John Howard Rutsey (July 23, 1952 – May 11, 2008) was a Canadian drummer best known as a co-founding member of Rush. He performed on the band\'s debut album but left in 1974, due to musical differences and health problems. He was replaced by Neil Peart. Tape-recorded comments from Rutsey are heard in the 2010 documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, and the DVD release includes two performances with him on drums.\n', '

Rutsey had two brothers, an older one, Bill, and baseball writer Mike. His father, Howard Rutsey, was a crime reporter for the Toronto Telegram and died of a heart attack. John lived at home with his mother, Eva, and was a student at St. Paschals School. Whereas Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson were listening to bands such as Yes, Pink Floyd and Genesis, Rutsey drew more inspiration from the styles of bands such as Bad Company.\n', '

In 1963, Rutsey met Lifeson, while attending St. Paschals School. Rutsey would play hockey with him on the street. Both interested in music, they decided to form a band. The two would be part of the band \'The Projection\' with Bill Fitzgerald and "Doc" Cooper.\n', '

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