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96-399: Aleksandar Živojinović OC (born 27 August 1953), known professionally as Alex Lifeson ( / ˈ l aɪ f s ən / ), is a Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist for the rock band Rush . In 1968, Lifeson co-founded a band that would later become Rush, with drummer John Rutsey and bassist and lead vocalist Jeff Jones . Jones was replaced by Geddy Lee a month later, and Rutsey

192-486: A Gibson ES-335 for the first tour, and in 1976 bought a 1974 Gibson Les Paul ; he used those two guitars until the late 1970s. He had a Fender Stratocaster with a Bill Lawrence humbucker and Floyd Rose vibrato bridge as backup "and for a different sound." For the A Farewell to Kings sessions, Lifeson began using a Gibson EDS-1275 for the song " Xanadu " and his main guitar became a white Gibson ES-355 . During this period Lifeson used Hiwatt amplifiers. He played

288-452: A high school friend of Lifeson, assumed Jones's role soon after. Instrumentally, Lifeson is renowned for his signature riffing, electronic effects and processing, unorthodox chord structures, and the copious arsenal of equipment he has used over the years. Rush was on hiatus for several years starting in 1997 owing to personal tragedies in Neil Peart's life , and Lifeson had not picked up

384-453: A lapel pin may be worn, which is a miniature version of the recipient's badge and thus is distinct for each grade. Wear of the insignia is according to guidelines issued by the Chancellery of Honours, which stipulate that the badges be worn before most other national orders, that is, at the end of an individual's medal bar closest to the centre of the chest or at the wearer's neck, with only

480-511: A twelve-string Gibson B-45 on songs like " Closer to the Heart ." From 1980 to 1986, Lifeson used four identically modified Stratocasters, all of them equipped with the Floyd Rose bridge. As a joke, he called these Hentor Sportscasters – a made-up name inspired by Peter Henderson's name, who was the producer of Grace Under Pressure . He would start using them again twenty years later. He also played

576-606: A Catholic anti-abortion activist, filed suit against the Order of Canada Advisory Council, demanding that the minutes of the meeting relating to Morgentaler be made public. The appointment of Morgentaler prompted former Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) Clifford Lincoln to write that the workings of the Advisory Council were "mysterious", citing what he theorized to be inbuilt partiality and conflict of interest as reasons why Margaret Somerville , whom Lincoln had twice nominated to

672-507: A Companion because he felt that, as a self-proclaimed Father of Confederation , he deserved a knighthood. Smallwood was never knighted and later accepted induction as a Companion. Resignations from the order can take place only through prescribed channels, which include the member submitting to the Secretary General of the Order of Canada a letter notifying the chancellery of his or her desire to terminate their membership, and only with

768-407: A Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion and an Ovation Adamas acoustic/electric guitar. By 1987, Lifeson switched to Signature guitar despite describing them as "awful to play—very uncomfortable--...had a particular sound I liked." Lifeson primarily used PRS guitars in the later-half of the 1990 Presto tour, and again during the recording of Roll The Bones in 1990/1991. He would continue to play PRS for

864-728: A Girl" from the Scenery and Fish album. In 1997, he appeared on the Merry Axemas: A Guitar Christmas album. Lifeson played " The Little Drummer Boy " which was released as track 9 on the album. In 2006, Lifeson founded the Big Dirty Band , which he created for the purpose of providing original soundtrack material for Trailer Park Boys: The Movie . Lifeson jammed regularly with the Dexters (the Orbit Room house band from 1994 to 2004). Lifeson made

960-413: A Member stirred controversy among some of Canada's Christian organizations, as Johanson had taught teenagers methods of safe sex alongside abstinence. Similarly, the acceptance of birth control advocate Elizabeth Bagshaw and gay rights campaigner Brent Hawkes also incited debate. Abortion-rights activist Henry Morgentaler's appointment to the order on 1 July 2008 not only marked the first time

1056-461: A better country." Each of the six to eight hundred nominations submitted each year, by any person or organization, is received by the order's Advisory Council, which, along with the governor general, makes the final choice of new inductees, typically by consensus rather than a vote; a process that, when conceived, was the first of its kind in the world. Appointees are then accepted into the organization at an investiture ceremony typically conducted by

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1152-404: A desire to accurately depict songs from their albums when playing live performances. Toward this goal, beginning in the late 1980s the band equipped their live performances with a capacious rack of samplers. The band members used these samplers in real-time to recreate the sounds of non-traditional instruments, accompaniments , vocal harmonies , and other sound "events" that are familiarly heard on

