Alex Lifeson, a member of the famous rock band Rush, was born on August 27th, 1953, in Fernie, Canada.
Lifeson is the guitarist for Rush, a Canadian progressive rock band that rose to stardom in the 70s and 80s. The rock legend is one of the band’s founding members and is the only member of Rush who was part of the original lineup. His time and career as a musician started in high school, so let us get to it!
His introduction to playing instruments was not so rock and roll; Lifeson learned to play the viola before picking up the guitar at age 12. His first guitar was a Christmas gift, an acoustic six-string that he later traded for an electric. Lifeson has said that during this time, his inspirations included the likes of Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jimi Hendrix. We can see these influences within Rush’s music.
Lifeson met co-founder and original Rush drummer John Rutsey at school in 1963. The boys bonded over their mutual love for music and decided to form a band. This band was originally named The Projection, but would later become the infamous Rush! 1968 brought the name change and the addition of bassist and vocalist Jeff Jones. Geddy Lee soon replaced Jeff Jones, and Neil Peart went onto replace John Rutsey in 1974.
Obviously, we know predominantly of Lifeson’s work as a guitarist for Rush and contributing to some of their greatest hits, including,
- Fly by Night (1975)
- Close to the Heart (1977)
- Tom Sawyer (1981)
- Limelight (1981)
- Time Stand Still (1987)
But we should also acknowledge Lifeson’s contributions to other bands, including two guitar solos for the band Alien Shores in 1985. He also produced music for the band 3 Doors Down and even co-wrote the song On That Note by Marco Minnemann. Lifeson has also had a small acting career; consisting predominantly of a few features on the comedy series Trailer Park Boys, he plays a slightly fictionalized version of himself in these features.
Lifeson even has some creative writing skills, as he has written forewards for three books, including Behind the Stage Door by Rich Engler, Shredders!: The Oral History Of Speed Guitar (And More) by Greg Prato, and Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Book of Bass by Geddy Lee. Is there any creative endeavor this man cannot master?
There is little doubt about Alex Lifeson’s creative genius. He has accomplished so much in his lifetime, winning awards for his guitar skills and becoming a Rock Roll Hall of Fame inductee in 2013. Lifeson now spends his time painting, golfing, and flying. We all hope to hear and see some more of his creative genius soon!