Legendary Rush historian and WMMS radio queen Donna Halper tells Nestor her lifelong journey with Geddy, Alex and Neil and the miracle of this reunion tour with new drummer Anika Nilles.
Nestor Aparicio interviews Donna Halper about her lifelong journey with Rush. Halper recounts her surprise and excitement when Rush announced their reunion and the selection of Annika as their new drummer. She shares her experience at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the logistical challenges of organizing their tour. Halper emphasizes Rush’s sophistication and the respect they have for their fans. She also reflects on her long-standing relationship with the band and their mutual admiration. Halper expresses her gratitude for the opportunity to attend Rush concerts and her admiration for their continued success.
Rush Concert Experience and Initial Reactions
- Nestor Aparicio shares his experience attending a Rush concert at the LA Forum, describing the excitement and the impact it had on his life.
- Nestor mentions his wife’s reaction to his Rush sweatshirt and the upcoming tour dates, highlighting the impact of Rush on his life.
- Nestor introduces Donna Halper, the godmother of Rush fans, and expresses his excitement about having her on the show.
- Donna Halper recounts her experience at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where she was informed about Rush’s reunion, expressing her shock and excitement.
Rush’s Reunion and the Annika Announcement
- Donna Halper explains the secrecy surrounding Rush’s reunion and the announcement of Annika as the new drummer.
- Nestor and Donna discuss the rumors and speculations about Rush’s reunion, emphasizing the surprise and excitement it brought to fans.
- Donna shares her conversation with Geddy, where Geddy assured her that the decision to bring Annika in was well-thought-out and carefully planned.
- Nestor and Donna talk about the high quality of Rush’s performances and the impact of Geddy’s involvement in making the reunion happen.
Logistics and Challenges of Rush’s Tour
- Donna Halper explains the logistical challenges of organizing a Rush tour, including the involvement of technicians, engineers, and the entourage.
- Nestor and Donna discuss the sophistication of Rush’s shows and the factors affecting their tour planning, such as tariffs and geopolitical issues.
- Donna mentions the border control issues that delayed Rush’s tour, emphasizing that it was a logistical problem rather than a significant setback.
- Nestor and Donna talk about the impact of Rush’s reunion on fans and the excitement surrounding the upcoming concerts.
Rush’s Evolution and the Role of Annika
- Donna Halper discusses the evolution of Rush’s shows and the role of Annika as the new drummer, highlighting the band’s respect for their history and legacy.
- Nestor and Donna talk about the significance of Annika’s presence in the band and the impact it has on younger fans, especially female fans.
- Donna shares her personal connection to Rush and her role in promoting the band, emphasizing her long-standing relationship with the members.
- Nestor and Donna discuss the importance of Rush’s music and the band’s influence on fans, past and present.
Donna Halper’s Personal Connection to Rush
- Donna Halper shares her personal connection to Rush, including her early days of listening to Rush and her involvement in promoting the band.
- Nestor and Donna discuss the impact of Rush’s music on their lives and the significance of the band’s reunion.
- Donna talks about her experiences with Rush, including attending concerts and working with the band, highlighting the mutual respect between them.
- Nestor and Donna discuss the importance of Rush’s music and the band’s influence on fans, emphasizing the positive impact of their reunion.
Rush’s Legacy and Future Plans
- Donna Halper discusses Rush’s legacy and the band’s future plans, emphasizing the importance of their music and the impact they have had on fans.
- Nestor and Donna talk about the significance of Rush’s reunion and the excitement surrounding the upcoming concerts.
- Donna shares her thoughts on Rush’s future and the band’s commitment to delivering high-quality performances.
- Nestor and Donna discuss the importance of Rush’s music and the band’s influence on fans, highlighting the positive impact of their reunion.
Donna Halper’s Role in Rush’s Success
- Donna Halper discusses her role in Rush’s success, including her efforts to promote the band and her contributions to their career.
- Nestor and Donna talk about the significance of Donna’s work and the impact she has had on Rush’s success.
- Donna shares her experiences with Rush and the mutual respect between them, emphasizing the importance of their relationship.
