Today In Rock: April 20th, 2017 – Rush Is Honored
On this day… Rush — Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart — received the Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award at the annual Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Awards Gala Dinner. The honor was for the group’s achievements and longstanding career in the music industry, social activism and support of humanitarian causes.
“They’re giving us an award for doing what everyone should do,” said Lee. “It should be a part of everyone’s upbringing and routine of life: You share when you’ve been blessed with good fortune. The world needs a lot of work, and there are not enough workers. We try to help where we can.”
Rush donated their prize to the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer. Downie (pictured), the singer and lyricist for the Tragically Hip, was living with the disease at the time, only to die of brain cancer later that year.
Following Downie’s death the band said they would no longer perform under the name.
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