MUSICIAN

John Rutsey

1952 - 2008

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John Howard Rutsey (July 23, 1952 – May 11, 2008) was a Canadian musician best known as a founding member and original drummer of Rush. He performed on the band's 1974 debut album, but left shortly after its release due to health problems which limited his ability to tour with the band. He was subsequently replaced by Neil Peart, who remained Rush's drummer for the rest of its active history until 2015, and was replaced postmortem by Anika Nilles for Rush's 2026 reunion. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in 17 different languages on Wikipedia. John Rutsey is the 2,482nd most popular musician (down from 2,403rd in 2024), the 812th most popular biography from Canada (down from 760th in 2019) and the 36th most popular Canadian Musician.

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Among MUSICIANS

Among musicians, John Rutsey ranks 2,482 out of 3,175. Before him are Thomas Gabriel Fischer, Randy Jackson, DJ Sammy, Bobby Hackett, Bob Wills, and Nocturno Culto. After him are Lustmord, Glen Benton, Sandy West, Brent Hinds, Kang Min-hyuk, and Bela B..

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1952, John Rutsey ranks 715. Before him are John Hickenlooper, Hossein Sheikholeslam, David Amess, Maggie Roswell, Bappi Lahiri, and John Carl Buechler. After him are Linda M. Godwin, Françoise Combes, Vera Anisimova, Roberto Bailey, Hilkka Riihivuori, and Marsha Blackburn. Among people deceased in 2008, John Rutsey ranks 381. Before him are Mahendra Kapoor, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, John S. Bull, Phyllis A. Whitney, Joseph Pevney, and Jimmy Stewart. After him are Chuck Daigh, Hrvoje Ćustić, Don LaFontaine, Malalai Kakar, Lois Nettleton, and Hazel Court.

Others Born in 1952

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Others Deceased in 2008

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In Canada

Among people born in Canada, John Rutsey ranks 812 out of 1,622. Before him are Kevin Zegers (1984), Guy Maddin (1956), Leylah Fernandez (2002), Paul Coffey (1961), Laura Vandervoort (1984), and Trish Stratus (1976). After him are Brianne Theisen-Eaton (1988), Charlene Choi (1982), Joël Lautier (1973), Caterina Scorsone (1981), Joseph Albert Sullivan (1901), and Fikayo Tomori (1997).

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Among MUSICIANS In Canada

Among musicians born in Canada, John Rutsey ranks 36. Before him are Devin Townsend (1972), Sarah McLachlan (1968), Shawn Drover (1966), Chilly Gonzales (1972), Guy Lombardo (1902), and Hugh Dillon (1963). After him are Jeff Waters (1966), Adam Gontier (1978), Bruce Fairbairn (1949), Michael Brook (1952), Isabelle Boulay (1972), and Ruth B. (1995).

Canadian born Musicians

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