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Peart Talks Retirement in New Drumhead Magazine Interview


Jag2112
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Neil has always kind insinuated that he doesn't talk to Geddy and Alex that much unless they have a project going. I remember when asked about Neil's tragedy that they said they did what they could but he didn't really want to communicate much. I think Neil is very much a loner and only really feels comfortable around a small group of people. He's always been a bit more separated from the other two and even more so it seems since he's moved to LA.

 

Alex went above and beyond the call of duty when Neil lost his daughter and wife. I will see if I can find the interview where he tells what he did.

 

It was Geddy who said they didn't communicate much and that Neil would send post cards to him every once in a while.

 

Here:

 

On August 10, 1997, tragedy struck the band. Selena, Neil Peart's 19-year-old daughter, was killed in a car accident while driving to Toronto from Quebec. Ten months later, after being diagnosed with cancer, his wife Jackie died.

 

Geddy Lee: I was up at the cottage and I got the call from Ray. It was just horrible news. Basically, the clock stopped.

 

Alex Lifeson: It was just absolutely devastating.

 

Geddy Lee: I remember calling Al and saying, 'What do we do? I don't know what to do.' And he said, 'I don't either. But I'm going over there.' And I said, 'OK, I'm coming back from the cottage. I'll meet you over there.'

 

Alex Lifeson: We basically moved in with Neil and Jackie to look after them. They couldn't do anything. They were grieving separately. It was such a sad, sad place to be. I would be there first thing in the morning and I'd leave around 11:30 at night.

 

Geddy Lee: Our whole group, Ray and all our management people, would do the same thing. You just go there and hope they feel your support.

 

Alex Lifeson: Neil and Jackie decided to go to London. They wanted to get far away from the scene of the accident and all the reminders they had in the house.

 

Geddy Lee: It was too difficult for them to be in Toronto. So they left town. They just wanted to grieve privately.

 

Alex Lifeson: Well, they arrived in London on a Saturday morning and that weekend Princess Diana was killed in a car accident. But they felt comfortable with it there. They had lost their princess and now Britain had lost its princess. That's the way they sort of viewed it. The country was in mourning, as they were. It seemed kind of appropriate to them. There was a sadness everywhere. They were not there to get happy. They were there to get through their sadness.

 

Geddy Lee: It was a really strange, difficult time.

 

Alex Lifeson: We all spent time with them in London. We all took trips over there to give them a boost for a week here, a week there. We sent encouraging faxes. We tried to be as positive as we could. The band shut down completely. We didn't even think about the band, in fact.

 

Geddy Lee: Al and I just agreed not to talk about it. We agreed not to talk about the band because it didn't make any sense to. I could not see carrying on without Neil and neither could Alex. There was just no way. What was the point of talking about it? It seemed so trivial compared to what was going on. We were just worried about him. He was in a very bad state.

 

Alex Lifeson: Then Jackie became ill. They had discovered cancer in her lungs and it had metastasized and moved through her body. They only gave her a number of months.

 

Pegi Cecconi: His wife died of a broken heart. You can call it cancer, you can call it whatever you want. I remember her saying to me, 'They're hiding pills from me. I don't need pills to kill myself.' I'm a parent. I can't imagine losing a child.

 

Alex Lifeson: For her, it was very, very difficult to have lost her daughter. They were so, so, so close. When she learned that she was terminal and was going to die, wow, she was somehow relieved. She literally cleaned the house. For the first time, she went into Selena's room and organized everything. She packed for Neil the things that she wanted him to have. Then she waited for her death.

 

Pegi Cecconi: She couldn't live without her daughter. I will always remember the day of the funeral. Geddy was just sick with grief. And Alex did not play for two years. He did not pick up a guitar.

 

Alex Lifeson: Neil didn't know what to do. So he decided to hit the road and try to erase his demons.

 

Peart got on his BMW motorcycle and spent the next 14 months in constant motion, covering more than 88,000 miles, from Quebec to Alaska, down coastal highways to Mexico and Belize. He wrote about this odyssey of reflection and unimaginable pain in Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road.

