Neil Peart Documentary ‘No One’s Disciple’ to Feature Stewart Copeland, Chad Smith and Danny Carey
A documentary about late Rush drummer Neil Peart, titled “Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple,” is set to premiere on Canada’s CBC network on September 23, 2026. The film pairs surviving Rush members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson with three prominent guest drummers who step behind the kit in Peart’s honor.
Stewart Copeland of The Police, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Danny Carey of Tool each perform Rush material alongside Lee and Lifeson for the project. The documentary also weaves in conversations between Lee and Lifeson along with commentary from other respected drummers on how Peart shaped their own playing.
- Premiere date: September 23, 2026, on CBC in Canada
- Guest drummers: Stewart Copeland, Chad Smith, Danny Carey
- Directors: Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn
- Producers: Banger Films and Elevation Pictures; Republic Pictures handles distribution outside Canada
- Peart died January 7, 2020, in Santa Monica, California, at age 67 after a three-year fight with glioblastoma
Why These Three Drummers Were Chosen for the Neil Peart Tribute
Copeland had been a close, longtime friend of Peart’s, yet the sessions for “No One’s Disciple” marked the first time he had ever shared a stage or rehearsal room with Lee and Lifeson. Smith and Carey, by contrast, already had that experience together: both musicians performed with Lee and Lifeson at the second Taylor Hawkins memorial concert in September 2022.
Smith’s connection to honoring Peart goes back further still. In September 2020, he and the late Taylor Hawkins took part in a tribute event for Peart, with proceeds directed to brain tumor research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
What the Documentary Covers
CBC has described the film as tracing Peart’s rocky beginnings as a young musician through what the network called his “meteoric rise” to becoming one of rock’s most celebrated drummers. The network said the documentary includes “intimate heart-to-hearts” between Lee and Lifeson, paired with reflections from other acclaimed drummers on Peart’s enduring impact and his relentless pursuit of his craft.
An archival interview featured in the film captures Peart discussing his own standards as a musician. “I think it matters for me to play better all the time, and to play my best all the time, to keep it fresh and changing,” he says. “It’s kind of my responsibility, I see it, as a drummer.”
Copeland offered his own assessment of his friend’s mindset in a 2020 interview with Rolling Stone. “He never rated himself as highly as everyone else did,” Copeland said, “but he did very much feel the responsibility that he carried to be the God of drums. Kind of a burden, actually.”
Geddy Lee Has Discussed Peart’s Private Battle With Cancer
In 2022, Lee spoke on the Canadian talk show “House Of Strombo” about Peart’s wish to keep his diagnosis hidden from the public. Lee said Peart was initially told he had 18 months to live but survived three and a half years, a stretch during which Lee and Lifeson regularly visited to offer support.
Lee acknowledged that protecting Peart’s privacy meant he and Lifeson sometimes had to sidestep questions from fans about his health. He described the period as one of the hardest stretches the band went through, calling it a time spent grieving in advance while quietly standing by their bandmate.
More Info
- Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Play RUSH Songs with Danny Carey, Chad Smith, and Stewart Copeland in Neil Peart Documentary | Consequence
- Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Famous Guest Drummers Honor Neil Peart in New Documentary | Rolling Stone
- Rush Perform With Star Drummers for Neil Peart Documentary | Ultimate Classic Rock
- Rush Perform With All-Star Drummers for Neil Peart Documentary | Loudwire
- Iconic RUSH Drummer NEIL PEART Celebrated In New Documentary On Canada’s CBC | Blabbermouth
- Rush icon Neil Peart to be celebrated in new documentary | Far Out Magazine
- “He never rated himself as highly as everyone else did": New documentary in the pipeline about Rush’s Neil Peart | MusicRadar
- Neil Peart Doc To Feature All-Star Drum Tribute | SPIN
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