Tragedy has struck the Peart family again, five years after the death of famed Rush drummer Neil Peart in 2020. Neil Peart’s brother, Danny, passed away from complications of the cancer on March 13. The announcement of his death came from his sister, Nancy Peart Burkholder.
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“On this dreary Sunday it is with great sadness that we share that this past Thursday evening we lost our third Peart man and 2nd brother, Danny, after his year and a half battle with glioblastoma (brain cancer),” said Burkholder, via the Neil Peart Drums and Drumming Facebook group. “Danny shared our amazing Peart traits that all of our men carried, a true gentleman with a kind heart and generous spirit.”
RIP Danny Peart, brother of Neil Peart, who passed away a short time ago from Glioblastoma, the same cancer that took Neil from us. We were very lucky both meet Danny and speak with him on our podcast. He was such a kind man. Our heartfelt condolences to the Peart Family. pic.twitter.com/6x63A20Mzl
— Something For Nothing (@RushFanCast) March 16, 2025
Neil and Danny Peart suffered from the same type of brain cancer. Glioblastoma is a rare and particularly aggressive type of brain cancer. It isn’t clear when Danny was diagnosed nor when he started treatment.
Remembering Danny Peart
Danny Peart was born in Ontario and moved to Vancouver, where he lived with his wife Janette and his two sons, Nick and Max.
While some might remember Danny as Neil Peart’s brother, he was an accomplished artist in his own right. He was a successful poet and writer, and also happened to be a member of the League of Canadian Poets. His published works are still beloved by fans today, including Another Mountain To Climb and Stark Naked In A Laundromat. Much of his work is available via his website.
Despite having his own accomplished career as a creative, Danny spoke often about his brother Neil Peart’s legacy as a member of the famed rock band Rush and as a writer himself. According to Danny, both brothers loved writing.
“He’ll be remembered, certainly, as a rock drummer,” Danny once said in a podcast interview from 2023. “I hope he’ll be remembered as a writer. […] I think he’ll be remembered, certainly, by his friends. And I think, I don’t know; time will tell, but all of us, when we write, when you’re a musician, all of us are trying to last. We’d like to be remembered that we did make a difference, that we showed up and gave it our best shot, and certainly Neil’s.”
We wish the Peart family nothing but the best during this difficult and tragic time.
Photo via X
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