- Nestor and Donna discuss the importance of Rush’s music and the band’s influence on fans, highlighting the positive impact of their reunion.
Rush’s Impact on Fans and the Music Industry
- Donna Halper discusses the impact of Rush on fans and the music industry, emphasizing the band’s influence and the importance of their music.
- Nestor and Donna talk about the significance of Rush’s reunion and the excitement surrounding the upcoming concerts.
- Donna shares her thoughts on Rush’s future and the band’s commitment to delivering high-quality performances.
- Nestor and Donna discuss the importance of Rush’s music and the band’s influence on fans, highlighting the positive impact of their reunion.
Donna Halper’s Personal Reflections
- Donna Halper shares her personal reflections on Rush and her experiences with the band, emphasizing the mutual respect between them.
- Nestor and Donna discuss the significance of Rush’s music and the band’s influence on fans, highlighting the positive impact of their reunion.
- Donna talks about her role in promoting Rush and the importance of her work in the band’s success.
- Nestor and Donna discuss the importance of Rush’s music and the band’s influence on fans, emphasizing the positive impact of their reunion.
Final Thoughts and Future Plans
- Donna Halper and Nestor Aparicio discuss their final thoughts on Rush’s reunion and the upcoming concerts.
- Donna shares her excitement about attending as many Rush concerts as possible and her gratitude for the band’s continued success.
- Nestor and Donna talk about the importance of Rush’s music and the band’s influence on fans, highlighting the positive impact of their reunion.
- Donna expresses her gratitude for the opportunity to be on the show and her appreciation for the support from Rush fans.
Nestor Aparicio 0:01
Welcome home. We are W N S T A M 1570 Towson, Baltimore. This is Baltimore Positive. This can be a fun one today. We’re doing Maryland crab cake tours throughout the summer at various locations, including Fadely’s. This week I will have the Maryland Lottery Scratch Officer friends at GBMC and Farnham and Dermer putting us on the road. I gotta get a rock and roll sponsor around here, because this I was at the LA forum the first night that Rush took the stage with Annika, and I had such a good time, and you know, came home, got off the red eye, my wife looked at me, I’m in my Rush sweatshirt, I’m all beaten up, my hair’s out like Getty, and she said, Well, how was it? And I’m like, this is really going to screw my life up the next year, and it already has four dates in New York, couple in Philly, DC, all over the place. Rush is out on the road, and I could go with any of my belt buckles and have a good time, but this is going to be a fun segment. I alerted my wife this morning over some Zeke’s coffee that Donna Halper was coming on the program, and I remember Barry Halper was a name that was very associated with a lot of sports collecting when I was a kid, and Beckett collecting, but Donna Halper is the godmother, queen, discoverer of all things, Getty Lee, Alex, Queen, yes,
Donna Halper 1:16
Queen, there
Nestor Aparicio 1:17
she is, there she.. I’ve waited my whole life to have you on the show, 35 years, that’s what they
Donna Halper 1:23
all say.
