Neil Peart: Bio, Drum Gear, Albums & More

Any true rock music fan would have undoubtedly heard of Canadian rock band, Rush. The band was formed in 1968 and has been blowing their audiences away with their unique sound and unmatched performances ever since.

At the core of their music, pounding away their rhythm and grooves is the incredible drummer, Neil Peart.

Peart’s technical proficiency, creative flair, innovative approaches, and style to drumming as well as his deep and intellectual lyrics contributes majorly to Rush’s distinctive music.

Despite his passing in 2020 after a long battle with brain cancer, his contributions to the world of music will always be cemented into the hearts of many and his influence will forever inspire other musicians.

Early Life

Born on September 12, 1952 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Peart was born as the eldest of four siblings. He grew up in a humble and happy family where his dad worked as a parts manager for Dalziel Equipment, an international harvester farm machinery dealer. After moving to Port Dalhousie, he attended Gracefield School and later on moved to Lakeport Secondary School.

During his years of early adolescence, he found himself to be really interested in music and got himself a transistor radio, where he would always tune in and listen to popular music stations from Hamilton, Toronto, Welland, and Buffalo. This is around the time of the rise of rock and roll and the decline of jazz which both influenced his style of drumming.

He first got into music by taking on piano lessons which did not turn out well. He did however, have a certain fondness for drums as he would always be drumming on objects around the house with a pair of chopsticks.

His parents acknowledged this and got him some basic equipment and drum lessons with a promise to get him a kit if he stuck on to it, and at 14 years old, Peart got his first drum kit.

Peart continued his drum lessons from Don George at the Peninsula Conservatory of Music. This is around the time where he made his first ever stage performance. He then went on to perform at several other places such as the St. John's Anglican Church Hall in Port Dalhousie with his first group, The Eternal Triangle.

As Peart grew older into his teenage years, he started playing in more local bands including Mumblin’ Sumpthin’ and the Majority. With them, he would perform all across Southern Ontario such as in Mitchell, Seaforth, and Elmira in spaces such as skating rinks, high schools, and church halls.

Career

A rough start, Peart moved out to London, England at 18 years old to try and achieve his dream of being a musician. He tried playing with many bands over there but to no avail, he needed to work another job at a jewelry store to support himself. After over a year, he chose to move back to Canada and worked for his dad.

As time went on, Peart never gave up, he continued to play in bars till one day in 1974, he landed an audition with Rush, who happened to be looking for a drummer at the time for their upcoming tour. After much discussion within the band, Peart was accepted and officially joined the band on July 29, 1974. This was the beginning of a legendary history.

Over the years of the band’s career together, they managed to create their own style of progressive rock with a combination of pop, grunge, reggae, heavy metal, and art rock. Within their 4 decade run, they’ve produced 20 studio albums, and 9 live albums earning themselves a strong and loyal fan base with constant sold-out tours.

During break periods from touring with Rush, Peart and his endless curiosity would record and perform with Vertical Horizon, the Buddy Rich Band, Jeff Berlin, and the Rheostatics. In 1994, he produced and dedicated a tribute album towards Buddy Rich, the legendary drummer and big-band jazz, named “Burning for Buddy”.

Drum Gear

Throughout his career, Peart has endorsed up to four drum companies including Drum Workshop, Tama, Ludwig and Slingerland.

Drums

Peart was known for using large drum kits for his creative and technical work as well as his masterful and lengthy drum solos. With this, he was able to impress and captivate all his audiences whether they were drummers or not.

Some of his drums and equipment included:

Ludwig Super Classic Series Drum Kit
Alternate Mode malletKAT 7 KS Electronic Marimba
DW Custom Exotic Bog Oak Timeless Timber Shells
Fat Kat Kick Pedal
DW Custom “El Darko”
Slingerland in “Blackrome” Finish with “Vibra-Fibing”
Tama in custom Rosewood finish with “Vibra-Fibing”
Simmons SDS pads

Drum Snares

For the most of his career, he always stuck to his Slingerland Artist Model snare drum despite his constant changes in drum gear. Other snare drums he would use include:

DW 14 x 6.5 Collector’s Series Neil Peart R40 Snare Drum
Rogers Dynasonic, 5x14 chrome over brass

Cymbals

Peart played multiple brands of cymbals, including Roland, Wuhan, Paragon, Sabian and Zildjian:

