Rush Drummer Neil Peart Considers Himself Retired

When legendary Canadian trio Rush announced this past summer’s R40 North American Tour, the press release mentioned “[This] will most likely be their last major tour of this magnitude” which came after members of the band advised their next tour would probably be their last. It appears the prediction will hold true as drummer Neil Peart mentions he considers himself retired in a new interview.

As noted by fan site Rush Is A Band, Peart is featured in the November/December issue of Drumhead Magazine for a discussion about his lengthy career. Here’s the part of the interview where Neil mentions he considers himself a retired drummer:

… Lately Olivia has been introducing me to new friends at school as “My dad– He’s a retired drummer.” True to say–funny to hear. And it does not pain me to realize that, like all athletes, there comes a time to… take yourself out of the game. I would rather set it aside then face the predicament described in our song “Losing It” (“Sadder still to watch it die, than never to have known it”) …

Peart’s comments about his retirement come after band mates Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson made it clear the ball was in Neil’s court regarding the future of the band. Here’s hoping that even if Rush retires from the road, they still create new music. Stay tuned.