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Rush music biography continued...

formed in August 1968, in Toronto, Canada, initially comprised guitarist Alex Lifeson, vocalist/bassist Geddy Lee, and drummer John Rutsey. The trio honed their craft on the Toronto club circuit, and game out with their self-titled debut LP in 1974 at which time Rutsey left the band and was replaced by drummer Neil Peart. The new lineup released a pair of LPs, Fly by Night and Caress of Steel, in 1975, but they wouldn't break through commercially until 1976's 2112, a futuristic concept album based on the writings of Ayn Rand. A Farewell to Kings followed in 1977 and reached the Top 40 in both the U.S. and Britain. After 1978's Hemispheres, Rush achieved even greater popularity with 1980's Permanent Waves, which yielded the hit, "The Spirit of Radio." With 1981's Moving Pictures, the trio garnered even more attention with the tune "Tom Sawyer," which received heavy airplay on album-oriented radio and became their most well-known song. As the 1980s continued, Rush grew into a hugely successful live draw as albums like 1982's Signals (which generated the smash "New World Man"), 1984's Grace Under Pressure, and 1985's Power Windows continued to rack up sales in the millions. As the 80s drew to a close, the group cut back on their performing schedule, but continued to record into the 90s, recapturing an earlier sound that pleased long-time fans and was a tribute to the band's staying power.



After Pert lost a daughter in an automobile accident and his wife to cancer in 1998, Rush seemed to teeter on the brink of extinction. However, fans were reassured in early 2002 by news that Rush were recording new songs in Toronto. Coming out of those sessions was Rush's 17th studio album, Vapor Trails, dropped in the spring of 2002. In 2004 the band embarked on their 30th anniversary tour, and would later hit the studios again in search of the very musical magic they had made together for so many years. Indeed, as a group, Rush possesses 24 gold records and 14 platinum (3 multi-platinum) records, placing them fourth behind the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Kiss for the most gold and platinum albums by a band in music history.