Rush consists of Alex Lifeson (lead guitar / live background vocals / 12-string guitar), Geddy Lee (bass guitar / vocals / synthesizers), Neil Peart (drums / acoustic and electric percussion).
Rush is a Canadian progressive rock band comprising bassist, keyboardist and vocalist Geddy Lee (formerly Gary Lee Weinrib), guitarist Alex Lifeson (real name Alexander Zivojinovich), and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart (pronounced: 'Peert', as in 'cheer') ( IPA: [pɪɹt]). Since the release of their eponymous debut in 1974, the band became well known for their instrumental virtuosity and the complexity of their compositions. Rush formed in the summer of 1968, in Willowdale, Ontario (a northern suburb of Toronto) by Lifeson, Lee, and John Rutsey. Peart (from St. Catherines, Ontario) replaced Rutsey on drums in July of 1974, two weeks before the group's first US tour, to complete the present lineup. Rush's three decades of continued success under their current lineup of Lee, Lifeson, and Peart has earned the band the respect of their musical peers, and their supporters are often cited as one of the most intensely loyal fanbases in the history of rock. Rush have also had a profound musical influence on such artists as Dream Theater, Primus, Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins, and fellow Canadian rockers The Barenaked Ladies.
Rush has been awarded the Juno Award several times and were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994. Additionally, Lee, Lifeson, and Peart are all Officers of the Order of Canada. They are the first musicians to receive the honor. Over the course of their career, the individual members of Rush have been recognized as some of the most proficient players on their respective instruments. Each member has won several awards in magazine reader's polls. As a whole, the band boasts 22 gold records and 14 platinum (3 multi-platinum) records making them one of the best selling rock artists in history. Rush are currently tied with Kiss and trail only behind the Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the most consecutive gold and platinum albums.