Centennial Hall, London, Ontario, July 25, 1974

Final Show With John Rutsey

---

"Even after our success on Cleveland radio, John still seemed at odds. Our little taste of stateside touring life had excited Alex and me but not him. His commitment felt increasingly half-hearted. We knew that something had to change sooner than later. By that time, we’d done some gigs with our SRO label mates Max Webster, who had a terrific drummer named Paul Kersey. Vic spoke with Paul about jumping ship and joining us, but following some thoughtful consideration and a brief flip-flop, he opted to stick with Max. For us, meanwhile, there was no turning back. In a meeting at SRO, John agreed it would be best for all if he left the band, and that was that. His last show with us would be opening for some American up-and-comer called KISS at Centennial Hall in London, Ontario, on July 25, 1974. The only time he and the band would be together in the same room again was in 1976, when he and Neil were seated at the same table at my wedding! That would of course be a pretty big year for Rush, and I can only guess what was going through his head at the time. I don’t know what regrets—if any—he ever had." - Geddy Lee, My Effin' Life

Rush (with John Rutsey) along with Ronnie Legg (between Alex and Geddy) July 25, 1974.