Alex Lifeson
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R30alex.jpg
(30th Anniversary tour photo 2004)
Alexander Zivojinovich OC (b. August 27, 1953, Fernie, British Columbia), better known by his stage name Alex Lifeson, is a Canadian musician. ("Lifeson" is a literal translation of "Zivojinovich".)
The son of Serbian immigrants, Lifeson was raised in Toronto, Ontario. Lifeson's solo album, Victor, was released in 1996. He plays guitar and composes for the rock group Rush.
Outside of music, he owns and operates a small consumer product design engineering and manufacturing firm The Omega Concern, as a gourmet chef is part owner of the Toronto restaurant The Orbit Room, and is a licensed aircraft pilot and motorcycle operator.
Along with his colleagues Geddy Lee and Neil Peart, Lifeson was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on May 9, 1996. The trio were the first rock musicians so honoured.
During 2003, he played himself on the Canadian smash hit mockumentary Trailer Park Boys.
On New Year's Eve 2003-2004, Lifeson, his son, and his daughter-in-law were arrested at a Naples, Florida hotel. Lifeson, after intervening in an altercation between his son and police, was accused of assaulting a sheriff's deputy in what was described as a drunken brawl.
On April 21, 2005 a plea deal was met between Lifeson and the prosecution by which he would be spared a custodial sentence if he agreed to plead guilty to a single charge of resisting arrest without violence. Lifeson was required to spend 12 months on probation and to pay all court costs.
Trivia
Bandmates often call him by his nickname, "Lerxst," which also appears in a subsection of La Villa Strangiato from Hemispheres (1978 album), titled "A Lerxst in Wonderland"
Awards
- 1983 - "Best Rock Talent" - Guitar for the Practicing Musician
- 1991 - Inducted into the Guitar for the Practicing Musician Hall of Fame
External links
- Read 2002 CNN interview with Alex (http://wikisource.org/wiki/Alex_Lifeson_CNN_Interview_2002)
- Article about Lifeson's arrest (http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/news/article/0,2071,NPDN_14940_2547066,00.html)
- Article about Lifeson's plea deal (http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/lifeson%20and%20son%20spared%20jail)
| Rush |
| Geddy Lee | Alex Lifeson | Neil Peart | John Rutsey |
| Original studio albums |
|---|
| Rush | Fly by Night | Caress of Steel | 2112 | A Farewell to Kings | Hemispheres | Permanent Waves | Moving Pictures | Signals | Grace Under Pressure | Power Windows | Hold Your Fire | Presto | Roll the Bones | Counterparts | Test for Echo | Vapor Trails |
| Other studio records |
| Not Fade Away | Feedback |
| Live albums |
| All The World's a Stage | Exit...Stage Left | A Show of Hands | Different Stages | Rush in Rio |
| Compilations |
| Archives | Chronicles | Retrospective I | Retrospective II | The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974-1987 |
| Side projects |
| Burning For Buddy | Burning For Buddy, Vol. 2 | Victor | My Favorite Headache |