R.I.P. Neil Peart

 Well. I had planned to write about something completely different today. But life doesn't care what I had planned.

 Today the world learned that Neil Peart, legendary drummer and lyracist of Rush had passed away on January 7th of brain cancer.

 For me personally this is devastating. When I first expressed an interest in playing drums my father introduced me to Rush. Basically saying you don't get to be a drummer without looking up to this guy. He was absolutely correct. The Professor got his nickname for a reason. No drummer worth a damn doesn't count him amongst their influences. I imagine few musicians do.

 I'm not usually all that shook up over celebrity deaths. Musicians are the only ones that ever get to me and even then it's not usually that bad. The Rev got to me. So did Chester Bennington. But otherwise I may feel a pinch of sadness and reflect a little on what these guys and gals mean to me. That's usually it.

 It's different today though. Neil's influence on me goes way beyond just musical hero. Today I cried and probably will again.

 You see not only was he the best drummer in history, which influenced me to keep practicing and playing when I was young and needed that release the most. He was also an amazing song writer. His lyrics have never been matched. He could write a story based on the plethora of sci-fi novels he had read and make you feel engaged with the protagonist. He could also write about his personal experiences and do the same thing. He would write about social issues and make you feel empathy and make you rethink, or maybe think for the first time, about your position on a subject.

 It would be a drastic understatement to say that he and Rush had a massive impact on me maturing on a phsycological and intilectual level. I'm still far too ignorant to put their place in my life into words that will properly convey my meaning.

 Probably more important was the way Neil conducted himself. Musically he made a decision not to compromise. This can be said of Rush as a whole. I can't respect anything more than this. 2112 was their breakout album. But they wrote and recorded it with full expectation of it being a failure. But they did what they wanted the way they wanted. I think it's success speaks for itself. Neil himself was notorious for not being at meet and greets and doing very few interviews. Many people took this is arogance. The truth is I think it was the exact opposite. He wrote lyrics and music and a number of books to share with the world. That's what he wanted to do. He wanted to create something we could enjoy through which he could express himself. He didn't want to be adored or worshiped as a man. He wanted his work to be appreciated. He was a private person. Which is why it was a shock today when we all found out he had been battling cancer for 3 and a half years. He didn't make a sideshow out of it. He didn't use his fame to attract sympathy and attention. He was a class act through and through, right up until the end.

 I honestly have no idea what I have written thus far. I'm in a bit of a fog. It's just a stream of raw thought and emotion. I guess the silver lining is that as far as celebrity deaths go it will never be worse than this for me.