Nestor Aparicio 1:24
I know, I know. Thank you for coming on, and thanks for being a cool Rush fan and a Rush head. And I’ll just say this, I went to LA, and I went very quietly. I sort of snuck in. I was in Vegas for a couple days. I didn’t go with anybody, I didn’t bother anybody at SRO for this or that. Just bought a ticket and I walked into the forum like it was an old Lakers game, but I sat outside with a bowl of Chipotle and about four Coors Lake tall boys that I bought in Englewood, and I just watched people march into the venue. I just sat out on a, like, literally having a neighborhood beer and just the merchandise that was coming through over 50 years of seeing the eras and people I partied with three people my age who had their mother and they flew in from St. Louis to see the show. It this has been like a marvelous time for anybody who’s a Rush man. It’s, I
Donna Halper 2:15
gotta say to you, okay, if I had told you a year ago, oh yeah, we’re going to be going to a Rush concert. You would have said, Donna, are you okay? You know, like, how’s your health, lady? But the fact is, what a great time to be alive. What a great time to be a fan. What a great time to be a human. When they flew me out to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in September of last year, they didn’t tell me what it was for. I mean, I blogged about this. They basically said they had an announcement to make, but they didn’t tell anyone, except for like two people, what the announcement was, and we all thought, oh, they’re announcing they’re making a big donation to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, or maybe they’re going to do a benefit concert, like they did for Tyler Hawkins, or something like that, and I got up there, I introduced them, and then the reporter for the Washington Post, Jeff Edgers, who’s a friend and a very good guy, basically said, you know, guess what, they’re getting back together again, and we were all like, we had heard some rumors, but you know, online you never take rumors seriously, because I’ve read rumors that Alex and Getty don’t talk to each other, and I’ve read rumors that this and that, and I’m like, oh please, but this was for real, and when I talked to Getty afterwards, he said, Donna, we did not talk about the fact that we had Annika in for auditions, or I mean, just so that you know, if it didn’t work out, people weren’t going, “Oh my god, you said you were getting back together, but it didn’t work out. We wanted to make sure that we were ready, that everything was in place, and we had confidence that we had chosen the right person, and once you know, once the stars all aligned, there it was, but it was a shock, a pleasant shock, but a shock to a lot of people. And I gotta tell you, I was one of them. Okay, there is no way I would have thought a year ago that we’re all going to rush concerts, not like, you know, some tribute band, but actual rush concerts, and very good rush,
Nestor Aparicio 5:20
very, very high quality, my
Donna Halper 5:22
God, very,
Nestor Aparicio 5:23
very high quality
Donna Halper 5:24
out sit, just sit, but
Nestor Aparicio 5:28
that speaks to Getty, though, right? I mean, and I was literally beginning his book, and I did a couple of the shows a few years ago when he went around, I was at Massey Hall the night that Alex walked in, and that was just that was a magic night, you know, in Toronto that night. A couple of tiny was going to be a blue jay that night, as I remember, too, but that didn’t happen. But I, it came on my timeline that Rush had dates, and I looked at it, it looked kind of real, but not. And I’m sipping on my coffee, and you had no clue what, what was your expectation in September versus what was delivered and has been delivered every other night, the first month, minus an illness in the border control people in Mexico, but just what this is, and what people, by the way, the whole
Donna Halper 6:19
border control thing, it was more logistics than anything else. When they book a tour, they book in advance. Okay, we all do. Mean, when I’m flying to visit whatever, I’m not generally flying the night before, I’m generally planning out ahead of time, so that I know what city I’m gonna be, same deal. Okay, except that when you’re planning with a rock band, oh my god, you don’t just have the musicians, you have the technicians, you have the engineers, you have the entourage, you have this, you have the.. I mean, I think grown-ups
Nestor Aparicio 6:59
really understand how sophisticated rushy shows have always
Donna Halper 7:02
absolutely, and with it’s not just a matter of like back in the Elvis days, where it was like a guy, a guitar, a drummer, yeah, a bass player, and we’re done. This is so sophisticated, and it had been getting even more sophisticated as time went on, and then you got a factor in tariffs, and then you got a factor, I mean, geopolitical issues, and I mean
Nestor Aparicio 7:32
that won’t mean anything the night that I’m at the garden seeing them three weeks from now, you know what I mean, but my
Donna Halper 7:37
point is that if they had problems getting across the border. I’m not shocked. Okay, and it’s much less of a big deal than some people online made it out to be. It was a well, they stopped Rush because it was Rush. No, they didn’t. They like a nice
Nestor Aparicio 7:58
Canadian lads with a nice European German drummer. Now, Don Alper is our guest.