1248-456: A guest appearance on the 2007 album Fear of a Blank Planet by UK progressive rock band Porcupine Tree , contributing a solo during the song "Anesthetize". He also appeared on the 2008 album Fly Paper by Detroit progressive rockers Tiles . He plays on the track "Sacred and Mundane". Outside band related endeavours, Lifeson composed the theme for the first season of the science-fiction TV series Andromeda . He also produced three songs from

1344-436: A guitar for at least a year following those events. However, after some work in his home studio and on various side projects, Lifeson returned to the studio with Rush to begin work on 2002's Vapor Trails . Vapor Trails is the first Rush album since the 1970s to lack keyboards—as such, Lifeson used over 50 different guitars in what Shawn Hammond of Guitar Player called "his most rabid and experimental playing ever." Geddy Lee

1440-538: A guitar specially designed for him. These are custom made Les Pauls with Floyd Rose tremolo systems and piezoacoustic pick-ups . He used these two custom Les Pauls on the Time Machine Tour . These guitars are also available through Gibson, in a viceroy Brown or Crimson colour. Lifeson used these two guitars heavily on the tour. For the 2012-13 "Clockwork Angels" tour, Gibson built an Alex Lifeson Axcess model in black which became Lifeson's primary guitar for much of

1536-522: A hybrid of a Les Paul Custom & an ES 335, with only 200 made. Voltz also introduced the Antique White as a new color from Gibson for this Custom (note: Gibson names this color as 'Classic White' on their web site which may be an error due to other Gibson reps labeling it as Antique White). Alex played this Custom on the last Rush tour. In 2005, Hughes & Kettner introduced an Alex Lifeson signature series amplifier; Lifeson donates his royalties from

1632-410: A new division of the order could be established specifically for governors general, their spouses, and members of the royal family, a version of which was adopted in 2013. Come on Children It documents the lives of a group of kids, aged 13 to 19, living together on a farm as a sort of social experiment. There aren't any adults supervising and they aren't going to school. Film introduces at

1728-535: A ribbon bow positioned on the left shoulder. These regulations were altered in 1997, and women may wear their insignia in either the traditional manner or in the same fashion as the men. With the patriation in 1988 of oversight of heraldry from the UK to Canada through the Canadian Heraldic Authority , the constitution of the Order of Canada was amended to include the entitlement of all inductees to petition

1824-426: A self titled project. Andy Curran played bass on both songs, and drums on "Spy House" were done by David Quinton Steinberg. The first single, "Liar", from Envy of None's debut album was released on 12 January 2022. Envy of None consists of Lifeson, Curran, singer Maiah Wynne , and producer and engineer Alfio Annibalini. Envy of None's self-titled debut album, which includes "Liar," "Kabul Blues," and "Spy House,"

1920-453: A similar design to the Sovereign's badge, though without precious stones, and slight differences for each grade. For Companions, the emblem is gilt with a red enamel maple leaf in the central disk; for Officers, it is gilt with a gold maple leaf; and for Members, both the badge itself and the maple leaf are silver. All are topped by a St. Edward's Crown , symbolizing that the order is headed by

2016-555: A visit to London , United Kingdom, later in 1970, Michener presented the Queen with her Sovereign's badge for the Order of Canada, which she first wore during a banquet in Yellowknife in July 1970. From the Order of Canada grew a Canadian honours system , thereby reducing the use of British honours (i.e. those administered by the Queen in her UK Privy Council ). Among the civilian awards of

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2112-706: A year and a half. When Lifeson was 17, he had an argument with his parents about his future; he wanted to drop out of high school to pursue his dream of becoming a professional guitarist. A video of the argument was part of a 1973 Canadian documentary, Come on Children , about the struggles of 10 adolescents. The argument was also included in two documentaries about Rush, Beyond the Lighted Stage (2010) and Time Stand Still (2016). Lifeson's first girlfriend, Charlene, gave birth to their eldest son, Justin, in October 1970. The couple married in 1975, and their second son, Adrian,

2208-400: Is accorded to those who exemplify the order's Latin motto , desiderantes meliorem patriam , meaning "they desire a better country", a phrase taken from Hebrews 11 :16. The three tiers of the order are Companion, Officer and Member. Specific people may be given extraordinary membership and deserving non-Canadians may receive honorary appointment into each grade. King  Charles III ,

2304-534: Is also installed as the Principal Companion for the duration of his or her time in the viceregal post and continues as an extraordinary Companion thereafter. Additionally, any governor general, viceregal consort, former governor general, former viceregal consort, or member of the Canadian royal family may be appointed as an extraordinary Companion, Officer, or Member. Promotions in grade are possible, though this

2400-459: Is ordinarily not done within five years of the initial appointment, and a maximum of five honorary appointments into any of the three grades may be made by the governor general each year. As of January 2024 , there have been 28 honorary appointments . There were originally, in effect, only two ranks to the Order of Canada: Companion and the Medal of Service . There was, however, also a third award,

