Geddy Lee of Rush opens up about the lack of respect from drummers following Neil Peart’s loss
Author Benedetta Baldin - 19.5.2026
RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee revealed in a recent interview with Guitar World magazine that in the days following the death of famous RUSH drummer Neil Peart, a number of drummers contacted him and RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson regarding the prospect of replacing Neil, as per Blabbermouth.
People who are close to us — good friends that are successful drummers — would never infer something like that because they have too much respect, not only for Neil and for the situation, they were grieving as well, so they wouldn’t be so selfish as to say something inappropriate like that. There were many other drummers who reached out to me in the aftermath of Neil’s passing that were pushing themselves, and that was most distasteful to me. It was completely inappropriate timing.
As the Canadian rock titans continue on their unexpected “Fifty Something” reunion tour this year, Lee explained how he and Lifeson ended up hiring award-winning fusion drummer Anika Nilles to cover for Peart.
We didn’t really know where to begin to look. We started with Anika because she had been recommended to me, and I had done some research on her. I loved her vibe and diverse style. We didn’t have a list, when Al and I finally said, ‘Okay, I guess we’re getting serious. Who’s going to sit in that impossible seat? It’s daunting. We started with the name that was already on my mind. We called her up, she came, and we hit it off. She brought a lot to the table, but more than her chops, more than her guts, and her willingness to sit in that hot seat, she brought an intelligence and a story.
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