 

Neil Peart: People would stay stupid things to me at the time: 'Well, at least you still have your music.' No, I don't want to have my music. I have nothing. It was so presumptuous of people to say things like that.

 

Geddy Lee: He ran for those years, which he has documented himself, so well and so eloquently. I would get these fantastic postcards from him around his travels. So I felt as close to him as we'd ever been. We were just not playing in the band. I was just happy we were still friends.

 

Ray Danniels: Without going too far into it, Neil lost everything. It was his only child and it was his wife who had been his high school sweetheart.

 

Alex Lifeson: I met him in Santa Fe on his travels. We spent five days there before he needed to move on. Liam Birt, our road manager who's been with us forever, had been on tour with Van Halen in Japan. On his way back, he flew into Santa Fe and spent time with us. We didn't do anything. We had a fire going the whole time. We read. We laughed. I cooked like crazy. I wanted to comfort Neil and feed him well.

 

Geddy Lee: We were always there for him. We were always thinking about him.

 

Alex Lifeson: At the end of the five days, Neil had it in his mind that it was time for him to go. It was the spring and we had had beautiful weather. But on the day we were all going home, we woke up in the morning and it had snowed like crazy. It was overcast and cold and the wind was blowing. He just looked so downtrodden. And I said, 'Do you want to stay longer?' But he said, 'No, I have to go.' He got on his bike and rode into the snow.

 

Pegi Cecconi: There's a line in Neil's book where he's sitting somewhere and he sees a little blade of grass coming up after a horrible winter. And he remembers thinking, 'That's good.' That's when he realized he was going to survive this. He finally saw some good. It was just a blade of grass after winter.

 

Alex Lifeson: This period carried on for about three years. The longer it went on, the more distant it seemed that we would ever get back together.

 

Howard Ungerleider: To be honest, I thought we'd be lucky if we ever went back out again.

 

Alex Lifeson: But in his travels, Neil met Carrie, his new wife. She gave him hope and love, the things he needed.

 

Right, but I was referring to the time after his wife died and he went on his ghost rider trip and hardly talked to anyone.

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Sheesh. Leave it to fanboys to stir something up that isn't actually there.

 

He's retiring. It hurts when he plays. Period. Why this creates so much animosity is confusing.

 

There is no rock band on earth worth getting so worked up over upon finishing a 40 year stretch of tunes, tours, and memories.

 

Ungrateful is the word that comes to mind with some of you.

Edited by Bard
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Sheesh. Leave it to fanboys to stir something up that isn't actually there.

 

He's retiring. It hurts when he plays. Period. Why his creates so much animosity is confusing.

 

There is no rock band on earth worth getting so worked up over upon finishing a 40 year stretch of tunes, tours, and memories.

 

Ungrateful is the word that comes to mind with some of you.

 

Agreed.

 

All I can think is...what a fantastic legacy.

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That's what they are talking about.

 

Did you read the book? He spent a lot of time alone during that time.

 

You made a reference that Alex and Geddy did little for him. That is why I quoted from the article. They tried, especially Alex, to do what they could for him.

 

No, I don't read Neil books.

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That's what they are talking about.

 

Did you read the book? He spent a lot of time alone during that time.

 

You made a reference that Alex and Geddy did little for him. That is why I quoted from the article. They tried, especially Alex, to do what they could for him.

 

No, I don't read Neil books.

 

No what I meant was that he pushed them away and didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't say Alex and Geddy didn't do anything, but just that Neil didn't want anything to do with anyone during that time.

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That's what they are talking about.

 

Did you read the book? He spent a lot of time alone during that time.

 

You made a reference that Alex and Geddy did little for him. That is why I quoted from the article. They tried, especially Alex, to do what they could for him.

 

No, I don't read Neil books.

 

No what I meant was that he pushed them away and didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't say Alex and Geddy didn't do anything, but just that Neil didn't want anything to do with anyone during that time.

I read your post to mean that they didn't help him. Sorry!

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That's what they are talking about.

 

Did you read the book? He spent a lot of time alone during that time.

 

You made a reference that Alex and Geddy did little for him. That is why I quoted from the article. They tried, especially Alex, to do what they could for him.

