Neil Peart, drummer for influential rockers Rush, dead at 67

Neil Peart, the renowned drummer and lyricist from the influential Canadian band Rush, has died.

He was 67.

His representative, Elliot Mintz, said in a statement on Friday that Peart died at his home on Tuesday in Santa Monica, California.

The band posted a message on Twitter also confirming the news.

Peart was born on 12 September 1952 in Ontario.

Music became an outlet for the self-described introvert who remained a quiet, under-the-radar star his entire career.

Peart placed fourth on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time, just behind Ginger Baker, Keith Moon and John Bonham.

Peart's jaw-dropping percussion skills, though, were matched by his wondrous skill with lyrics as Rush composed song after thought-provoking song that deftly explored the human condition or conjured up mysterious realms beyond the humdrum life of the band's heyday in the 1970s, '80s and '90s.

Peart was precise, deliberate and skilled behind his sprawling drum kit, but his innovative lyrics helped set Rush apart from other prog rock bands.

Peart was also an author and published six books.

At one point in the 1990s, he took jazz drumming instruction, explaining to Classic Rock: "After 40, 45 years of playing, I wanted to push myself and open up this whole new frontier. I've been able to do that as a lyricist and as a prose writer, and now as a drummer."

In 2015, Peart announced he was retiring from touring, saying he was struggling with ailments and concerned he would not be able to play in top form.