Roland V-Cymbal Crash for TD-30KV Metallic Gray
Roland VH-13-MG V-Drum Hi-Hat
Wuhan 18” China
Paragon 22” Ride - Limited Edition Steampunk
Sabian 14” Paragon Hats
Sabian 10” Paragon Splash
Sabian 16” Paragon Crash
Sabian 18” Paragon Crash
Sabian 20” Paragon Crash
Sabian 20” Paragon Diamondback Chinese
Zildjian 14” A New Beat HiHats
Zildjian 22” A Ping Pide
Zildjian 13” A New Beat Hihats
Zildjian 8” Avedis Splash
Zildjian 10” A Splash
Zildjian 20” China Boy Low
Zildjian 18” A China Low
Zildjian 18” A Medium Crash

Drumsticks

Pear mostly played with Promark drumsticks however he also used Slingerland:

Promark Shira Kashi Oak 747 Neil Peart PW747W
Promark Neil Peart 747 R40 Drumsticks
Promark TX11AW Joe Morello Drumsticks
Slingerland Gene Krupa Signature Sticks

TV Appearances

Aside from his music videos and 10 video albums, he has also been credited as an actor in 3 movies called The Art of Drumming (2017), Adventures of Power (2008), and Rush: Time Stand Still (2016).

He was also a voice actor for Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters (2007). Apart from that, he’s also made his appearances on tv-host shows including The Late Show with David Letterman and Saturday Night Live, among others.

Awards and Nominations

Peart has won and earned 34 reader’s poll awards from Modern Drummer which includes 15 “best recorded performances” of which 12 of them were almost in consecutive years. He even won the MVP award and Best Prog Drummer from them in 2013.

Other than those, hes was awarded 9 Juno awards and 7 Grammy nominations.

Neil Peart videos

Neil Peart playing Rush's "Tom Sawyer".

Neil Peart playing a Jazz tune "Cotton Tail" at the Buddy Rich Memorial Concert in 1991.

Neil Peart playing (an almost 9 minute long) drum solo in Frankfurt.

Neil Peart playing Rush's "YYZ" live in Rio.