2496-502: Is suspended a white, enamelled, hexagonal snowflake design, with six equal leaves and diamonds between each. At the centre is a disc bearing a maple leaf in pavé-laid rubies on a white enamel background, surrounded at its edge by a red enamel ring (annulus) bearing the motto of the order. The Chancellor wears the badge of a Companion and is, upon installation as governor general, granted a livery collar for wear at Order of Canada investiture ceremonies. The badges for inductees are of

2592-546: The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada , and five members of the order who sit on the council for a three-year period. If a nomination involves a non-Canadian citizen, the deputy minister of Foreign Affairs is invited by the Advisory Council to offer evaluation. Decisions of the council and new appointments to and dismissals from the Order of Canada are announced through the Canada Gazette . As of July 2024 ,

2688-467: The Chief Herald of Canada for personal armorial bearings (coats of arms), should they not already possess any. Companions may receive supporters , and all members may have the escutcheon (shield) of their arms encircled with a red ribbon bearing the order's motto in gold, and from which is suspended a rendition of the holder's Order of Canada badge. The Queen, Sovereign of the Order of Canada, approved

2784-494: The Medal of Courage , meant to recognize acts of gallantry. This latter decoration fell in rank between the other two levels, but was anomalous within the Order of Canada, being a separate award of a different nature rather than a middle grade of the order. Without ever having been awarded, the Medal of Courage was on 1 July 1972 replaced by the autonomous Cross of Valour and, at the same time,

2880-493: The Merry Axemas album, he also played bass and programmed synthesizers. During live Rush performances, Lifeson used MIDI controllers that enabled him to use his free hands and feet to trigger sounds from digital samplers and synthesizers , without taking his hands off his guitar. (Prior to this, Lifeson used Moog Taurus Bass Pedals before they were replaced by Korg MIDI pedals in the 1980s.) Lifeson and his bandmates shared

2976-532: The Ontario Science Centre on March 12, 1973, at a screening organized by Gerald Pratley 's Ontario Film Institute. It had a few other screenings at Canadian and international film festivals, but otherwise was never widely distributed, and remained little-seen until being included in The Criterion Collection 's The Actuality Dramas of Allan King DVD set in 2010. In 2023, the film received

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3072-464: The Order of Merit . To coincide with the centennial of Canadian Confederation , the three-tiered order was established in 1967 as a fellowship recognizing the outstanding merit or distinguished service of Canadians who make a major difference to Canada through lifelong contributions in every field of endeavour, as well as efforts by non-Canadians who have made the world better by their actions. Membership

3168-485: The Quebec sovereignty movement , such as Luc-André Godbout, Rina Lasnier and Geneviève Bujold , while Alice Parizeau , another supporter of Quebec sovereignty, was criticized for accepting entry into the order despite her beliefs. Victoria Cross recipient Cecil Meritt cited the fact that he already held Canada's highest decoration as a reason not to be admitted to the Order of Canada. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh ,

3264-658: The Victoria Cross , the Cross of Valour, and the badge of the Order of Merit permitted to be worn before the badges of the Order of Canada. Those in the grades of Companion or Officer may wear their badges on a neck ribbon, while those in the Member group display their insignia suspended by a ribbon from a medal bar on the left chest. Protocol originally followed the British tradition, wherein female appointees wore their Order of Canada emblem on

3360-445: The fount of honour , is at the apex of the Order of Canada as its Sovereign, followed by the governor general, who serves as the fellowship's Chancellor. Thereafter follow three grades, which are, in order of precedence: Companion (French: Compagnon ), Officer (French: Officier ), and Member (French: Membre ), each having accordant post-nominal letters that members are entitled to use. Each incumbent governor general

3456-441: The viola , but he abandoned it in favor of the guitar at the age of 12. Lifeson recalls what inspired him to play guitar in a 2008 interview: My brother-in-law played flamenco guitar. He lent his guitar to me and I grew to like it. When you're a kid, you don't want to play an accordion because it would be too boring. But your parents might want you to play one, especially if you're from a Yugoslavian family like me. His first guitar

3552-437: The 100 greatest guitarists of all time and third (after Eddie Van Halen and Brian May ) in a Guitar World readers' poll listing the 100 greatest guitarists. The bulk of Lifeson's work in music has been with Rush, although Lifeson has contributed to a body of work outside the band as well, including a solo album titled Victor (1996). Aside from music, Lifeson has been a painter, a licensed aircraft pilot , an actor, and

