Understanding the strange feud between Don Henley and Rush
It is a well-known fact, which Rush themselves will attest to, that their fanbase is amongst the most loyal in music. As their ardent supporters will well know, the band was rocked by Neil Peart’s grief in 1997 when the drummer’s daughter died, and just a few short years later, so did his wife. Even following their farewell album, Clockwork Angels, the progressive rock trio maintained their cult following, even after ceasing touring completely in the tragic fallout.
When the band announced they would be returning to touring after a six-year hiatus in 2002 to promote their record Vapor Trails, fans were elated. Peart had taken time to reconcile with his personal loss after considering himself retired, and their tentative recording sessions prompted Geddy Lee to note that the album was not made simply for the sake of recording new music but for “the psychological health and welfare of all the people who have gone through a very difficult time”.
It was clearly a highly emotionally involved album that fans were anxious to see live. But that didn’t stop Eagles co-founder Don Henley from telling the Vancouver Sun: “I can’t think of another band that has broken up for 14 years, then got back together and made a record. You do get bands like Rush getting back together. Yuck.”
Rush fans were incensed and very scathingly pointed out that Rush had never split up, unlike Henley’s own band. Also, while talking to the Vancouver Sun to put the comment to bed, Lee said, pointedly: “It’s not a comeback. It’s our next record”.
Informed of Henley’s comment, Lee was confused: “Why should he talk about us? What the hell did we have to do with him?” he asked. “He sounds like an asshole to me.”
The musician seemed to revel in the fan response, which included scathing quips online like: “I think someone needs to educate Mr. Henley. Rush has never broken up….so can’t exactly ‘get back together’. Unlike the Eagles, they have never stopped making new studio albums and don’t just tour on past glory.”
On the fans jumping to their defence? “Good,” said Lee. “He brought the negative energy on himself. I never met the man in my life.”
Henley was forced to recognise the sheer force of the Rush fans in a 2016 Montreal Gazette interview. “The Rush fans, I encountered them when I inducted Randy Newman into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Rush was being inducted the same night. They were a drunken, rowdy bunch,” he recalled. “They shouted down Oprah Winfrey! It was funny. But Rush, they were very charming.”
In a curious turn, maybe after being at the mercy of the fans, Henley was quick to praise Alex Lifeson’s iconic acceptance speech, which comprised of the musician saying “blah blah blah” over and over. “It was brilliant, it was fucking brilliant,” he gushed. “It just brought the house down. I’ll never forget that.” He’ll likely never forget his ill-advised comments about the much-beloved band, either.
