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Carrie Nuttall was Rush drummer Neil Peart’s wife. Peart passed away on January 7 after a battle with brain cancer, his family said in a statement. Peart had been battling the disease in private for three years.
He was 67 years old. Peart retired from performing in 2015.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Nuttall Published a Book of Photographs of Peart in 2005
At the time of his death, Peart had been living in Santa Monica, California, with his photographer wife, Nuttall, and their daughter, Olivia, who was born in 2009.
In 2005, Nuttall published a book of photos, “Rhythm and Light,” that showed Peart in the studio with Rush during the band’s “Vapor Trails” sessions.
2. Nuttall & Peart Were Introduced to Each Other by Rush Photographer Andrew MacNaughtan
Nuttall and Peart were introduced to each other by Rush photographer Andrew MacNaughtan. When McNaughtan passed away in 2012, Peart wrote on his website that Nuttall had been working as MacNaughtan’s photography assistant when he introduced the couple. Peart wrote, “Andrew was determined to find a ‘match’ for this crusty old widower. When my motorcycle had carried me back across the continent yet again, to pause in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Andrew sent me a few test Polaroids of a photo assistant he had been working with — a pretty dark-haired girl named Carrie. Again, I was reluctant, gruffly telling him, ‘not interested’ — but finally I made my meandering way west again, and stopped for a while in Los Angeles.” The rest was history and McNaughtan would go on to speak at Peart and Nuttall’s wedding.
3. Nuttall Said in the Past That She Was a Fan of Rush in High School But Didn’t Know the Band Member’s Names
In a July 2005 interview, Nuttall said that she had been a fan of Rush in high school but did not know the band member’s names.
During that same interview, Nuttall spoke about capturing Peart in the studio saying, “He’s obviously an intense, focused, driven person while he’s working, and he holds extremely high standards for himself and that’s why he’s as successful as he is. So it was very, very interesting to observe him; so many people would tell me, “Your husband is so lucky,” or “Your husband is so talented.” I’ve never seen anyone work as hard as Neil does; of course, he’s talented, but it’s not just a matter of luck.”
4. Peart’s Common-Law-Wife & Daughter Died Within 12 Months of Each Other in 1997 & 1998
The couple married in September 2000. That came two years after Peart’s common-law-wife, Jacqueline Taylor, died after a battle with cancer. That was a year after the couple’s daughter, Selena Taylor, was killed at the age of 19 following a car accident. Peart wrote in a 2009 blog post that Olivia’s due date was August 12, two days after the anniversary of Selena’s death.
5. It Was Nuttall Who Encouraged Peart to Keep His Home in the Laurentian Mountains
In addition to their home in Santa Monica, Nuttall and Peart also had a home in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, Canada, the late drummer said in a 2014 blog post. Peart said it was Nuttall who encouraged him keep a home in the area.
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