Neil Peart Retires

The R40 tour was probably going to be the last for the trio, with guitarist Alex Lifeson saying his psoriatic arthritis would hinder the chances of a future outing.

That was followed with a recent interview with Drumhead Magazine (via Consequence Of Sound) where Peart made the following comment: “Lately Olivia has been introducing me to new friends at school as ‘My dad– He’s a retired drummer.’ True to say–funny to hear. And it does not pain me to realize that, like all athletes, there comes a time to… take yourself out of the game. I would rather set it aside than face the predicament described in our song ‘Losing It’ (‘Sadder still to watch it die, than never to have known it’).”

Peart, who has buried a wife and a daughter, has suggested in the past that his desire to tour was being overshadowed by a desire to stay at home with his family, which includes his second wife and Olivia, who is 6.