Career
Originally born in Toronto, Ontario, Rutsey had two brothers, Bill & Mike. His father, Howard Rutsey, was a crime reporter for the old Toronto Telegram and had died of a heart attack. He never had any kind of job during his time with bands such as The Projection, living at home with his mom, Eva.
In 1963 Rutsey met future Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson while they both attended St. Paschals. John would play hockey with Alex on the street. Both interested in music, they decided to form a band. The band's name "Rush" was suggested by John's brother, during a band meeting in Rutsey's basement.
Ian Grandy stated; "John and my brother, Al, were in 4th grade together. I don’t know exactly how they got together, but my brother was in 'The Projection' with John, Alex (Lifeson) Zivojinovich (“Son Of Life” in Yugoslavian), Bill Fitzgerald, and “Doc” Cooper in 1967. If they played actual gigs, it would have been at parties and I don’t know where else. John was the guy who would bug everyone to practice, and I think thought of himself as a “rock and roller”. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: There would have been no 'Rush' without John... Anyway, John led the guys as far as being 'glam rockers', with really flashy jackets and pants, and 8 inch high boots. One time, he was speaking to me at the Gasworks and I said 'Didn’t we used to be the same height (5’8”)?' He laughed and said 'Well, maybe a long time ago!'"
Not long after the band formed, Jones left and was replaced by current bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee. During these early years, Rutsey played on the "Not Fade Away"/"You Can't Fight It" single as well as the debut album.
Lee and Lifeson both acknowledged that during the writing and recording sessions for the band's debut album Rutsey was given the role of chief lyricist; however, when the time came to start recording, he did not deliver any lyrics. In interviews, Lee and Lifeson have both said that Rutsey was dissatisfied with what he had written and tore up the lyric sheets.
Soon after Rush released its debut album, Rutsey left the band, due to musical differences and health concerns related to diabetes, and like most other teenagers he liked drinking. This may have posed potential problems with extended tours. His final performance with the group was on July 25, 1974 at Centennial Hall in London, Ontario. He was replaced by Neil Peart.
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