Last Friday on stage in Phoenix, Styx keyboardist Lawrence Gowan paid tribute to his fellow Canadian and friend, Rush drummer Neil Peart, who passed away earlier in the week from brain cancer at the age of 67. Gowan did a snippet of Rush’s “Limelight” on piano.
Also paying tribute to Peart was original Styx keyboardist Dennis DeYoung, who wrote, “It’s a sad day indeed what with the passing of Neil Peart. Early on, Styx played some shows with Rush and he was one helluva drummer…
“When Rush retired in deference to Neil’s diminishing skills I thought it showed loyalty to a sick brother. I never realized just how ill he was. My sister-in-law Dawn, who as you may know sang with me for many years, also succumbed to brain cancer. It’s an awful disease. Here’s hoping technology will interconnect all the planets great minds and find a cure. They’re making progress. So long Neil. You are still today’s Tom Sawyer.”
