Editing John Rutsey (section)

===Formation of Rush===
Rutsey and Lifeson became close friends while attending St. Patrick’s School, and the pair would play [[street hockey]] together in their neighborhood.<ref name="CUP: Rush" /> Both were interested in rock music, and talked often about forming a band.<ref name="CUP: Rush">''Contents Under Pressure: 30 Years of Rush at Home & Away''. [[Martin Popoff]]. p. 9</ref> Together, they initially were members of the bands The Projection with Bill Fitzgerald and "Doc" Cooper.<ref name="Ian Grandy Interview" /> Eventually their mutual school friend, Geddy Lee, joined them and the earliest version of Rush was formed.

Rutsey's commitment has been credited with providing the band's early direction, as it was he who took the band most seriously and would insist on regular practice sessions. According to Ian Grandy, a member of the band's early road crew, "I've said it before and I'll say it again: There would have been no 'Rush' without John." At Rutsey's suggestion, Rush was initially a [[glam rock]] band. "John led the guys as far as being 'glam rockers', with really flashy jackets and pants, and eight-inch high boots", according to Grandy. "One time, he was speaking to me at the Gasworks and I said, 'Didn't we used to be the same height (5'8")?' He laughed and said 'Well, maybe a long time ago!{{'"}}<ref name="Ian Grandy Interview" />

It was Rutsey's brother, Bill, who came up with the name Rush for the band during a rehearsal in the Rutsey family basement in mid 1968.<ref name="Visions" />