Alex Lifeson
Aleksandar Živojinović OC (born 27 August 1953), known professionally as Alex Lifeson (/ˈlaɪfsən/), is a Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist for the rock band Rush. In 1968, Lifeson co-founded a band that would later become Rush, with drummer John Rutsey and bassist and lead vocalist Jeff Jones. Jones was replaced by Geddy Lee a month later, and Rutsey was replaced by Neil Peart in 1974, after which the lineup remained unchanged until the band's dissolution in 2018. Lifeson was the only member of Rush who stayed in the band throughout its entire existence, and he and Lee were the only members to appear on all of the band's albums.
Alex Lifeson
Aleksandar Živojinović
Lerxst
27 August 1953
Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
Guitarist
1963–present
With Rush, Lifeson played electric and acoustic guitar, as well as other various string instruments such as mandola, mandolin, and bouzouki. He also performed backing vocals in live performances and select studio recordings, and occasionally played keyboards and bass pedal synthesizers. Like the other members of Rush, Lifeson performed real-time on-stage triggering of sampled instruments.[1] Along with his bandmates Geddy Lee and Neil Peart, Lifeson was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on 9 May 1996. The trio was the first rock band to be so honoured as a group.[2] In 2013, he was inducted with Rush into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.[3] Lifeson was ranked 98th on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time[4] and third (after Eddie Van Halen and Brian May) in a Guitar World readers' poll listing the 100 greatest guitarists.[5]
The bulk of Lifeson's work in music has been with Rush, although Lifeson has contributed to a body of work outside the band as well, including a solo album titled Victor (1996). Aside from music, Lifeson has been a painter,[6] a licensed aircraft pilot, an actor, and the former part-owner of a Toronto bar and a restaurant called The Orbit Room, which closed in 2020.[7][8]
Other instruments played[edit]
Stringed instruments[edit]
In addition to acoustic and electric guitars, Lifeson has also played mandola, mandolin and bouzouki on some Rush studio albums, including Test for Echo, Vapor Trails and Snakes & Arrows. For his Victor project and Little Drummer Boy for the Merry Axemas album, he also played bass and programmed synthesizers.
Electronic instruments[edit]
During live Rush performances, Lifeson used MIDI controllers that enabled him to use his free hands and feet to trigger sounds from digital samplers and synthesizers, without taking his hands off his guitar. (Prior to this, Lifeson used Moog Taurus Bass Pedals before they were replaced by Korg MIDI pedals in the 1980s.) Lifeson and his bandmates shared a desire to accurately depict songs from their albums when playing live performances. Toward this goal, beginning in the late 1980s the band equipped their live performances with a capacious rack of samplers. The band members used these samplers in real-time to recreate the sounds of non-traditional instruments, accompaniments, vocal harmonies, and other sound "events" that are familiarly heard on the studio versions of the songs. In live performances, the band members shared duties throughout most songs, with each member triggering certain sounds with his available limbs, while playing his primary instrument(s).[1]
Influence[edit]
Many guitarists have cited Lifeson as an influence, such as Paul Gilbert of Mr. Big,[49] John Petrucci of Dream Theater,[50] Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree,[51] Jim Martin of Faith No More,[52] Denis "Piggy" D'Amour of Voivod,[53] Parris Mayhew formerly of Cro-Mags,[54] and John Wesley.[40]
James Hetfield from Metallica named Lifeson one of the best rhythm guitarists of all time.[55] Marillion guitarist Steve Rothery has expressed his admiration for Lifeson's "dexterity" as a live performer and described Rush as a "fantastic live band".[56] Jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, after citing him as an influence, praised his "incredible sound and imagination".[57]