Sad news for early Rush fans .tg-table-plain { border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0; font-size: 100%; font: inherit; } .tg-table-plain td { border: 1px #555 solid; padding: 10px; vertical-align: top; }
| Subject | Sad news for early Rush fans |
| DateCreated | 5/18/2008 9:52:00 AM |
| PostedDate | 5/17/2008 9:34:00 PM |
| Body | There was good news for this Rush fan this week. The Mansfield tickets arrived. (still waiting for Mohegan Sun and Manchester, NH though)
But there was some kinda sad news too. John Rutsey, the band’s original drummer passed away earlier this week. He was 55 years old. Here is the story from Billboard Magazine: John Rutsey, a founding member of the seminal Canadian rock band Rush, has died, his family announced. He was 55.
Rutsey played drums with Rush from 1968 to 1974, as well as on the band’s eponymous debut album, but departed soon afterwards, apparently due to a lifelong illness stemming from diabetes. In an obituary published in the Toronto Star, his family said his May 11 death was caused by “complications from his lifelong affliction with diabetes.” Some news reports said Rutsey died from a heart attack in his sleep. According to Rush’s official biography, Rutsey was supposed to write the lyrics for the band’s first album, but grew dissatisfied with his attempts and never completed them. He was replaced by Neil Peart, who remains as the band’s drummer and lyricist. Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson said Rutsey became a fitness fanatic after leaving the band and continued with have contact with Lifeson until the early 1990s. Funeral arrangements are being kept private at the family’s request. I always felt bad for him. Not because he left the band, but because of who replaced him. There are two stories explaining his departure. One was that he just didn’t like the artsier direction the other two guys wanted to go in. He was a straight ahead rocker. The other was health. He was diabetic and didn’t think he could handle extended touring. They’re both good reasons. What makes me feel a little sorry for him was that the guy who replaced him was (percussionistically speaking) a god on Earth. Neil Peart. Rutsey was a good drummer. Not a king-of-the-world drummer, but still really good. I think most bands would salivate at the chance to have a drummer with his chops. But when you compare the first Rush album (with Rutsey on drums) to the second album (with Peart on drums) Rutsey looks like a chump. Hell, anyone would look like a chump next to Neil Peart. He’s the best there is. So I send my condolences out to his family and friends. I thank him for what he did to give me my all time favorite band and I wish him well where ever he may be today. And I leave you with what was probably his finest moment in music:
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Inside the Red Head's Head 