 

No, I don't read Neil books.

 

No what I meant was that he pushed them away and didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't say Alex and Geddy didn't do anything, but just that Neil didn't want anything to do with anyone during that time.

I read your post to mean that they didn't help him. Sorry!

 

That's okay. I know they tried to communicate with him but he was shutting down. I remember him saying something about how he had to check in every so often just to make sure people knew he was alive.

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Sheesh. Leave it to fanboys to stir something up that isn't actually there.

 

There is no rock band on earth worth getting so worked up over upon finishing a 40 year stretch of tunes, tours, and memories.

 

Ungrateful is the word that comes to mind with some of you.

 

Ok, just for you and the other dummies:

 

The reason this is dragging on is that every time Geddy Lee is asked about Peart being retired he seems to suggest that as far as he (Lee) is concerned that is news to him.

Now, if it was just a few disparate and desperate fans asking the question one could reasonably reply "which bit of Peart being retired do you not understand?" but Geddy Lee himself is essentially, if more diplomatically, asking the same questions.

 

Which makes you a pillock.

 

Why can you not accept that as far as Geddy Lee is concerned this issue is not closed, not over.

Why don't you email the record company and ask this question:

 

Dear Geddy Lee,

He's retiring. It hurts when he plays. Period. Why this creates so much animosity is confusing.

 

Signed

Confused Dickhead.

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Sheesh. Leave it to fanboys to stir something up that isn't actually there.

 

He's retiring. It hurts when he plays. Period. Why his creates so much animosity is confusing.

 

There is no rock band on earth worth getting so worked up over upon finishing a 40 year stretch of tunes, tours, and memories.

 

Ungrateful is the word that comes to mind with some of you.

Even when I don't disagree with what you say, I imagine you like this:

http://www.kaldorcity.com/graphics/screengrabs/weapon6.jpg

Edited by JohnnyBlaze
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Sheesh. Leave it to fanboys to stir something up that isn't actually there.

 

There is no rock band on earth worth getting so worked up over upon finishing a 40 year stretch of tunes, tours, and memories.

 

Ungrateful is the word that comes to mind with some of you.

 

Ok, just for you and the other dummies:

 

The reason this is dragging on is that every time Geddy Lee is asked about Peart being retired he seems to suggest that as far as he (Lee) is concerned that is news to him.

Now, if it was just a few disparate and desperate fans asking the question one could reasonably reply "which bit of Peart being retired do you not understand?" but Geddy Lee himself is essentially, if more diplomatically, asking the same questions.

 

Which makes you a pillock.

 

Why can you not accept that as far as Geddy Lee is concerned this issue is not closed, not over.

Why don't you email the record company and ask this question:

 

Dear Geddy Lee,

He's retiring. It hurts when he plays. Period. Why this creates so much animosity is confusing.

 

Signed

Confused Dickhead.

 

It's only dragging on for whining fanboys with little sense of empathy. You just proved my point about the animosity. So thanks! Maybe you should just be grateful for the art and music you've been given. And not worry too much about what Geddy says. It's pretty clear Ged wants to continue making music. That doesn't mean he's upset about Neil retiring. He'd probably just like to have options as far as the media's concerned. But it is what it is.

 

Be nice, kid. It's Christmas. Santa baby and all that jazz. :)

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Sheesh. Leave it to fanboys to stir something up that isn't actually there.

 

There is no rock band on earth worth getting so worked up over upon finishing a 40 year stretch of tunes, tours, and memories.

 

Ungrateful is the word that comes to mind with some of you.

 

Ok, just for you and the other dummies:

 

The reason this is dragging on is that every time Geddy Lee is asked about Peart being retired he seems to suggest that as far as he (Lee) is concerned that is news to him.

Now, if it was just a few disparate and desperate fans asking the question one could reasonably reply "which bit of Peart being retired do you not understand?" but Geddy Lee himself is essentially, if more diplomatically, asking the same questions.

 

Which makes you a pillock.

 

Why can you not accept that as far as Geddy Lee is concerned this issue is not closed, not over.