Donna Halper 8:03
It happened to anyone. This could be, like, you know, Dutch soccer players. It could happen to anyone. So, the bottom line is, if you had told me a year ago that I would be getting ready to attend a rush concert, I would have thought, yeah, tribute band, you know, lot of good tribute bands out there, but the fact that they are back together, they’re sounding great, Getty’s energized, Alex is energized, I mean, I thought, to be very honest with you, I thought they would continue to do some benefit concerts. That’s what I thought. Okay, because they’d done a couple of them, they sounded great. What none of us knew, except maybe the wives and the close friends, was that Alex and Getty had been starting to, you know, kind of get the itch again for a long time. They didn’t, I mean, it was believed that Alex
Nestor Aparicio 9:09
wasn’t well enough to maybe do it right. No,
Donna Halper 9:11
but even if he had been half the stuff you believe online, there was the first couple of years they couldn’t even imagine going on without Neil. They needed time to grieve. They needed time to just deal with the various emotions that were coming up for them. He’d been part of their life. He’d been a friend. We’re not just talking about, oh, bus somebody else in, and then bus somebody else out. We’re talking about somebody like 51 years. Okay, so these were very close friends. It wasn’t like 25 guys, 25 taxis. They liked each other. They hung up. With each other, this sort of thing, so after Neil passed, there was no talk of them getting back together. I mean, they, I gotta tell you, Getty was getting audition tapes, he mentioned this in the book, but he also talked to various people, including me, about it. Um, he was getting audition tapes from musicians that wanted to be the drummer, and he was offended. He was like, you know, the body isn’t even cold in the ground, and you’re sending me tapes, like, have a little respect for who Neil was, but nothing, no respect. People just like, hey, I’ll be the new drummer, and Getty was like, no, actually, you won’t, okay, you’ll never be the new drummer, because you have no respect, and three years, four years, at a certain point, Who Getty is is a musician, and I mean, yeah, he had fun doing his book tours. I was around for both of them. I was up on stage with him in Cleveland, you know, for the for the book tour in 2023 That was exciting. Met a lot of nice fans, but it
Nestor Aparicio 11:19
felt very resigned that he was resigned to the fact that he was done. That’s exactly my
Donna Halper 11:23
point, right? He had gotten to a place where it was like, yep, you know, I’m gonna write books, I’m gonna donate to baseball museums, I’m gonna do speaking engagements.
Nestor Aparicio 11:35
I accepted that as a lifetime fan. I was okay with that. I wanted a day every time I saw a behind home plate with his grandchild, and time
Donna Halper 11:42
with my mom. I just like my grandkids, this that, but at a certain point in time, you are who you are. And after four years, Getty is a musician, and he really wanted to perform again, and the benefit concerts were nice, but performing was even nicer, and when Alex got healthy, it was like, yeah, why don’t we do this, and they decided they would, boom, so for the people that are like they’re not being faithful to the, you know, what they loved Neil, they adored Neil, and they remember Neil every day of their lives, and these concerts, these concerts are almost like a tribute to what he brought to the band, Rutzi brought something to the band, and when Rutsy was replaced by Neil, that was an amazing thing. Now Annika has taken over, and that’s an amazing.. we never forget the people who went before, they’re still playing working man. Thank you, John Rutzi. And the fact is,
Nestor Aparicio 13:08
they may say thank you, Donna Halper, but that’s okay,
Donna Halper 13:10
maybe. But the truth is, I’ve gotten my thank you many times when I was up on stage for Getty’s book tour. The first thing he said was, Donna, I wouldn’t have a career if it weren’t for you, and I’m like, Getty, that’s not even true. The fact is, you have a career, you had a career, you just needed people to kind of open the door for you. I’m delighted that I could be one of the people to do that. They dedicated two albums to me. They put me in a documentary, and I got a 50 year plus friendship. How lucky am I?
Nestor Aparicio 13:57
Don Halper’s here. She is the discoverer of all things Rush. You can Google that. It’s a little bit of an old story that’s been told a bunch. I want to go back to Getty, and
Donna Halper 14:07
by the way, it’s an old story, but it refutes the myth that Rush fans are all dudes. Ask my husband if I’m a dude.
