Geddy Lee Reveals He Received Inappropriate Messages After Neil Peart’s Death
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Geddy Lee, the bassist and vocalist of the legendary rock band Rush, recently shared that he received a series of “inappropriate” messages from aspiring drummers following the death of his longtime bandmate, Neil Peart.
In a conversation with George Stroumboulopoulos on Apple Music book club Strombo’s Lit while promoting his new memoir, My Effin’ Life, Lee disclosed,
“Oh, yeah, I heard from all kinds [of people]. That was a very weird moment. My little black book got filled up really quickly.”
Neil Peart, the iconic drummer and primary lyricist for Rush for over four decades, passed away in January 2020 from glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer.
Lee revealed that almost immediately after Peart’s death, numerous musicians emerged, hoping to secure the vacant drum position. This trend has resurfaced since Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson have openly considered the possibility of performing again as Rush.
Lee expressed his discomfort with the situation, stating,
“I was, like, ‘Whoa, that’s just so inappropriate right now.’ Dude, wait two months. At least two months, if ever. It still happens, now that the clickbait freaks are out there talking about Alex and I getting a new drummer and starting Rush again.”
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This scenario is not unique to Rush, as other prominent bands have faced similar disrespectful encounters.
Twisted Sister shared their experience in a Facebook comment, disclosing that calls from drummers around the world offering to replace their late drummer, AJ Pero, flooded in within 15 minutes of the announcement of his death in 2015.
“We told our staff that anyone who calls or emails would be immediately crossed off the list. The disrespect was awful,” the band stated. They expressed gratitude for Mike Portnoy, who provided invaluable support during two world tours and demonstrated immense respect for AJ Pero every night.
The inappropriate messages highlight the challenges faced by rock giants dealing with opportunistic musicians seeking to capitalize on the void left by a deceased bandmate.
 “Thank God for Mike Portnoy, who was the spiritual connection to AJ,” Twisted Sister remarked. “Mike is a pro’s pro who was incredibly available to us for two amazing world tours and showed unbelievable respect to AJ every night.”