3648-408: The Advisory Council feels their actions have brought the order into disrepute. In order for this to be done, the council must agree to take action and then send a letter to the person both telling of the group's decision and requesting a response. Anyone removed from the order is required to return their insignia. As of 2022 , eight people have been removed from the Order of Canada: Alan Eagleson , who

3744-522: The Advisory Council had not been unanimous in its decision, but also proved to be one of the most controversial appointments in the order's history. Opponents of Morgentaler's abortion activism organized protests outside of Rideau Hall on 9 July, while compatriots did the same in front of Government House in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador , the official residence of that province's lieutenant governor . One former police detective, Frank Chauvin, along with

3840-622: The Advisory Council operated with partisan bias. Aubin also pointed to the presence on the council of members of the Royal Society of Canada, an organization into which Somerville was received. Peter Savaryn , a member of the Waffen-SS Galician Division , was awarded the Order of Canada in 1987, for which Governor General of Canada Mary Simon expressed "deep regret" in 2023. At a 2006 conference on Commonwealth honours, Christopher McCreery, an expert on Canada's honours, raised

3936-500: The Advisory Council, was turned down for appointment, yet Morgentaler was accepted. Journalist Henry Aubin in the Montreal Gazette opined that the council's rejection of Somerville, her personal opposition to same-sex marriage , and the acceptance of Brent Hawkes, Jane Rule , and Jean Chrétien , all regarded as supporting same-sex unions, as well as the appointment of a controversial figure such as Morgentaler, were all signs that

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4032-576: The Canadian honours system , the Order of Canada comes third, after the Cross of Valour and membership in the Order of Merit , which is within the personal gift of Canada's monarch . By the 1980s, Canada's provinces began to develop their own distinct honours and decorations. Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan represented the order at the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 2023. The Canadian monarch, seen as

4128-532: The Order of Canada (post-nominals: CM , in French: Membre de l'ordre du Canada ) have made an exceptional contribution to Canada or Canadians at a local or regional level, group, field or activity. As many as 136 Members may be appointed annually, not including extraordinary Members and those inducted on an honorary basis, and there is no limit on how many Members may be living at one time. As of August 2017 , there were 2,281 living Members. Upon admission into

4224-409: The Order of Canada that would avert the awkwardness around appointing members of the Canadian royal family as full members of the order: He theorized that the Queen, as the order's Sovereign, could simply appoint, on ministerial advice, anyone as an extra member, or the monarch could issue an ordinance allowing for her relations to be made regular members when approved. Similarly, McCreery proposed that

4320-480: The Order of Canada, generally operating without input from ministers of the Crown ; political interference has occurred only once, when in 1978 Paul Desmarais 's investiture was delayed for six months by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau . However, some of the committee's selections have caused controversy. For instance, the admission in 2001 of sex educator Sue Johanson , host of the long-running Sunday Night Sex Show , as

4416-512: The Order of Canada, members are given various insignia of the organization, all designed by Bruce W. Beatty , who "broke new ground in the design of insignia of Orders within The Queen's realms" and was himself made a member of the order in 1990; Beatty attended every investiture ceremony between 1967 and early 2010. The badge belonging to the Sovereign consists of a jewelled, 18- carat gold crown of rubies , emeralds , and sapphires , from which

4512-440: The Sovereign, and the reverse is plain except for the word CANADA . The ribbon is white and bordered in red stripes, similar to the Canadian national flag . The ribbon bar for each grade has the same ribbon and is differentiated by a maple leaf in the centre, the colour of which matches that on the badge of the related grade (red for Companion, gold for Officer and silver for Member). For civilian wear on less formal occasions,

4608-521: The achievement of outstanding merit or distinguished service by Canadians who made a major difference to Canada through lifelong contributions in every field of endeavour, as well as the efforts made by non-Canadians who have made the world better by their actions. Membership is thus accorded to those who exemplify the order's Latin motto , taken from Hebrews 11:16 of the Christian Bible , desiderantes meliorem patriam , meaning "they desire

4704-542: The album Away from the Sun by 3 Doors Down . He was executive producer and contributor to the 2014 album "Come to Life" by Keram Malicki-Sanchez - playing guitar on the songs "Mary Magdalene", "Moving Dark Circles" and "The Devil Knows Me Well," and later on Keram's subsequent singles "Artificial Intelligence," (2019), "That Light," (2020) and "Rukh." (2021). Alex Lifeson is featured on Marco Minnemann 's 2017 release Borrego , on which he played guitars on three songs and co-wrote

4800-536: The album. Lifeson has also contributed to a body of work outside his involvement with the band in the form of instrumental contributions to other musical outfits. He made a guest appearance on the 1985 Platinum Blonde album Alien Shores performing guitar solos on the songs "Crying Over You" and "Holy Water". Later, in 1990, he appeared on Lawrence Gowan 's album Lost Brotherhood to play guitar. In 1995, he guested on two tracks on Tom Cochrane 's Ragged Ass Road album and then in 1996 on I Mother Earth 's "Like

