Alex Lifeson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alex Lifeson OC
Lifeson performing in 2022
Background information
Birth name	Aleksandar Živojinović
Also known as	Lerxst
Born	(1953-08-27) 27 August 1953 (age 71) Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
Origin	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Progressive rock hard rock heavy metal
Occupations	Musician songwriter
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1963–present
Labels	Mercury Anthem Atlantic

Aleksandar Živojinović (born August 27, 1953), known as Alex Lifeson, is a Canadian musician. He is best known as the guitarist for the famous rock band Rush.

In 1968, Alex Lifeson helped start a band that later became Rush. He was with drummer John Rutsey and bassist Jeff Jones. Soon after, Geddy Lee joined as the bassist and singer. In 1974, Neil Peart became the drummer. This lineup stayed the same until the band stopped playing in 2018. Alex Lifeson was the only member who was in Rush for its entire history. He and Geddy Lee played on all of Rush's albums.

With Rush, Lifeson played electric and acoustic guitars. He also played other string instruments like the mandola, mandolin, and bouzouki. Sometimes, he sang backup vocals during live shows and on recordings. He also occasionally played keyboards and bass pedal synthesizers. Like his bandmates, Lifeson used special equipment to play sounds from sampled instruments live on stage.

In 1996, Alex Lifeson, along with Geddy Lee and Neil Peart, was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is a very high honor in Canada. They were the first rock band to receive this award as a group. In 2013, Rush was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Lifeson among the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.

Most of Lifeson's music work has been with Rush. However, he has also worked on other projects. This includes his solo album called Victor (1996). Besides music, Lifeson is also a painter and a licensed pilot. He has also acted in movies and TV shows.

Biography

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Alex Lifeson was born Aleksandar Živojinović in Fernie, British Columbia. His parents were immigrants from Yugoslavia. He grew up in Toronto. His stage name "Lifeson" is a translation of his birth name, Živojinović, which means "son of life."

He started learning music on the viola, but he switched to the guitar when he was 12 years old. His first guitar was a Christmas gift from his father. As a teenager, he was inspired by famous guitarists like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. In 1963, Lifeson met John Rutsey, who would become Rush's first drummer. They both loved music and decided to form a band. Lifeson mostly taught himself how to play guitar.

Alex Lifeson married his first girlfriend, Charlene, in 1975. They have two sons, Justin and Adrian. Adrian is also a musician and played on his father's solo album, Victor.

Forming the Band Rush

Lifeson performing during the 2010–2011 Time Machine Tour in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

In 1968, Alex Lifeson and his neighbor John Rutsey started a band called The Projection. A few months later, they formed Rush with bassist and singer Jeff Jones. Soon after, Lifeson's high school friend Geddy Lee took over Jones's role.

Lifeson is known for his unique guitar playing style. He uses special electronic effects and unusual chord structures. He has also used many different types of equipment over the years.

Rush took a break for several years starting in 1997 due to sad events in Neil Peart's life. Lifeson did not play guitar for about a year during this time. But he eventually returned to the studio with Rush to work on their 2002 album, Vapor Trails. This album was special because it was the first Rush album since the 1970s that did not use keyboards. Lifeson used over 50 different guitars on this album, making his playing very creative and experimental.

During live concerts, he used foot pedals to control different synthesizer, guitar, and backing vocal sounds while he played.

Victor Solo Album

While Alex Lifeson is mostly known for his work with Rush, he also released a solo album called Victor in 1996. The album was released under the name "Victor" as both the artist and the album title. The title track was inspired by a poem by W. H. Auden. Both his son Adrian and his wife Charlene helped with the album.

Other Music Projects

Lifeson has also played on many other artists' songs and albums.

• In 1985, he played guitar solos on the Platinum Blonde album Alien Shores.
• In 1997, he played "The Little Drummer Boy" on the Christmas album Merry Axemas: A Guitar Christmas.
• In 2006, Lifeson started the Big Dirty Band to create music for the movie Trailer Park Boys: The Movie.
• He played a guitar solo on the 2007 album Fear of a Blank Planet by the band Porcupine Tree.
• He also composed the theme music for the first season of the TV show Andromeda.
• In 2017, he played guitars on three songs for Marco Minnemann's album Borrego.
• In 2019, he was featured on the song "Charmed" from the Don Felder solo album American Rock 'n' Roll.
• In 2021, Lifeson released two new instrumental songs, "Kabul Blues" and "Spy House," on his website.

