Remembering Neil Peart — And Why His Passing is a Reminder
There’s a lyric from Rush’s 1991 song “Dreamline” that goes, “We’re only immortal for a limited time.”
That line was written by the Canadian band’s drummer-lyricist, Neil Peart, regarded as one of the greatest rock drummers of all time. Peart died on January 7 at the age of 67 from brain cancer.
I’ve been listening to a lot of Rush this past week since I read about Peart’s passing. As a would-be drummer myself, I have always been in awe of Peart’s technically proficient and extremely difficult playing style. While at Penn State, my good friend and dorm neighbor Kevin would often ask me to display one of my useless talents at the time, the ability to air-drum to “Tom Sawyer.” My version was almost perfect — almost, because getting every one of Peart’s drum fills, hi-hat hits, or cymbal crashes right on the beat was near-impossible.
Peart had been battling cancer for three years. I suspect — and hope — that Peart had the time and the foresight to make sure he had an up-to-date estate plan in place to deal with the transfer of his wealth, including his significant future earnings thanks to royalties from his songwriting.
Whether or not you share my love of progressive rock or my admiration for Peart’s formidable skills, his passing is a reminder that most individuals who have accumulated assets need to have some kind of estate plan in place: a will, a living trust, a power of attorney for finances, and a health care directive. As difficult as it may be to face our mortality, we make it even more difficult for those we leave behind if we don’t plan ahead.
Talk with your legal and financial professionals about your estate plan. If you haven’t looked at your estate plan in some time, have it reviewed. Laws have changed, which means your documents may be out of date.
If you don’t know where to begin to find an estate planner, visit the site for the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils (www.naepc.org). Click on the “Public” link to search for a professional who has the Accredited Estate Planner (AEP?) designation.