4896-465: The augmentation of her royal arms for Canada with the order's ribbon in 1987. On the grant to Bishop's College School , Quebec, the Sovereign's insignia of the Order was depicted below the Royal Arms of Canada, the only time the badge has been incorporated into a grant document. The constitution of the Order of Canada states that the insignia remain property of the Crown , and requires any member of

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4992-402: The best rhythm guitarists of all time. Marillion guitarist Steve Rothery has expressed his admiration for Lifeson's "dexterity" as a live performer and described Rush as a "fantastic live band". Jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel , after citing him as an influence, praised his "incredible sound and imagination". Following Rush's dissolution in 2018 and Neil Peart's death in 2020, Lifeson formed

5088-614: The candidates are worthy enough to be accepted into the order, and make recommendations to the governor general, who appoints the new members. The council is chaired by the chief justice of Canada , and includes the clerk of the Privy Council , the deputy minister of Canadian Heritage , the chair of the Canada Council for the Arts , the president of the Royal Society of Canada , the chair of

5184-497: The concern that the three grades of the Order of Canada were insufficient to recognize the nation's very best; one suggestion was to add two more levels to the order, equivalent to knighthoods in British orders. The order of precedence also came under scrutiny, particularly the anomaly that all three grades of the Order of Canada supersede the top levels of each of the other orders (except the Order of Merit), contrary to international practice. In June 2010, McCreery suggested reforms to

5280-426: The film due to lack of faith in its ability to draw an audience. By May 1973, King was so frustrated that he was announcing his intention to leave the filmmaking business entirely, although he ultimately did not do so; it was, however, his last documentary film for many years, as he shifted into narrative filmmaking and did not return to the documentary genre until the early 2000s. The film ultimately premiered at

5376-607: The former part-owner of a Toronto bar and a restaurant called The Orbit Room, which closed in 2020. Lifeson was born Aleksandar Živojinović ( Serbian : Александар Живојиновић) in Fernie, British Columbia . His parents, Nenad and Melanija Živojinović, were Serb immigrants from Yugoslavia . He was raised in Toronto . His stage surname of "Lifeson" is a calque of his birth surname Živojinović , which can be literally translated into English as "son of life". His formal musical education began on

5472-496: The governor general at Rideau Hall, although the monarch or a provincial viceroy may perform the task, and the ceremony may take place in other locations. Since the 1991 investiture of Ted Rogers , Order of Canada installment ceremonies have been broadcast on various television channels and the Internet; recipients are given a complimentary video recording of their investiture ceremony from Rogers Cable . At certain periods, holders of

5568-408: The governor general's approval can the resignation take effect. On 1 June 2009, the governor general accepted the resignations of astronomer and inventor René Racine , pianist Jacqueline Richard , and Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte ; on 11 January 2010, the same was done for Renato Giuseppe Bosisio , an engineering professor, and Father Lucien Larré ; and on 19 April 2010 for Frank Chauvin . It

5664-413: The insignia on eBay ; however, after the bidding reached $ 15,000, eBay removed the item, citing its policy against the sale of government property, including "any die, seal or stamp provided by, belonging to, or used by a government department, diplomatic or military authority appointed by or acting under the authority of Her Majesty." Rideau Hall stated that selling medals was "highly discouraged"; however,

5760-780: The levels of Officer and Member were introduced, with all existing holders of the Medal of Service created as Officers. Lester Pearson's vision of a three-tiered structure to the order was thus fulfilled. Companions of the Order of Canada (post-nominals: CC , in French: Compagnon de l'ordre du Canada ) have demonstrated the highest degree of merit to Canada and humanity, on either the national or international scene. Up to 15 Companions are appointed annually, with an imposed limit of 180 living Companions at any given time, not including those appointed as extraordinary Companions or in an honorary capacity. As of August 2017 , there are 146 living Companions. Since 1994, substantive members are

5856-551: The main characters with free tickets to a Rush concert. In the end of the episode, Alex reconciles with the characters, and performs a duet of " Closer to the Heart " with Bubbles at the trailer park. In 2006, Lifeson appeared in Trailer Park Boys: The Movie as a traffic cop in the opening scene and in 2009 he appeared in their follow up movie, Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day , as an undercover vice cop in drag. In 2017, Lifeson appeared in an episode of

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5952-421: The members of the advisory council are: Few have declined entry into the Order of Canada; as of 1997 , 1.5 per cent of offered appointments to the order had been refused. The identities of those individuals who have declined induction since the 1970s are kept confidential, so the full list is not publicly known. Some, however, have spoken openly about their decisions, including Robert Weaver , who stated that he

