Foo Fighters Mourn the Death of ‘Brilliant’ Neil Peart

The music world is mourning the death of legendary drummer of Rush, Neil Peart, who died following a battle with brain cancer. The latest rockers to pay tribute to their hero are the Foo Fighters, who shared a touching message on Facebook on Friday (Jan. 10).

In the statement, frontman Dave Grohl called the late musician "An inspiration to millions with an unmistakable sound who spawned generations of musicians (like myself) to pick up two sticks and chase a dream. A kind thoughtful, brilliant man who ruled our radios and turntables not only with his drumming, but also his beautiful words."

"I still vividly remember my listen of '2112' when I was young," Grohl continued. "It was the first time I really listened to a drummer. And since that day, music has never been the same. His power, precision, and composition was incomparable. He was called 'The Professor' for a reason: we all learned from him."

The Foo Fighters' drummer Taylor Hawkins contributed a fittingly simple addition to the statement: "Neil Peart had the hands of God."

Read the full message below.