Rush was formed in August 1968 in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee; guitarist and backing vocalist Alex Lifeson; and drummer, percussionist, and lyricist Neil Peart. The band and its membership went through several re-configurations between 1968 and 1974, achieving its current lineup when Peart replaced original drummer John Rutsey in July 1974, two weeks before the group’s first United States tour. Since the release of the band’s self-titled debut album in March 1974, Rush has become known for its musicianship, complex compositions, and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy, history, and philosophy. The band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994, and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
Flip through the gallery for 10 Things You Might Not Know About Rush!
The original lineup was formed in 1968 in the neighbourhood of Willowdale in Toronto, Ontario, by Alex Lifeson, bassist and front man Jeff Jones, and drummer John Rutsey. Within a couple of weeks of forming, and before their second performance, Jones left the band. He was replaced by Geddy Lee, a schoolmate of Lifeson
Rush released their first single "Not Fade Away," a cover of the Buddy Holly song, in 1973. Side B contained an original composition, "You Can't Fight It," credited to Geddy Lee and John Rutsey
Rush played the KSHE Kite Fly in Forest Park on April 15, 1975. Over 80,000 fans showed up to fly kites and watch a local band called Backdraft, Rush and headliner, the Charlie Daniels Band
Rush played the 3rd Annual KSHE Valentine’s Day Massacre on February 13, 1980 at Kiel Auditorium. The opening act was Max Webster, whose fifth and last album, Universal Juveniles, featured a guest appearance by Rush on the song "Battle Scar.” Max Webster’s lead singer was Kim Mitchell of "Go For A Soda” fame
Max Webster lyricist Pye Dubois offered the band lyrics to a song he had written. The band accepted and the song, after reworking by Peart, it became the lead track on Moving Pictures, "Tom Sawyer.” Pye also co-wrote other Rush songs such as "Force Ten," "Between Sun and Moon," and "Test For Echo”
The grammy-nominated instrumental “YYZ” was on the band’s eighth studio album, 1981's Moving Pictures. The track's title is the IATA Airport Code (YYZ) for Toronto Pearson International Airport
Lil' Rush was an exclusive South Park animation short created for the band. The short was shown as the opening to the song "Tom Sawyer" on the band's Snakes & Arrows Tour in 2007
Rush was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on April 18, 2013. They were inducted by Foo Fighters members Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins, who performed ’2112”s classic ‘Overture’ in vintage Rush costumes with the newly inducted band
In November 2014, the R40 box set was released, which commemorated the fortieth anniversary of the release of the band's self-titled debut album. The set included five previously released live video albums, as well as various previously unreleased footage from across the band's career
