He was known to fans by the nickname 'The Professor', [ 2 ] derived from the Gilligan's Island character of the same name. Peart earned numerous awards for his musical performances, including an induction into the Modern Drummer Readers Poll Hall of Fame in at the age of thirty, making him the youngest person ever so honoured.
During adolescence, he floated between regional bands in pursuit of a career as a full-time drummer. After a discouraging stint in England, Peart returned home to concentrate on music where he joined Rush, a Toronto band, in mid, six years after its formation. Together they released 19 studio albums, with 10 exceeding a million copies sold in the United States. Billboard lists the band third in "most consecutive gold or platinum albums by a rock band".
Early in his career, Peart's performance style was deeply rooted in hard rock. He drew most of his inspiration from drummers such as Keith Moon , Ginger Baker , and John Bonham , players who at the time were at the forefront of the British hard rock scene. In , Peart became a friend and pupil of jazz instructor Freddie Gruber. In addition to serving as Rush's primary lyricist, Peart published several memoirs about his travels.
His lyrics for Rush addressed universal themes and diverse subjects including science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy, as well as secular, humanitarian, and libertarian themes. Peart wrote a total of seven non-fiction books focused on his travels and personal stories. He also co-authored with Kevin J. Anderson three steampunk fantasy novels based on Rush's final album, Clockwork Angels.
The two also wrote a dark fantasy novella, Drumbeats , inspired by Peart's travels in Africa. Peart announced his retirement from touring in an interview with Drumhead Magazine in December After a three-and-a-half-year illness, [ 16 ] Peart died of glioblastoma on January 7, , at age Peart was born on September 12, , to Glen and Betty Peart and lived his early years on his family's farm in Hagersville, Ontario , [ 18 ] on the outskirts of Hamilton.
