Rush: Band Member Alex Lifeson Confirms Group’s Retirement From Touring in Interview: Lifeson told Rolling Stone magazine that drummer Neil Peart physically struggled with touring and wanted to see his family more. Members Lifeson, Geddy Lee and Peart have decided to stop touring.
Geddy Lee Says Neil Peart Has Not Retired From RUSH
UPDATE: Guitarist Alex Lifeson has since confirmed the band is retiring from touring.
Well, that was fast! One day after an interview surfaced where legendary drummer Neil Peart said that his daughter has been introducing him as a retired drummer, and the world assumed that meant that Peart retired, one of his bandmates is clarifying.
Geddy Lee wants to make it clear that Peart is only retiring from touring. In a new quote given to Classic Rock, Lee says:
“There’s really nothing to say. I think Neil is just explaining his reasons for not wanting to tour, with the toll that it’s taking on his body. That’s all I would care to comment on it.
“We’ll get together eventually and chat about things. But in my view, there is certainly nothing surprising in what he said. Neil just feels that he has to explain with all the thousands of people asking, ‘Why no more tours?’ He needs to explain his side of it.”
Lee then went on to say that the media took the quote out of context. Ok, let me re-print the quote here and you can make up your own mind:
“Lately Olivia [ Neil’s daughter] has been introducing me to new friends at school as ‘My dad – he’s a retired drummer.’ True to say, funny to hear.”
What other context could there be here?
Anyway, this just means Rush will record more albums with Peart, and if they do happen to tour, it will not be with Peart, who is suffering from chronic tendonitis after years of playing.
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