Nestor Aparicio 14:20
There was a much
Donna Halper 14:23
chorus of dude looks like a lady. Listen,
Nestor Aparicio 14:25
there was a much longer line in the men’s room at the LA Forum a few weeks ago, and the
Donna Halper 14:33
majority of Rush fans are men. I’m not saying that at all. I am saying, however, statistically easy easily more than 20% are female. When I first got started, it was maybe 2% Okay, now it’s up to more than 20. That’s because dudes have daughters,
Nestor Aparicio 14:55
and they brought them. I think
Donna Halper 14:56
that’s my point. And now that Annika is the drum. Her,
Nestor Aparicio 15:00
oh, it’s
Donna Halper 15:00
you’ve got more young women going, wow, if she can do it, why can’t I do it? And there it is. That’s a perfect segue for where I
Nestor Aparicio 15:12
want you to go with your long relationship with Ged and Alex and Neil. Before that, Getty, so two minutes on my Rush background. 1980 my parents are taking me for pizza. I get a little cassette with Rush. Rush was one of the names of the Columbia Records, where you saw Meatloaf and all Steely Dan and all these names. You didn’t know the music, you’re 1012, years old. And I bought.. I, it was before moving pictures, it was Permanent Waves. I put Spirit of Radio on the tape, and, and then that’s the end, that’s that free will, that’s the end, right. So, september 26 1980 Saxon opens Capital Center, right on the front end of Moving Pictures, are sort of debuting some of the stuff, Tom Sawyer, that stuff, I’m a Rush guy, all in. I interviewed Getty in 1984 and like, through the baseball, oh, Canada, at the, that my national anthem here 33 years ago, and all the tours, but the Getty thing for me is a bit of fandom, I get made fun of because when my hair is out, my hair looks like Getty, and people make, I get a little, I get some trouble with that lately, which is really weird, but for me, with Getty, the fist bumps, he’s been on my show. I’ve read his book, wasn’t the first guy that needed to read his book, didn’t need to be the first guy to have him on my show. I am so incredibly respectful of what my fan boy began with seeing shows 46 years ago, and having him in and out of my life in such kind ways, where I could leave a card backstage and he would invite me back. He’s just, he’s a good man in many ways, but this last act, or next act, after the book, after the big bass books, after the magnanimous donations to the Hall of Fame in Kansas City, and the collection of Negro base, and the birds, and his grandkids, and the Blue Jays, and the seat spot, like all that he represents. This thing where we all spent money, some people spent a lot more than I did, getting tickets, and that’s a whole thing for the let the internet have all that. But I went to LA that night. I flew out. I had a little hotel room in El Segundo. I bought my tickets for 200 bucks, a ticket, Ubered over, did my thing, and I walked in, and I love that music, and everyone around me loved it. But y’all should shut the f up when Getty’s talking or singing. It’s a show, please. I don’t want to hear what ham sandwich you were eating the first time you had red barchetta, but for me that night I walked out of there, and people were texting me, saying, “How was it? And I’m like, “They think it was it’s Getty, it’s Alex. They put this thing together. They’re, they’re doing 50 shows all over the world. They’re going to Brazil. They’re, they’re going to Europe. Like, like, how do you think it was? It was better than I thought it could, should, could ever be. And then I was like, am I shocked by that? As I flew home the next night, and I’m like, damn, man, they don’t touch anything that’s not free. Yeah,
Donna Halper 18:18
they wouldn’t have done it. Getty said that to me. I mean, if they didn’t think they were ready, they would never have gone out there. Getty is quite the perfectionist, that can be a mixed blessing. He talks about that in the book. He doesn’t spare himself anything, you know. He doesn’t try to make himself out to be a saint, but the fact remains, musicians in general, good musicians take pride in what they do. Getty would not have gone out there and insulted the fans’ intelligence, and by the way, they had nothing to do with the ticket prices. They did not sit around going,
Speaker 1 18:58
“Aha,
Donna Halper 18:59
how can we get more money out of the fans. No, the last
Nestor Aparicio 19:05
thing in the world I thought, as I was sitting there that night, that this was a cash grab in any way. It was a love affair. I mean, it was, it was the most unlikely thing I’ve ever experienced. He
Donna Halper 19:19
did not feel that the band was going to be able to give a top quality show, they never would have done it. That’s why they rehearsed as long as they did. That’s why they kept everything under wraps. I mean, they literally, you could count on the fingers of one hand the number of people who knew it was kind of like Taylor Swift’s wedding. It’s like everybody talked about it after the event. Okay, but in terms of like getting in, nobody knew how it was going to be. The Juno
Nestor Aparicio 19:57
Awards were that way too, right? No words were
Donna Halper 20:01
Alex were practicing with a drummer, or that they’d had a drummer come in, or that nothing until the moment when they could confidently say we’re ready, at which point they unveiled it to the universe, and I am just loving it. I really am.
