate with legendary rockers. "Anika is very quiet, and she’s sliding into our friendship," said Lee.

Once he was ingratiated with the duo, Peart became the creative heart of the band, sometimes making choices that flummoxed his bandmates. For example, in the mid-2000s when he suddenly reinvented his drumming style. “It was uncomfortable at first, because we wanted him to flip the sticks around and just start pounding,” said Lee. “He was resolute he was not going to shift. So we had to adjust the feel a bit."

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"I think it’s part of what our band always was: open," he added. Not only did the style force his bandmates to adapt and evolve their own skills, but it also proved how talented Peart was, as he could seamlessly switch between his styles for live events.

“I think that’s what made him such an amazing monster drummer by the end,” Lee said. “He was more ferocious and at the same time he could swing on a dime.”

This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”