Why don't you email the record company and ask this question:

 

Dear Geddy Lee,

He's retiring. It hurts when he plays. Period. Why this creates so much animosity is confusing.

 

Signed

Confused Dickhead.

 

It's only dragging on for whining fanboys with little sense of empathy. You just proved my point about the animosity. So thanks! Maybe you should just be grateful for the art and music you've been given. And not worry too much about what Geddy says. It's pretty clear Ged wants to continue making music. That doesn't mean he's upset about Neil retiring. He'd probably just like to have options as far as the media's concerned. But it is what it is.

 

Be nice, kid. It's Christmas. Santa baby and all that jazz. :)

 

Is "Ged" a friend of yours?

If we are talking about fanboys...

 

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Sheesh. Leave it to fanboys to stir something up that isn't actually there.

 

There is no rock band on earth worth getting so worked up over upon finishing a 40 year stretch of tunes, tours, and memories.

 

Ungrateful is the word that comes to mind with some of you.

 

Ok, just for you and the other dummies:

 

The reason this is dragging on is that every time Geddy Lee is asked about Peart being retired he seems to suggest that as far as he (Lee) is concerned that is news to him.

Now, if it was just a few disparate and desperate fans asking the question one could reasonably reply "which bit of Peart being retired do you not understand?" but Geddy Lee himself is essentially, if more diplomatically, asking the same questions.

 

Which makes you a pillock.

 

Why can you not accept that as far as Geddy Lee is concerned this issue is not closed, not over.

Why don't you email the record company and ask this question:

 

Dear Geddy Lee,

He's retiring. It hurts when he plays. Period. Why this creates so much animosity is confusing.

 

Signed

Confused Dickhead.

 

It's only dragging on for whining fanboys with little sense of empathy. You just proved my point about the animosity. So thanks! Maybe you should just be grateful for the art and music you've been given. And not worry too much about what Geddy says. It's pretty clear Ged wants to continue making music. That doesn't mean he's upset about Neil retiring. He'd probably just like to have options as far as the media's concerned. But it is what it is.

 

Be nice, kid. It's Christmas. Santa baby and all that jazz. :)

http://www.popoptiq.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/a-clockwork-orange-a-clockwork-orange-323597_720_431.jpg

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A lot of rock stars have families and they've managed to have it both ways so that they can still perform their craft and be a part of their family. It almost seems as if Neil just flat-out refuses to understand that...This guy wants to live not only a Rush free rest of his life, but he also seems like he wants to live a drum-free rest of his life.

 

I simply refuse to believe this is a real post given its complete ineptitude and ignorance....this has to...has to be a joke...right?

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Sheesh. Leave it to fanboys to stir something up that isn't actually there.

 

There is no rock band on earth worth getting so worked up over upon finishing a 40 year stretch of tunes, tours, and memories.

 

Ungrateful is the word that comes to mind with some of you.

 

Ok, just for you and the other dummies:

 

The reason this is dragging on is that every time Geddy Lee is asked about Peart being retired he seems to suggest that as far as he (Lee) is concerned that is news to him.

Now, if it was just a few disparate and desperate fans asking the question one could reasonably reply "which bit of Peart being retired do you not understand?" but Geddy Lee himself is essentially, if more diplomatically, asking the same questions.

 

Which makes you a pillock.

 

Why can you not accept that as far as Geddy Lee is concerned this issue is not closed, not over.

Why don't you email the record company and ask this question:

 

Dear Geddy Lee,

He's retiring. It hurts when he plays. Period. Why this creates so much animosity is confusing.

 

Signed

Confused Dickhead.

 

It's only dragging on for whining fanboys with little sense of empathy. You just proved my point about the animosity. So thanks! Maybe you should just be grateful for the art and music you've been given. And not worry too much about what Geddy says. It's pretty clear Ged wants to continue making music. That doesn't mean he's upset about Neil retiring. He'd probably just like to have options as far as the media's concerned. But it is what it is.

 

Be nice, kid. It's Christmas. Santa baby and all that jazz. :)

 

Is "Ged" a friend of yours?

If we are talking about fanboys...

