Welcome to the 9 Lives of Peter Criss

as originally posted by KISSFREAK75 over at KFS

Original Rush drummer dies

John Rutsey, original drummer for Canadian prog-rock band Rush, died last week from complications stemming from a lifelong battle with diabetes. He was 55. Rutsey was a founding member when Rush formed in the spring of 1968 along with guitarist Alex Lifeson and then bassist/vocalist Jeff Jones.

Jones would be replaced shortly thereafter by Geddy Lee.

"Our memories of the early years of Rush when John was in the band are very fond to us," Lee and Lifeson said in a statement released yesterday through Universal Music.

"Those years spent in our teens dreaming of one day doing what we continue to do decades later are special. Although our paths diverged many years ago, we smile today, thinking back on those exciting times and remembering John's wonderful sense of humour and impeccable timing. He will be deeply missed by all he touched."

Rutsey remained with Rush until July, 1974 when he left the band due to musical differences and, being a diabetic, health reasons.

He was replaced by drummer Neil Peart who joined the band on July 29, 1974, weeks before Rush began an American tour as a support act on a bill with Uriah Heep and Manfred Mann.

The trio of Lifeson, Peart and bassist/singer Geddy Lee have been together ever since. Rutsey appeared on the band's self-titled debut album which was released in March, 1974 and on Rush's first single in 1973. The single included a cover of Buddy Holly's Not Fade Away on Side A and You Can't Fight It, a composition by Geddy Lee and Rutsey, on Side B.

Released through the band's own label Moon Records but garnering little in terms of sales or buzz, the extremely rare single is considered to be a highly coveted collector's item.

In a 1989 Rockline radio interview, Lifeson stated Rutsey gave up performing after leaving Rush and went into bodybuilding.

"He competed on an amateur level for a while, doing that a few years, and has sort of been in and out of that, but he still works out, and I work out with him a few times a week at a local gym - at a Gold's here in Toronto," Lifeson said.

Although no longer with Rush when the band achieved its greatest success, Rutsey's mark on the band has not been forgotten.

Rutsey is the name of a Rush tribute band from New York City which states on its Myspace page www.myspace.com/rutsey it's "doing for Rush what John Rutsey would've done!" A tribute album entitled Lush featuring the cover band was released in 2007 by Main Man Records which recreated Rush's first album.

Meanwhile, online condolences poured in from Rush fans around the world including messages from Australia, Germany, the United States, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

"You were the ORIGINAL drummer in the greatest band in the world," writes Douglas Walsh of Metairie, La.

"If not for YOU, who knows what would have happened! Although you may not have known it, you were loved and respected by all Rush fans and the band themselves. God bless ya man! Drum on!"
Rush is currently touring on its Snakes & Arrows Live world tour. The group begins a string of Canadian dates May 24 at Winnipeg's MTS Centre.

Oh, that is sad.