Neil Peart

Neil Ellwood Peart (b. September 12, 1952, Port Dalhousie[?], Ontario; last name pronounced: 'Peert') is the lyricist and drummer for the the rock ensemble Rush. A perennial favorite of other drummers, both amateur and professional, he has received many awards for his recorded performances (for example, from Modern Drummer[?] magazine).

Along with his colleagues Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, Peart was awarded the Order of Canada on February 27, 1997. The trio were the first rock musicians so honored.

Peart's daughter, Selena Peart Taylor, was killed in a single-car accident in 1997, and his wife, Jaqueline Taylor, died of cancer in 1998. Peart subsequently remarried, to photographer Carrie Nuttall[?].

Peart is also an author of travelogue nonfiction, including such works as The Masked Rider, which documented a bicycle tour through Cameroon in late 1986, and Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road, which recounted his motorcycle travels through Canada, the United States, and Mexico following the deaths of his wife and only child.