 

Like I said...you seem pretty hostile and petty for someone who's taking such exception to a band whose career is finally winding down. Why?

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Sheesh. Leave it to fanboys to stir something up that isn't actually there.

 

There is no rock band on earth worth getting so worked up over upon finishing a 40 year stretch of tunes, tours, and memories.

 

Ungrateful is the word that comes to mind with some of you.

 

Ok, just for you and the other dummies:

 

The reason this is dragging on is that every time Geddy Lee is asked about Peart being retired he seems to suggest that as far as he (Lee) is concerned that is news to him.

Now, if it was just a few disparate and desperate fans asking the question one could reasonably reply "which bit of Peart being retired do you not understand?" but Geddy Lee himself is essentially, if more diplomatically, asking the same questions.

 

Which makes you a pillock.

 

Why can you not accept that as far as Geddy Lee is concerned this issue is not closed, not over.

Why don't you email the record company and ask this question:

 

Dear Geddy Lee,

He's retiring. It hurts when he plays. Period. Why this creates so much animosity is confusing.

 

Signed

Confused Dickhead.

 

It's only dragging on for whining fanboys with little sense of empathy. You just proved my point about the animosity. So thanks! Maybe you should just be grateful for the art and music you've been given. And not worry too much about what Geddy says. It's pretty clear Ged wants to continue making music. That doesn't mean he's upset about Neil retiring. He'd probably just like to have options as far as the media's concerned. But it is what it is.

 

Be nice, kid. It's Christmas. Santa baby and all that jazz. :)

 

Is "Ged" a friend of yours?

If we are talking about fanboys...

 

Like I said...you seem pretty hostile and petty for someone who's taking such exception to a band whose career is finally winding down. Why?

 

http://i.imgur.com/IIG2QnE.jpg

 

 

 

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For me, it boils down to this. I love the band and their work and at this stage of their lives and careers, I can't imagine thinking that I'm owed any more from them than I've already gotten. If Neil wants to retire from the band, and/or from drumming, I say let the man be. If he doesn't want to, he won't. He's made it clear for many years how much he dislikes touring, and with each passing year, the physical demands become greater. I think his first obligation is to his family, and his second obligation is to his friends Ged and Al. Like any friendship, it'll go through it's ups and downs and if they're not on the same page at the moment, that's ok. When it's all said and done, I believe their friendship will endure, and that's what's most important. Everything else is secondary.
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Fraroc--nobody (including me) is saying we should all just be happy and thrilled that Neil is ok with being called a "retired drummer" by his daughter. The "Neil hates all his fans and is giving us a big 'f-u'" even in that backstage photo, which could be a response to just about anything, is pure projection. Geddy himself has said that seeing Neil in pain mid-tour was very difficult for him to watch. That is what I mean by being graceful about understanding his wish to stop touring. Geddy has been very graceful about it. He doesn't like it, but he understands, and is not calling Neil a jerk, selfish, etc, etc. The confusion is that the quote is taken completely out of context. Ten articles saying "Neil Peart retires from music, based on a few lines from a much longer interview. Geddy seems to think he knows a bit more, and I tend to lean toward giving him the benefit of the doubt, since he knows Neil just a little better than anyone on this forum. If there've been disagreements within the band over this, that's just how it goes. How many bands last 41 years without some disagreements? Any?

 

Tony R--right back atcha, bro. FWIW feel free to take that photo personally. I have no problem with that, even though they could have been clowning around, or been told to pose that way, or who the heck knows. But it's fine if you want to feel personally attacked. You obviously come from across the pond, and I'm sure Neil intentionally snubbed everyone outside North America, because he clearly hates all of you, not because he' sick of being in physical pain for months at a time or anything like that. I don't blame international fans for being bummed and feeling left out, by the way. It sucks. I was fortunate to live here and see two shows this past summer. I was unfortunate to miss Led Zeppelin at O2. Bummer. England won the lottery on that one. Cream played England and NYC only when they did their little reunion. Everywhere else, nope. These people are all human, with human limitations and human feelings about doing things and human flaws. Nobody's perfect or indestructible or has unlimited endurance forever. Too bad. Try to get over it.

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