Nestor Aparicio 20:26
How many shows you going to?
Donna Halper 20:28
As many as they want me to. Okay, and I’m not trying to be snide. I’m saying that, like, my relationship with the band has always been they know I work, they also know that I’ve had some illness at home, you know, my husband has been ill, my heart, of
Nestor Aparicio 20:47
course,
Donna Halper 20:47
that’s kind of limited the traveling, but and I’ve had a couple of health problems too, and this and that, you know, over the years stuff happens, they’ve always been very tolerant of whatever my needs happen to be, and they’ve provided for whatever I needed. If I needed to get to a show in a certain city, boom, I was there. But the fact is, I don’t ask. Whatever they want to do, fine with me. I’m just so happy that they’re alive, that they’re well, and that people all over the world that have never seen Rush Live and have just heard about it from their parents, they brother, they sister, you know. Oh my god, there’s this band called Rush. Yes, and now I’m going to take you to see them, so wherever it is, I’ll be delighted. The
Nestor Aparicio 21:45
original rock radio lady who discovered Rush, and it was just a thrill to spend a little time with Donna Halper. She is out there still rocking the radio in the spirit of radio, so last thing for you in all of this, in the bunch of
Donna Halper 22:03
webcasts and podcasts, and what a privilege to be on with you. Oh,
Nestor Aparicio 22:08
thank you very, very much. It’s very sweet of you. I tried to explain to my wife your connection to the band, and what would I have a
Donna Halper 22:18
strong connection to Baltimore, for heaven’s sake. Well,
Nestor Aparicio 22:21
tell me, tell me, please. Do come
Donna Halper 22:23
on. When I was a kid, okay? Before the dinosaurs came, when I was a kid, I used to listen to radio late at night. I always loved radio. I knew from the time I was a kid that I wanted to be a DJ, and we used to do this thing called DX-ing, which was listening for distant radio stations. I was a big baseball fan. I was always a big baseball fan. And late at night, WB AL in Baltimore, or Balmer if you prefer, the signal for WBAL used to get into Boston, great gangbusters, and I used to listen to the Orioles games with Bug Powell and Diamond Jim Gentile and Steve Barber and Chuck Estrada and a whole host of other baby birds from 1959 6061 when they almost won the pennant. It was so exciting. I loved that team, and I could listen to them, and I would sit in my bedroom late at night, and I was so excited to hear all the ads from Baltimore, and I dreamed of one day going to Baltimore and seeing a game,
Nestor Aparicio 23:43
did you come to Memorial Stadium?
Donna Halper 23:45
Absolutely.
Nestor Aparicio 23:46
All right, just making sure. Who pictures? Remember
Donna Halper 23:48
years ago. Oh yeah, yes.
Nestor Aparicio 23:51
Well,
Donna Halper 23:52
oh yeah. So Baltimore will always.. and don’t forget, I worked. I was on the radio in Washington, DC, okay? In the 70s, and I used to get into Baltimore all the time. I saw a wrestling show, and I mean, come on, I used to get into Baltimore constantly.
Nestor Aparicio 24:11
Gosh, I didn’t know I was gonna have such a crush on you, but I do. So you’re awesome, don’t tell my husband. Di, listen, you’re awesome. Thank you so much for making some time, we
Donna Halper 24:22
get this like rock band that we both sort of like.
Nestor Aparicio 24:26
I’m gonna let my hair out, just because it’s a time. I mean, it’s the end of the interview here. Oh my god, there it is, man. I’m channeling my inner Getty.