6048-417: The needle back and forth to get the solo in ' Spoonful .' But there was nothing I could do with Hendrix." In 1963, Lifeson met future Rush drummer John Rutsey in school. Both interested in music, they decided to form a band. Lifeson was primarily a self-taught guitarist with the only formal instruction coming from a high school friend in 1971 who taught classical guitar lessons. This training lasted for roughly

6144-470: The next sixteen years through the recording and touring of Counterparts , Test for Echo and Vapor Trails as well as the R30 tour. During this period, he also played several Fender Telecasters . In 2011, Lifeson said that for the past few years he "used Gibson almost exclusively. There's nothing like having a low-slung Les Paul over my shoulder." In early 2011, Gibson introduced the "Alex Lifeson Axcess",

6240-631: The only regular citizens who are empowered to administer the Canadian Oath of Citizenship . Officers of the Order of Canada (post-nominals: OC , in French: Officier de l'ordre du Canada ) have demonstrated an outstanding level of talent and service to Canadians, and up to 64 may be appointed each year, not including those inducted as extraordinary Officers or in an honorary capacity, with no limit to how many may be living at one time. As of August 2017 , there were 1,049 living Officers. Members of

6336-546: The order as a result of the Advisory Council moving forward with his pending removal due to his being found guilty of professional misconduct. The Order's Advisory Council considered a request made in 2021 for the expulsion of Julie Payette , the 29th Governor General of Canada, from the order. Payette, an Extraordinary Companion, resigned from the viceregal post over allegations of harassment of personnel at Rideau Hall . The advisory board attempts to remain apolitical and pragmatic in its approach to selecting new members of

6432-979: The order by John Matheson . The snowflake design for the order was suggested by the diplomat John G. H. Halstead . The association was officially launched on 1 July 1967, the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation , with Governor General Roland Michener being the first inductee to the order, to the level of Companion, and on 7 July of the same year, 90 more people were appointed, including former Governor General Vincent Massey , former prime minister Louis St. Laurent , novelist Hugh MacLennan , religious leader David Bauer , novelist Gabrielle Roy , historian Donald Creighton , feminist politician and future senator Thérèse Casgrain , pioneering neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield , painter Arthur Lismer , public health leader Brock Chisholm , former political leader M. J. Coldwell , disability advocate Edwin Baker , painter Alex Colville , and ice hockey player Maurice Richard . During

6528-456: The order to return to the chancellery their original emblem should they be upgraded within the order to a higher rank. Thus, while badges may be passed down as family heirlooms, or loaned or donated for display in museums , they cannot be sold. Over the decades, however, a number of Order of Canada insignia have been put up for sale. The first was the Companion's badge of M. J. Coldwell , who

6624-566: The order were presented with other awards, usually commemorative medals. Thus far, two commemoratives have been given automatically to every living member of the Order of Canada: the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977 and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. The task of the order's advisory council is to evaluate the nominations of potential inductees, decide if

6720-418: The order, while other appointments have been controversial. Appointees are presented with insignia and receive the right to armorial bearings . The process of founding the Order of Canada began in early 1966 and concluded on 17 April 1967, when the organization was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II, on the advice of the Canadian prime minister , Lester B. Pearson , who was assisted with the establishment of

6816-463: The other members of Rush, Lifeson performed real-time on-stage triggering of sampled instruments. Along with his bandmates Geddy Lee and Neil Peart , Lifeson was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on 9 May 1996. The trio was the first rock band to be so honoured as a group. In 2013, he was inducted with Rush into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame . Lifeson was ranked 98th on Rolling Stone ' s list of

6912-534: The owner continued efforts to sell the insignia via the internet. Five years later, a miniature insignia presented to Tommy Douglas was put on auction in Ontario as part of a larger collection of Douglas artifacts. Douglas's daughter, Shirley Douglas , purchased the set for $ 20,000. Any of the three levels of the Order of Canada are open to all living Canadian citizens, except all federal and provincial politicians and judges while they hold office. The order recognizes

7008-504: The reigning Canadian monarch, is the order's sovereign; the governor general administers the order on his behalf as Chancellor and Principal Companion. Appointees to the order are recommended by an advisory board and formally inducted by the governor general or the sovereign. As of January 2024 , 8,375 people have been appointed to the Order, including scientists, musicians, politicians, artists, athletes, business people, film stars and benefactors. Some have resigned or have been removed from