Envy of None

After Rush stopped playing in 2018, and after Neil Peart passed away in 2020, Lifeson formed a new band called Envy of None. The band includes Lifeson on guitar, Andy Curran on bass, Maiah Wynne on vocals, and Alfio Annibalini on guitar and keyboards. Their first single, "Liar," was released in January 2022. Their self-titled first album came out in April 2022.

TV and Film Appearances

Alex Lifeson has appeared in several movies and TV shows.

• In 2003, he was in an episode of the Canadian show Trailer Park Boys called "Closer to the Heart." He played a funny version of himself who gets kidnapped.
• He also appeared in the movies Trailer Park Boys: The Movie (2006) and Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day (2009).
• In 2008, Rush played "Tom Sawyer" on The Colbert Report. This was their first time on American TV as a band in 33 years.
• In 2009, he and the band appeared in the comedy movie I Love You, Man.
• Lifeson also appeared in an episode of the TV series Chicago Fire in 2015.

Guitar Equipment

Guitars Alex Lifeson Has Used

In the early days of Rush, Lifeson used Gibson ES-335 and Gibson Les Paul guitars. He also had a Fender Stratocaster. For the A Farewell to Kings album, he started using a Gibson EDS-1275 and a white Gibson ES-355.

From 1980 to 1986, Lifeson used four specially changed Stratocasters. He jokingly called them "Hentor Sportscasters." He also played an Ovation acoustic/electric guitar. In the 1990s, he often used PRS guitars for recording and touring. He also played several Fender Telecasters.

Since the 2000s, Lifeson has mostly used Gibson guitars again. In 2011, Gibson created a special guitar just for him called the "Alex Lifeson Axcess." These are custom Les Pauls with special tremolo systems and pickups. He used these guitars a lot on the Time Machine Tour and the Clockwork Angels tour.

For the 2015 R40 Tour, Lifeson used his special acoustic guitar model made by Paul Reed Smith. Gibson also released a limited edition Alex Lifeson R40 Les Paul Axcess signature guitar in 2015. At the 2017 NAMM Show, Gibson introduced a new Alex Lifeson Signature ES Les Paul semi-hollow guitar, which is a mix of a Les Paul Custom and an ES 335.

Amplifiers and Effects

In 2005, Hughes & Kettner released an Alex Lifeson signature amplifier. Lifeson donates the money he earns from these sales to UNICEF. He also uses custom-built amplifiers and Mesa/Boogie Mark V heads.

For special sounds, Lifeson uses effects like chorus, phase shifting, delay, and flanging. He has used famous pedals like the Echoplex delay and the Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress flanger.

Other Instruments Played

Stringed Instruments

Besides electric and acoustic guitars, Lifeson has also played mandola, mandolin, and bouzouki on some Rush albums like Test for Echo and Snakes & Arrows. For his solo project Victor, he also played bass and programmed synthesizers.

Electronic Instruments

During Rush's live shows, Lifeson used MIDI controllers. These allowed him to use his hands and feet to trigger sounds from digital samplers and synthesizers. This meant he could play other sounds without taking his hands off his guitar. The band wanted to play their songs live exactly as they sounded on the albums. So, they used a lot of samplers to recreate sounds from non-traditional instruments, background music, and vocal harmonies. Each band member would trigger different sounds while playing their main instrument.

Influence on Other Musicians

Many guitarists say Alex Lifeson has influenced their playing. Some of these include Paul Gilbert from Mr. Big, John Petrucci from Dream Theater, and Steven Wilson from Porcupine Tree.

James Hetfield from Metallica has called Lifeson one of the best rhythm guitarists ever. Jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel has praised Lifeson's "incredible sound and imagination."

Awards and Honours

• "Best Rock Talent" by Guitar for the Practicing Musician in 1983
• "Best Rock Guitarist" by Guitar Player Magazine in 1984 and May 2008
• Inducted into the Guitar for the Practicing Musician Hall of Fame, 1991
• 1996 – Officer of the Order of Canada, with bandmates Geddy Lee and Neil Peart
• 2007 – A Main belt asteroid "(19155) Lifeson" was named after Alex Lifeson
• "Best Article" for "Different Strings" in Guitar Player (September 2007 issue)
• Most Ferociously Brilliant Guitar Album (Snakes & Arrows) – Guitar Player Magazine, May 2008
• 2013 – With Rush, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Discography

With Rush

Further information: Rush discography

Solo

With Envy of None

After Rush ended in 2018 and Neil Peart passed away in 2020, Lifeson formed the band Envy of None.

Collaborations

Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Alex Lifeson para niños