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John Rutsey dead at 55


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Interesting that my jaw dropped when I read this.

It felt BIG, and I'm as guilty as the next person of making little jokes about him.

The reality is, that he was a great fit for where they were at at that time, and I feel horrible now.

He was a MEMBER OF RUSH, and I took that for granted.

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QUOTE (TheRocinanteKid @ May 13 2008, 01:54 PM)
QUOTE (farcryoverspilledmilk @ May 13 2008, 09:35 PM)
QUOTE (Cygnus The God Of Balance @ May 13 2008, 12:30 PM)
I wonder if there will be any public announcement or comment by the band.  I would think they'd put something up on the rush.com website.

Oh please. Rush.com is notorious for putting news on 2 weeks after we knew about it happening. Also, the ideal thing for Rush at this moment would to add Finding My Way, Working Man, What You're Doing, or Before and After to the set list immediately, no excuses. Show some recognition to the guy you shared the Rush name with for 6 years and was on your first record.

 

If they decide to not recognize this it would not shock me, but be really really lame on their part. Other bands have immediately posted news on their web site out of respect, issued press releases, comments from the band etc..when a former member has died from their band.

 

Show some class here Rush/Anthem. 2.gif

Perhaps its too early (Or ultimately disrespectufl) to suggest such things but I think officially issuing the Not Fade Away/You Can't Fight It single on CD for the first time ever would be a nice touch. Doubt it would happen but that would honour John's memory and give us fans a little present too. They could give all the cash to John's family.

That is a GREAT idea. yes.gif

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Hey, Donna Halper (or someone with that screen name) just posted over at

 

http://www.q107.com/Blogs/TheQ107RockRepor...ntryID=10000007

 

I wonder if she hangs out here? unsure.gif

 

QUOTE

When I discovered Rush in Cleveland in 1974, John was the drummer and he looked really frail even back then. There were rumours he was on drugs but NO! He was not. He was struggling with diabetes, and would all his life. I hope he rests in peace-- a very good guy with a disease that today is treatable, but back then, not so much. 
Posted by Donna L. Halper on 5/13/2008 3:27:15 PM 

 

 

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QUOTE (Midway Hawker @ May 13 2008, 05:07 PM)
Hey, Donna Halper (or someone with that screen name) just posted over at

http://www.q107.com/Blogs/TheQ107RockRepor...ntryID=10000007

I wonder if she hangs out here? unsure.gif

QUOTE

When I discovered Rush in Cleveland in 1974, John was the drummer and he looked really frail even back then. There were rumours he was on drugs but NO! He was not. He was struggling with diabetes, and would all his life. I hope he rests in peace-- a very good guy with a disease that today is treatable, but back then, not so much. 
Posted by Donna L. Halper on 5/13/2008 3:27:15 PM 

Yup she is legit. She posts over at the Rushcon forum and has appeared at Rushcon before.

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RIP Mr. John Rutsey.

 

He really has had a serious impact in the early development of this band, and I often feel doesn't get recognition he deserves from the casual fan. His work on the first album was great, and who knows, maybe if it weren't for him, the Rush we know may not have existed today.

 

Very sad day. Best wishes to John's family, and the members of Rush.

 

As far as the band dedicating a song to him from the first half, I think it would be inevitable, actually. I always figured Rush to be a band who would try to preserve a guy like Rutsey's memory at a time like this. I'd say not to get your hopes up, but with a tour break coming up, it COULD happen.

 

Though the set isn't the big deal here in the end. Just pointing that out. Once again, RIP John Rutsey.

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RIP John Rutsey.

 

Very sad news...thanks for all your work, being one of the boys for a brief but essential time.

 

I said this before but their debut album Rush was the reason why I became a fan . I already had ASOH, but at the time I was more into the raw R&R kind of sound and their debut album made a big impression to me.

Edited by HamiltonYYZ
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Obviously very sad news. Condolences to the family. Life is so short (I'm "only" 13 years younger than he was) and so fragile.

 

here is a rose.gif for the family

and an

original 2.gif for John.

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Very sad. I saw this earlier today, but am lately reluctant to post from work.

 

R.I.P., John.You were a force with 2.gif in your own way. rose.gif

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This is terrible news. 55 is way too young.

 

I've always loved the first Rush album. I bought it new in 1974 soon after it was released. I was 14 and just learning to play guitar. That album really inspired me to become a good player.

 

Ironically, John's leaving was the best thing for Rush but his playing on that debut album was exactly what it needed. I think Neil's playing would have been too much for those songs and might have made them too complex to get airplay at that time.

 

RIP John and thanks for being part of the soundtrack of my life.

Edited by _pete_
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Still don't see any official annoucements anywhere. Perhaps the family wanted to have a private funeral before the news was released to the public??

 

RIP John Rutsey.. you rocked 2.gif

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QUOTE (TheRocinanteKid @ May 13 2008, 03:54 PM)
QUOTE (farcryoverspilledmilk @ May 13 2008, 09:35 PM)
QUOTE (Cygnus The God Of Balance @ May 13 2008, 12:30 PM)
I wonder if there will be any public announcement or comment by the band.  I would think they'd put something up on the rush.com website.

Oh please. Rush.com is notorious for putting news on 2 weeks after we knew about it happening. Also, the ideal thing for Rush at this moment would to add Finding My Way, Working Man, What You're Doing, or Before and After to the set list immediately, no excuses. Show some recognition to the guy you shared the Rush name with for 6 years and was on your first record.

 

If they decide to not recognize this it would not shock me, but be really really lame on their part. Other bands have immediately posted news on their web site out of respect, issued press releases, comments from the band etc..when a former member has died from their band.

 

Show some class here Rush/Anthem. 2.gif

Perhaps its too early (Or ultimately disrespectufl) to suggest such things but I think officially issuing the Not Fade Away/You Can't Fight It single on CD for the first time ever would be a nice touch. Doubt it would happen but that would honour John's memory and give us fans a little present too. They could give all the cash to John's family.

I know Anthem had a pile of royalty checks sitting at the office as of a year ago for John. He had moved and not even kept in touch with a forwarding address. I know Geddy and Alex were not lying when they said they had not spoken with him in years.

 

They hadn't.

 

I do too like the idea of releasing Not Fade Away/You Can't Fight It as a tribute...maybe have donations go to the cause of his death?

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This is terrible.

 

At first I thought it was ANOTHER sad attempt at a joke. Especially when people posted that there wasn't any news being spread about it in Canada. Then I saw the link to the radio station's (Q-107?) report of it. Then I knew it was the sad truth. sad.gif

 

I've always been a huge fan of the debut. I think it holds its own as one of the best debuts in rock history. yes.gif As most of you know, i think it's one of their best albums to this day. I totally love it. 1022.gif

 

I always hoped that 2.gif would one day acknowledge John better. Even at the R30 tour during the opening montage, they replaced his picture from the debut with a picture of Neil. That kind of bummed me out.

 

But in the end... this is just a sad day. I'm gonna jam to the debut for awhile and think how cool it is for the 2.gif fans who actually got to SEE 2.gif while John was with them. That's gotta be slammin'. 1022.gif

 

RIP John.

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Not much to say except RIP John rose.gif and condolences to the family. rose.gif Argue or not, like him or not, he helped found Rush, and there's only 2 other people who can lay claim to that fame.
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