7104-494: The rest of the band appeared as themselves in the comedy I Love You, Man . Lifeson appears as the border guard in the 2009 movie Suck . Lifeson and bandmate Geddy Lee appeared in the series Chicago Fire , season 4, episode 6, called "2112", which first aired on 17 November 2015. The role of Dr. Funtime in The Drunk and On Drugs Happy Funtime Hour was originally written with Lifeson in mind, but due to scheduling conflicts

7200-459: The role was given to Maury Chaykin instead. Lifeson has penned forewords to four books: Behind the Stage Door by Rich Engler in 2013; Shredders!: The Oral History Of Speed Guitar (And More) by Greg Prato in 2017; Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass by Geddy Lee in 2018; and Domenic Troiano: His Life and Music by Mark Doble and Frank Troiano in 2021. In Rush's early career, Lifeson used

7296-942: The sale of these signature models to UNICEF . For effects , Lifeson is known to use chorus , phase shifting , delay and flanging . Throughout his career, he has used well-known pedals such as the Echoplex delay pedal, Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress flanger, the BOSS CE-1 chorus and the Dunlop crybaby wah, among others. Lifeson and his guitar technician Scott Appleton have discussed in interviews Lifeson's use of Fractal Audio's Axe-FX, Apple Inc. 's MainStage , and Native Instruments ' Guitar Rig. In addition to acoustic and electric guitars, Lifeson has also played mandola , mandolin and bouzouki on some Rush studio albums, including Test for Echo , Vapor Trails and Snakes & Arrows . For his Victor project and Little Drummer Boy for

7392-640: The show. For all acoustic work, he played one of his Axcess guitars using the piezo pick-ups; no acoustic guitars were used at all in the Clockwork Angels show. Gibson introduced an Alex Lifeson R40 Les Paul Axcess signature guitar in June 2015. This is a limited edition with 50 guitars signed and played by Lifeson, and another 250 available without the signature. At the 2017 Winter NAMM Show , Gibson representative Mike Voltz introduced an Antique White Gibson Custom Alex Lifeson Signature ES Les Paul semi-hollow guitar,

7488-453: The spin-off series Trailer Park Boys: Out of the Park: USA titled "Memphis." He also voiced Big Chunk in the first season of Trailer Park Boys: The Animated Series . In 2008, Lifeson and the rest of Rush played "Tom Sawyer" at the end of an episode of The Colbert Report . According to Colbert, this was their first appearance on American television as a band in 33 years. In 2009, he and

7584-422: The stage name Alex Lifeson . Although completed by 1972, King ended up embroiled in a year-long dispute with Famous Players over its refusal to distribute the film. The company claimed that King was holding up the release by demanding screenings in theatres that Famous Players did not own, a claim which King denied; other sources privately indicated off the record that Famous Players was refusing to distribute

7680-459: The start the only narration where King says in that he thought would be interesting to study the characteristics that arise in each person as a result of this experiment. In part it has the filmmaker revisit the troubled teenager subculture of his film Warrendale , with the hippie-era generational conflicts of the 1960s spilling over into the 1970s. One of the teenagers in the film, aspiring musician Alex Živojinović, would soon go on to fame under

7776-569: The studio versions of the songs. In live performances, the band members shared duties throughout most songs, with each member triggering certain sounds with his available limbs, while playing his primary instrument(s). Many guitarists have cited Lifeson as an influence, such as Paul Gilbert of Mr. Big , John Petrucci of Dream Theater , Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree , Jim Martin of Faith No More , Denis "Piggy" D'Amour of Voivod , Parris Mayhew formerly of Cro-Mags , and John Wesley . James Hetfield from Metallica named Lifeson one of

7872-429: The supergroup Envy of None with himself on guitar, mandola and banjo, Alfio Annibalini on guitar and keyboards, Andy Curran on bass, guitar and backing vocals and Maiah Wynne on lead vocals and keyboards. Order of Canada The Order of Canada (French: Ordre du Canada ) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada , after

7968-540: The track "On That Note". In 2018, he played lead guitar on Fu Manchu 's 18-minute mostly instrumental track "Il Mostro Atomico" from the group's Clone of the Universe album. In 2019 he was featured on the song "Charmed" from the Don Felder solo album American Rock 'n' Roll . On 15 June 2021, Lifeson released two new instrumental songs, "Kabul Blues" and "Spy House" on his website alexlifeson.com. The songs were released as

8064-460: Was a Christmas gift from his father, a six-string Kent classical acoustic which was later replaced by an electric Japanese model. During his adolescent years, he was influenced primarily by the likes of Jimi Hendrix , Pete Townshend , Jeff Beck , Eric Clapton , Jimmy Page , Steve Hackett , and Allan Holdsworth ; he explained in 2011 that "Clapton's solos seemed a little easier and more approachable. I remember sitting at my record player and moving

