Neil Peart, drummer and lyricist for Canadian rock band Rush, has died from brain cancer aged 67.

The musician, considered one of rock’s greatest ever drummers, died on Tuesday in Santa Monica, California.

Rush, the band he played with for 45 years, confirmed his death in a statement posted to Twitter.

The statement said Peart, their “soul brother”, had been suffering from glioblastoma – a type of brain cancer – for three-and-a-half years.

“It is with broken hearts and the deepest sadness that we must share the terrible news that on Tuesday our friend, soul brother and band mate of over 45 years, Neil, has lost his incredibly brave three-and-a-half-year battle with brain cancer,” the statement says.

source bbc.com