U.S. Army Band Pays Tribute To Neil Peart

Beautiful and Moving

The United States Army Band recently honored legendary sticksman Neil Peart with a cover of Rush’s 1987 single “Time Stand Still.” Peart passed away on January 7, 2020 and ever since the announcement was made on January 10, tributes have been pouring from all over the globe.

And the following moving rendition was made possible by Sergeant First Class Tim Whalen who happens to be a lifelong Rush fan. Like most people when they first heard the news of Peart’s death, Whalen was “shocked and saddened.” He said, “The lyrics to this song have always resonated deeply with me, and they show Neil’s heart. I wanted to showcase the deep humanity he had in his writing.”

He also added, “The song is about life moving too fast, due to both things we can control and things we can’t, and the desire to hold onto something just a little longer. This is such a universal message, whether it be children growing up too fast, a loved one dying, or a soldier leaving home wondering if they’ll ever see their family again.”

Whalen, along with SFC Chris Rettig, are on vocals and backed by their fellow US Army members – MSG Dan Roberts (piano), SFC Zack Pride (bass), SFC Matthew Evans (violin), SSG Patrick Lin (violin), MSG Holly Watters (viola), and SSG Aaron Ludwig (cello).

The video has been shared across Rush’s social media channels. Check it out below.