RATT singer Stephen Pearcy has commented on the passing of Neil Peart , who died on January 7 in Santa Monica, California after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. The iconic RUSH drummer was 67 years old.
Pearcy spoke about Peart 's passing in a new interview with "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" conducted at the Metal Hall Of Fame event in Anaheim, California. Asked how influential RUSH was on him musically, Stephen said (see video below): "Not at all, really. I wasn't really into RUSH . I came from school of [ LED ] ZEPPELIN and AEROSMITH , BLUE ÖYSTER CULT , ALICE COOPER … But they were an amazing band — there's no denying. It's a bummer. Anytime we lose anybody, it's a drag. Like losing [ RATT guitarist] Robbin [ Crosby ] — that was the end of that era for us. It's never gonna be duplicated, and that's why we've had so much dysfunction. But we're not the most dysfunctional band on the planet."
RUSH announced Peart 's passing on January 10, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.
RUSH 's final show took place at the Forum in Los Angeles on August 1, 2015. Peart indicated at the time that he wanted to retire while he was still able to play well, along with a desire to spend more time at home with his young daughter.
RATT 's current lineup includes Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier , along with drummer Pete Holmes ( BLACK 'N BLUE ) and guitarists Jordan Ziff and Chris Sanders ( BRITNY FOX , KNIGHT FURY ).
