(information courtesy of Wikipedia's entry on Rush)

Rush is a Canadian rock band comprising bassist, keyboardist, and vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. Rush was formed in the summer of 1968, in the neighborhood of Willowdale in Toronto, Ontario, by Lifeson, Lee, and John Rutsey. Peart replaced Rutsey on drums in July 1974, two weeks before the group's first U.S. tour, to complete the present lineup. Since the release of the band's self-titled debut album in 1974 Rush has become known for the instrumental virtuosity of its members, complex compositions, and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy, and individualist libertarian philosophy, as well as addressing humanitarian and environmental concerns.

Musically, Rush has changed its style dramatically over the years, beginning in the vein of blues-inspired heavy metal on their eponymous debut to styles encompassing hard rock, progressive rock, a period dominated by synthesizers and, more recently, modern rock. Rush's three decades of continued success under the lineup of Lee, Lifeson, and Peart have earned the band the respect of their musical peers. Rush has influenced various modern artists such as Metallica, The Smashing Pumpkins and Primus, as well as many notable progressive metal bands such as Dream Theater and Symphony X.

Rush has been awarded several Juno Awards and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994. 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 with each member winning several awards in magazine readers' polls. As a whole, Rush boasts 23 gold records and 14 platinum (3 multi-platinum) records, making them one of the best-selling rock bands in history. These statistics place Rush fifth behind The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, KISS and Aerosmith for the most consecutive gold and platinum albums by a rock band. Rush ranks 78th in U.S. album sales according to the RIAA with sales of 24.5 million units. Although total worldwide album sales are not calculated by any single entity, as of 2004 several industry sources estimated Rush's total worldwide album sales at over 35 million units sold.

Biography courtesy of Wikipedia's entry on Geddy Lee

Geddy Lee OC (born Gary Lee Weinrib on July 29, 1953 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian musician best known as the vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush. Lee joined Rush in 1968 at the request of his childhood friend, Alex Lifeson.

An award-winning musician, Lee's style, technique, and skill on the bass guitar have proven very influential in the rock and heavy metal genres, inspiring such players as Steve Harris of Iron Maiden, John Myung of Dream Theater, Les Claypool of Primus, and Cliff Burton of Metallica.

In addition to his composing, arranging, and performing duties for Rush, Lee has produced albums for various other bands, including Rocket Science. Geddy Lee's first solo effort, My Favourite Headache, was released in 2000.

Lee's parents were Jewish refugees from Poland who had been survivors of Nazi concentration camps Dachau and Bergen-Belsen during World War II. In 2004, Canadian Jewish News featured Lee's reflections on his mother's experiences as a refugee, and of his own Jewish heritage. Lee's stage name, Geddy, was inspired by his mother's heavily-accented pronunciation of his given first name, Gary.

Biography courtesy of Wikipedia's entry on Alex Lifeson

Alex Lifeson OC (born Alexander Zivojinovich on August 27, 1953, in Fernie, British Columbia, Canada), is a Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist for the rock group Rush.

Lifeson founded Rush in the summer of 1968, and has been an integral member of the three-piece band ever since. For Rush, Lifeson plays electric and acoustic guitars as well as other stringed instruments. He also performs backing vocals in live performances, and occasionally plays keyboards. During live performances, Lifeson, like the other members of Rush, performs real-time triggering of sampled instruments, concurrently with his guitar playing.

The bulk of Lifeson's work in music has been with Rush, although Lifeson has contributed to a body of work outside of the band as well. Aside from music, Lifeson is part owner of the Toronto restaurant The Orbit Room, and is a licensed aircraft pilot and motorcycle rider.

The son of Serbian immigrants, Nenad and Melka Zivojinovich, Lifeson was born in Fernie, British Columbia, Canada and raised in Toronto, Ontario. His assumed stage name of "Lifeson" is a semi-literal translation of the name "Zivojinovich", meaning "son of life".

Lifeson's nickname among his associates is "Lerxst" (variously spelled as "Lerxt"). The name appears in the sub-titles of La Villa Strangiato, an instrumental based humorously on Lifeson's nightmares, from the Rush album Hemispheres. "Hope", an instrumental track from the album Snakes & Arrows which features Lifeson exclusively, is credited to "Lerxst Lifeson, all by his own self".

Biography courtesy of Wikipedia's entry on Neil Peart

Neil Ellwood Peart OC, (born September 12, 1952 in Hagersville, Ontario) is a Canadian musician and author. He is best known as the drummer and lyricist for the rock band Rush.

Peart grew up in Port Dalhousie, Ontario, Canada (now part of St. Catharines) working the occasional odd job. However, his true ambition was to become a professional musician. At the age of thirteen, Peart received a pair of drumsticks, a rubber practice pad, and drum lessons with the promise that if he stuck with the lessons for one year his parents would buy him a drum kit. As promised, he received his first drumkit at fourteen and soon began rigorously practicing.

During adolescence, he floated from regional band to regional band and eventually dropped out of high school in order to pursue his career as a full-time drummer. After a discouraging stint in England to concentrate on his music, Peart returned home, where he eventually joined local Toronto band Rush in the summer of 1974.

Early in his career, Peart's style of playing was deeply rooted in hard rock where he drew most of his inspiration from drummers such as Keith Moon and John Bonham, players who were at the forefront of the British hard rock scene. As time progressed however, he began to absorb the influence of Jazz and Big Band musicians such as Gene Krupa, and more recently, the late Buddy Rich. Peart is also one of the more recent pupils of jazz instructor, Freddie Gruber. In terms of music, Peart has received many awards for his recorded performances and is widely regarded for his technical proficiency and stamina. In terms of influence, he is one of the most important drummers in history.

In addition to his profession as a musician, Peart is also a prolific writer, being the author of several published travelogues and evidenced by his position as chief lyricist for Rush. Over the years, Peart has become known for an apersonal writing style and a propensity for addressing diverse subject matter including science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy, as well as secular, humanitarian and libertarian themes.