Discography

Albums

1970: Doris Troy With Doris Troy
1974: Rush With Rush
1975: Fly by Night With Rush
1975: Caress of Steel With Rush
1976: All the World's a Stage With Rush
1976: 2112 With Rush
1977: A Farewell to Kings With Rush
1978: Hemispheres With Rush
1978: Closer to the Heart [12 Inch] With Rush
1978: Archives With Rush
1980: Rush Through Time With Rush
1980: Permanent Waves With Rush
1980: La Villa Strangiato With Rush
1981: Moving Pictures With Rush
1981: Exit...Stage Left With Rush
1982: Signals With Rush
1982: Exit...Stage Left [Video] With Rush
1984: Grace Under Pressure With Rush
1985: Through the Camera Eye With Rush
1985: Power Windows With Rush
1985: Grace Under Pressure [Video] With Rush
1985: Champion With Jeff Berlin
1986: The Last of the True Believers With Nanci Griffith
1986: Hear 'n Aid
1987: The Peel Sessions EP With Culture
1987: Hold Your Fire With Rush
1988: Big Money With Rush
1989: Presto With Rush
1989: A Show of Hands With Rush
1990: Three Decades of Rock: 60s 70s & 80s
1990: Chronicles With Rush
1990: Bittersweet With Glenn Wilson
1991: Roll the Bones [Single #2] With Rush
1991: Roll the Bones With Rush
1991: Masters of Metal: It's Alive!
1991: Black Cat Dub With Gato Negro
1991: A Show of Hands [Video] With Rush
1991: 70's Greatest Rock Hits, Vol. 1: Hard N' Heavy
1992: Whale Music With Rheostatics
1992: Roll the Bones [Single #1] With Rush
1992: Moment of Truth With Terri Nunn
1992: Killer Metal
1992: Eighties Greatest Rock Hits: Arena Rock, Vol. 3
1992: Classic Rock Box: WNEW-FM 25th Anniversary Box
1992: B-Sides Ourselves With Skid Row
1993: Today's Hottest Hard Rock
1993: So Tough With Saint Etienne
1993: Into Darkness With Winter
1993: Dead Enz Kidz Doin' Lifetime Bidz With Young Black Teenagers
1993: Counterparts With Rush
1993: Black Ark in Dub With Lee "Scratch" Perry / Black Ark Players
1993: Back Stage Pass (Live & Rockin')
1994: Sunday Matinee: Best of NY Hardcore
1994: Mountain Stream [Madacy #1]
1994: Meetin' Tonight! With Clara Ward & the Ward Singers
1994: Kerrang!: The Album
1994: Hot City Nights [Alex]
1994: Burning for Buddy: A Tribute to the Music of Buddy Rich With Buddy Rich Big Band
1995: ¡Cinco Años!
1995: Psychotrance, Vol. 2 With Darren Emerson
1995: Masters of Metal: Wreaking Havoc, Vol. 1
1995: Live: The 70s
1995: Hard Rock Essentials: 1980s
1995: Guitar Heroes [Special Music Company]
1995: 18 Headbangers from the 80's
1996: Working Man: A Tribute to Rush
1996: Test for Echo With Rush
1996: Oh What a Feeling, Vol. 2: A Vital Collection of Canadian Music
1997: World Music That Speaks to the Spirit
1997: Ultimate 16: Power of Rock
1997: Strikeforce, Vol. 2
1997: Retrospective, Vol. 2 (1981-1987) With Rush
1997: Retrospective, Vol. 1 (1974-1980) With Rush
1997: Kentucky Christmas: Old and New With Jean Ritchie
1997: Cocktail: Shakin' & Stirred With Jaymz Bee
1997: Burning for Buddy: A Tribute to the Music of Buddy Rich, Vol. 2 With Buddy Rich Big Band
1998: Whatever [Original Soundtrack]
1998: The Waterboy
1998: Sunday Afternoon With Rebecca Hall
1998: Small Soldiers
1998: Rock the Party With Jive Bunny / Jive Bunny & the Mastermixers
1998: Gospels & Spirituals: The Gold Collection
1998: Different Stages: Live With Rush
1998: Crossroads With Jeff Berlin
1998: Best of the Best: 25 Years of Rock
1998: All or Nothing at All: 25 Early Hits 1939-47 With Frank Sinatra
1999: XIII With Rage
1999: Tribute to the Titans
1999: The Warner Brothers Years & More With Bill Haley
1999: Red Star: Tribute to Rush
1999: Prophesies With Hermetic Science
1999: Moontower With Dan Swanö
1999: Commencement With Deadsy
1999: Ascend With Greg Howe
2000: VH1: The Big 80's Arena Rock
2000: Unerotica: Reformatted Eighties Audio With Rosetta Stone
2000: Second Nature With Jesse Davis
2000: Into Darkness/Eternal Frost With Winter
2000: First Construction With Sound Transmission
2000: Buddy Rich Memorial Scholarship Concert Deluxe Set
2001: With All That I Am With Carol Duboc
2001: Le Concert du Siecle
2001: Chronicles/Moving Pictures With Rush
2001: Archives With Yngwie Malmsteen
2002: Versão Acústica, Vol. 2 With Emmerson Nogueira
2002: Vapor Trails With Rush
2002: Rock Classics: The Heavyweights
2002: On the Road: 07-06-02 Morrison, CO With The String Cheese Incident
2002: On the Road: 04-04-02 Austin, TX With The String Cheese Incident
2002: Family Values Tour 2001
2002: Exit... Stage Right: The String Quartet Tribute to Rush With Vitamin String Quartet
2002: A Work in Progress
2003: While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Vol. 2
2003: The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974-1987 With Rush
2003: Still Rezin' With Northern Cree / Northern Cree Singers
2003: Songs from Wildwood Valley With Wildwood Valley Boys
2003: Rush in Rio With Rush
2003: Rock Heroes [Eurotrend]
2003: Peace and Tranquility
2003: One or Nothing With Violet Island
2003: On the Road: 10-17-02 Vancouver, BC With The String Cheese Incident
