Neil Peart's brother Danny Peart has passed away from the same rare cancer that the RUSH drummer died from in January 2020.
As Consequence points out, heir sister Nancy Peart Burkholder shared the tragic news in a post on the Peart Family Events Facebook group, which was reposted to the Neil Peart Drums and Drumming Facebook group:
“On this dreary Sunday it is with great sadness that we share that this past Thursday evening we lost our third Peart man and 2nd brother, Danny, after his year and a half battle with glioblastoma (brain cancer)," her message read. "Danny shared our amazing Peart traits that all of our men carried, a true gentleman with a kind heart and generous spirit.”
Glioblastoma is a rare and aggressive brain cancer. Danny died just over five years after Neil, who battled the disease for three years.
There has been talk about RUSH returning with a different drummer but guitarist Alex Lifeson recently likened a reunion without Peart to being in "the top RUSH tribute band."
“It’s good to jam with friends as you get older,” the guitarist said about playing with his former bandmate. “I need to play. Once a week I go to Ged’s — it’s in the calendar — keep my fingers moving, play RUSH stuff, new jams. We do record it, but I couldn’t even begin to tell you where it’ll go.”
The band played their farewell tour in 2015, and there is a part of Lifeson that would like to go back on the road, but not without Peart. “Some days I wake up wanting to go out and tour again and some days I don’t,” he admitted. “For 40 years RUSH included Neil, and I don’t think putting some new version together would have the same magic.”
“RUSH went out on a high note playing as well as ever with one of our best stage shows on ‘R40,'” he added. “I guess I’d rather be remembered for that legacy than returning as the top RUSH tribute band.”