Iron Maiden Stars Remember Rush Icon Neil Peart

William Lee | 01-22-2020

Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris and drummer Nicko McBrain have separately shared their reaction to the death of legendary Rush drummer and lyricist Neal Peart earlier this month.

"I never met Neil. I met the other two guys [Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson]," Harris told Rob Rush Radio. "Yeah, it's a sad loss with Neil passing - just awful, really." He then repeated, "Yeah, awful."

Nicko spoke to Eonmusic earlier this week about his feelings over Peart's passing. He said, "I only met Neil once, at a show way way back in the late '80s. We were playing in the same city, I think it was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, somewhere like that. They were doing a show, and we went to their show, got to meet them, and I got to sit and talk with Neil, a wonderful, articulated man.

"He was quiet, he was very reserved, but when you sat down with him, my impression of him was of a very articulated, very educated kind, and I liked him very much. And I loved his playing."

He shared that he learned about Neil's death via social media. He said, "Friends were phoning me: 'Oh my god, have you heard the news?' My immediate thought was for his family and Geddy and Alex. I thought, 'Oh gosh, how must they all be feeling?', because they were really his family. Not to take away from his wife and his kids."

Nicko also discussed the impact that Neil had on rock drumming, "I've influenced players, but I think Neil reached a lot more youngsters than perhaps myself because of the way he played.

"Yeah, the drumming community has lost a true diplomat for the instrument, and a wonderful human being, and an absolutely phenomenal player. He'll be sorely missed."