2003: Joe Budden With Joe Budden
2003: Ilth With Purdymouth
2003: Beat Avenue With Eric Andersen
2004: Versão Acústica, Vols. 1-3 With Emmerson Nogueira
2004: Top '80s, Vol. 2
2004: On the Road: 04-25-03 Chicago, IL With The String Cheese Incident
2004: Feedback With Rush
2004: Chamber Maid: The Baroque Tribute to Rush
2004: Billboard #1s: The '80s
2005: You'll Rebel to Anything With Mindless Self Indulgence
2005: Venomous Fingers With George Bellas
2005: The String Quartet Tribute to Rush's 2112 With Vitamin String Quartet
2005: Subdivisions: A Tribute to Rush
2005: R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour [Video] With Rush
2005: R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour With Rush
2005: Legends of Rock [Time Life]
2006: True Rock
2006: The Piano Tribute to Rush With Todd Rubenstein
2006: Silent Nightclub With Richard Cheese
2006: Replay X 3 With Rush
2006: Oh What a Feeling, Vol. 3
2006: Mamonas Assassinas ao Vivo With Mamonas Assassinas
2006: Greatest Rock Songs [Industrie]
2006: Grace Period With Apologetix
2006: Gold With Rush
2006: Classic Rock Presents Prog Rock
2007: The Loop With Jacob Moon
2007: Snakes & Arrows With Rush
2007: Rockopilatorio
2007: Old Skool of Rock
2007: My Perfect List: Covers
2007: Music for Rocking
2007: Halloween [2007 Original Soundtrack]
2007: Far Cry With Rush
2007: All Pro With DJ Z-Trip / Z-Trip
2008: Snakes & Arrows Live With Rush
2008: Second Season With Wave Mechanics Union
2008: Now That's What I Call Classic Rock
2008: Christmas Jukebox
2009: Working Men With Rush
2009: Rock Heroes, Vol. 2: Metal Edition
2009: Retrospective, Vol. 3 With Rush
2009: I Love You, Man With Theodore Shapiro
2009: Grace Under Pressure: 1984 Tour With Rush
2009: Burning the Days With Vertical Horizon
2009: Buddy Rich Memorial Concert 2008
2009: Atlantic Records: The Time Capsule
2009: 3 With Susanna and the Magical Orchestra
2009: 20th Century Masters Collection: The Best of Canada
2010: Wondrous Stories: A Complete Introduction to Progressive Rock
2010: Total Drivetime
2010: The Rounder Records Story
2010: SCORE: A Hockey Musical [Original Soundtrack]
2010: Rock Anthems [Universal 2010]
2010: New World Man: A Tribute to Rush
2010: Icon With Rush
2010: Caravan/BU2B With Rush
2010: 2112/Moving Pictures With Rush
2011: Unto the Locust With Machine Head
2011: Time Machine: Live in Cleveland 2011 With Rush
2011: Sector 3 With Rush
2011: Sector 2 With Rush
2011: Sector 1 With Rush
2011: Moving Pictures: Live 2011 With Rush
2011: Icon 2 With Rush
2011: Greatest Ever! Rock Anthems
2011: Gods of Guitar [Universal]
2011: Dominion With Benedictum
2011: David Suzuki's Playlist for the Planet
2012: The Great Canadian Two Four
2012: Plays the Music of Rush With Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
2012: Icons of Rock
2012: Clockwork Angels With Rush
2012: A Spoonful of Time With Nektar
2012: 5 Classic Albums With Rush
2013: XXX: Three Decades of Roadrunner Records
2013: Vapor Trails Remixed With Rush
2013: The Studio Albums 1989-2007 With Rush
2013: The Lords of Salem [Original Soundtrack] With Griffin Boice / John 5
2013: Heart of the Piano With Geoffrey Keezer
2013: Echoes from the Underground With Vertical Horizon
2013: Clockwork Angels Tour With Rush
2013: 100 Hits: Driving Rock [2013]
2014: Spirit of the Airwaves With Rush
2014: Prog Rocks! Vol. 3
2014: Latest & Greatest Driving Rock Anthems
2014: Icon: Best of Canada - The 1980's
2015: The Lady Gone Electric With Rush
2015: R40 Live With Rush
2015: Plays Prog Rock Classics With Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
2016: Under the Covers With Ninja Sex Party
2016: The Complete Agora With Rush
2016: Proponent for Sentience With Allegaeon
2016: Passaic 1976 With Rush
2016: 2112 40 Years Closer: A Q&A with Alex Lifeson and Terry Brown Commentary With Rush
2017: Under the Covers, Vol. 2 With Ninja Sex Party
2017: Pinkpop 1979 With Rush
2017: Canada 150: A Celebration of Music - Icon
2018: The Broadcast Archives With Rush
2019: Under the Covers, Vol. 3 With Ninja Sex Party
2020: The Little Box of Rush With Rush
2022: Jacob's Ladder With Brad Mehldau

Frequently asked questions

At what age did Neil Peart start playing the drums?

Neil Peart started playing the drums in 1966 at the age of 14.

When did Neil Peart pass away?

Neil Peart died on 7 January 2020 at the age of 67.

How long did Neil Peart play the drums for?

Neil Peart played the drums for 53 years.

Which drum brands did Neil Peart use?

Throughout his career Neil Peart has used Zildjian, Ludwig, DW, Rogers, Fat, Roland, Slingerland, Tama, Simmons, Wuhan, Paragon, Sabian, Promark and Remo.

What genres is Neil Peart known for?

He is known for playing Progressive Rock, Hard Rock, Jazz and Swing.

How many recordings has Neil Peart been featured on?

Counting all his Albums, Neil Peart has been featured on at least 223 recordings.