8160-470: Was also reported that other constituents of the Order of Canada had, in reaction to Henry Morgentaler 's induction into their ranks, indicated that they would return or had returned their emblems in protest, including organizations such as the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and Madonna House Apostolate doing so on behalf of deceased former members. Members may be removed from the order if

8256-464: Was amenable to leaving keyboards off the album due in part to Lifeson's ongoing concern about their use. Lifeson's approach to the guitar tracks for the album eschewed traditional riffs and solos in favour of "tonality and harmonic quality." During live performances, he used foot pedals to cue various synthesizer, guitar, and backing vocal effects as he played. While the bulk of Lifeson's work in music has been with Rush, his first major outside work

8352-503: Was appointed in 1967; his badge was sold at auction in 1981, an act that received criticism from government officials. In 2007, it was revealed that one of the first ever issued insignia of the Order of Canada, a Medal of Service awarded originally to Quebec historian Gustave Lanctot , was put up for sale via e-mail. Originally, the anonymous auctioneer, who had purchased the decoration for $ 45 at an estate sale in Montreal , attempted to sell

8448-500: Was born two years later. Adrian is also involved in music, and performed on "At the End" and "The Big Dance" from Lifeson's 1996 solo project, Victor . Lifeson's neighbour John Rutsey began experimenting on a rented drum kit. In 1968, Lifeson and Rutsey formed The Projection, which disbanded a few months later. In August 1968, following the recruitment of original bassist and vocalist Jeff Jones , Lifeson and Rutsey founded Rush. Geddy Lee ,

8544-417: Was critical of the "three-tier" nature of the order; Claude Ryan and Morley Callaghan , who both declined the honour in 1967; Mordecai Richler , who twice declined; and Marcel Dubé , Roger Lemelin and Glenn Gould , who all declined in 1970. However, all the above individuals, save for Gould, later did accept appointment into the order. Others have rejected appointment on the basis of being supporters of

8640-474: Was dismissed after being jailed for fraud in 1998; David Ahenakew , who faced calls for his removal due to antisemitic comments he made in 2002; T. Sher Singh , after the Law Society of Upper Canada found him guilty of professional misconduct and revoked his licence to practise law; Steve Fonyo , due to "his multiple criminal convictions, for which there are no outstanding appeals"; Garth Drabinsky , who

8736-458: Was found guilty of fraud and forgery in Ontario and has been a fugitive from American law for related crimes; Conrad Black , who was convicted in the United States in 2007 of fraud and obstruction of justice; Ranjit Chandra , whose scientific work was discredited by allegations of fraud; and Johnny Issaluk , following allegations of sexual misconduct. In 2013, Norman Barwin resigned from

8832-470: Was his solo project, Victor , released in 1996. Victor was attributed as a self-titled work (i.e. Victor is attributed as the artist as well as the album title ). This was done deliberately as an alternative to issuing the album explicitly under Lifeson's name (although the rerelease on vinyl attributes the album to his name). The title track is from the W. H. Auden poem, also entitled "Victor". Both son Adrian and wife Charlene also contributed to

8928-413: Was in 1982 offered appointment to the order as an honorary Companion; however, he refused on the grounds that, as the consort of the Queen, he was a Canadian and thus entitled to a substantive appointment. In 1993, the Advisory Council proposed an amendment to the constitution of the Order of Canada, making the monarch's spouse automatically a Companion, but Prince Philip again refused, stating that if he

9024-474: Was released on 8 April. Lifeson made his film debut as himself under his birth name in the 1973 Canadian documentary film Come on Children . He has appeared in several installments of the Canadian mockumentary franchise Trailer Park Boys . In 2003, he was featured in an episode titled "Closer to the Heart", playing a partly fictional version of himself. In the episode, he is kidnapped by Ricky and held as punishment for his inability (or refusal) to provide

9120-588: Was replaced by Neil Peart in 1974, after which the lineup remained unchanged until the band's dissolution in 2018. Lifeson was the only member of Rush who stayed in the band throughout its entire existence, and he and Lee were the only members to appear on all of the band's albums. With Rush, Lifeson played electric and acoustic guitar, as well as other various string instruments such as mandola , mandolin , and bouzouki . He also performed backing vocals in live performances and select studio recordings, and occasionally played keyboards and bass pedal synthesizers. Like

9216-512: Was to be appointed, it should be on his merits. Congruent with these arguments, he in 1988 accepted without issue a substantive induction as a Companion of the Order of Australia . In 2013, the constitution of the Order of Canada was amended in a way that permitted the substantive appointment of Royal Family members and Prince Philip accepted induction as the first extraordinary Companion of the Order of Canada on 26 April 2013. Former Premier of Newfoundland Joseph Smallwood declined appointment as

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