Brother Neil Pirta Danny: A Drummer’s Journey Ends with Cancer

Brother Neil Pirte Danny Passes Away

Brother Neil Pirte Danny has sadly succumbed to the same type of cancer that plagued the legendary drummer of Rush. Find out more below.

The Legacy of Neil Peart

The esteemed drummer passed away in January 2020 after bravely battling an aggressive form of brain cancer known as glioblastoma for three and a half years. He was 67 years old. The following September, a tribute concert took place in Los Angeles, California.

Recently, on March 16, it was revealed that Neil’s younger brother, Danny, also lost his battle with glioblastoma, a little over five years after Neil’s passing. Neil and their sister, Nancy Pirta Berkholder, announced Danny’s death in a post on the Facebook PEART group – Read the full post here.

Nancy shared: “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved brother Danny last Thursday evening, following a year and a half struggle with glioblastoma.”

She further expressed Danny’s motto: “To be kind.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc0qwtntqis

Nancy then informed fans that the Pirta family would honor Danny by planting a tree in a local park beside their father’s tree and the Nile pavilion, in addition to initiating a new award starting with a golf tournament in tribute to his love for sports.

The details of Danny Pirte’s age at the time of his passing and the duration of his battle with glioblastoma remain unknown. Danny was a talented writer and poet and a member of the League of Canadian Poets. He published two outstanding collections: 2016’s Naked in the Laundry, which included a preface by Neil Peart, and 2017’s Another Mountain to Rise. He also authored two field books, Destroyed by Love and Not So Beautiful.

Recently, RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson shared that many drummers reached out to the group within “minutes,” after they announced their hiatus in 2015. Lifeson mentioned they received numerous emails from drummers eager to fill the void left by their departure.

Rush last performed together for a farewell tour in 2015, completing 35 shows across North America, marking their departure from the music scene that they had been part of for more than four decades. In 2022, Lifeson and Geddy Lee made a public appearance to perform as part of tribute shows honoring the late Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, in Los Angeles and London.

Despite this, Lifeson recently expressed his satisfaction with how Rush concluded their tour in 2015 and ruled out the possibility of a reunion. “The energy was fantastic at that last show,” he stated. “Some days I wake up wanting to tour again, and other days I don’t.” He acknowledged, “For forty years, Rush was a part of my life, and I don’t think any new iteration could capture the same magic.”

Lifeson emphasized that while he continues to perform regularly with Lee, he values the camaraderie that comes with aging. “It’s good to play with friends as we get older,” he added. “I need to play.”