Donna Halper 24:35
All right,
Nestor Aparicio 24:36
Donna, appreciate you. And my favorite Rush song, what’s your favorite Rush song, I need to know I’m gonna go listen to
Donna Halper 24:43
that’s like asking a mother who’s your favorite kid.
Nestor Aparicio 24:45
Oh, come on, even I get to say Red Barchetta if I want to do it,
Donna Halper 24:49
cannot do it. They’re changing every day, every Rush album that I like, and that speaks,
Nestor Aparicio 24:56
okay, okay, what’s the song? That, if Ged calls you right now and says, Donna, we’re going to work up a song when we come in, and where’s home for you now these days?
Donna Halper 25:07
Boston,
Nestor Aparicio 25:08
okay? So, when they’re playing this way in a couple weeks, couple months, what is a song they’re not currently playing that if you, if they ask me, I would say marathon or cold fire, I’d like to
Donna Halper 25:25
entirely different, and it’s a wonderful and overlooked song that I don’t think they’ve ever played, and it’s one of my faves. It’s a song called Madrigal. It’s lovely. If you haven’t checked it out, go do so immediately. You’ll thank me later. For those that say that Neil never wrote a love song, Madrigal, it’s wonderful.
Nestor Aparicio 25:52
I hope that I live long enough to wake up one morning and Getty sings that for you. You know, that would be kind of neat. So, if
Donna Halper 26:02
he never does, for his entire career, he has been nothing but nice to me. Ditto for the band in general. I’ll give you one very.. it doesn’t
Nestor Aparicio 26:13
shock me, by the way. I’ll quick
Donna Halper 26:15
story, and then I gotta go, and you gotta go, and all God’s chilling gotta go. I am very well known as a non smoker, non drinker, non drug user. I do remember the ’60s. I’ve never tried any of those things. Now I’m not stupid. Okay, I may have been born at night, but I wasn’t born last night. Okay, I know that rock stars in general tend to do stuff, but the guys in the band, who, by the way, were never as heavily into partying as some guys in some bands, and they really did pull back at a certain point, and their family meant above it all, above it all. Okay, but they knew that I didn’t do any of that stuff, and out of respect for who I was, every time they had me backstage, a) they kept all the substances away from me, and B, they had nothing but fruit and juice and cookies and coffee, and they have a salad bar, and they just do this whole backstage spread, so that I wouldn’t feel left out in any way, and that just tells you something. These are family men. They care deeply about other people, and they’ve always shown me respect, and I try to show it right back. I cannot tell you the number of times people know me from having discovered the band. What they don’t know is the times I advocated for them, got other stations to play them, worked on getting them a star on the Walk of Fame, basically took on any critic that criticized them in print, etc. etc. So it has been a very two-way friendship, and they respect who I am. I respect who they are. And thanks for having me on. And I’m gonna go get a coffee and a muffin before I leave, and
Nestor Aparicio 28:30
I’m gonna go listen to Red Bark Chat and Templeton series, and a whole bunch of things.
Donna Halper 28:34
Think of me,
Nestor Aparicio 28:36
and I shall, and I’ll say this to you, that whatever show or shows you see, and this is for all the Rush fans. I hope you get the set list that you love, whatever one that every set
Donna Halper 28:48
list that Rush plays.
Nestor Aparicio 28:50
It’s been brilliant.
Donna Halper 28:50
It’s a set list I love, and you know why. Yep, because they’re my friends, and I am so grateful that they’re alive, that they’re healthy, that they’re able to do what they love. And my wish to your listeners, may you always be healthy, and may you always be able to do what you love.
Nestor Aparicio 29:13
All right. Well, I feel closer to your heart, Donna Halper. Donna Halper is to discover what
Donna Halper 29:20
you did.
Nestor Aparicio 29:20
I did. There, you know, if you stay long enough, I’ll.. I got a whole book.
Donna Halper 29:25
Start making garden illusions any second. Neil left
Nestor Aparicio 29:28
me a whole book of them. I’ll pull them all out too. I will. Oh, back for more. It’s Baltimore Positive. Rush is on tour, and we’re celebrating. And why should.
