Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
JR Flood was an early, short‑lived late‑60s/early‑70s Southern Ontario band best known today because a 17‑year‑old Neil Peart played drums (and even contributed lyrics) before joining Rush. Their surviving recordings and stories give a fascinating snapshot of Peart’s formative years and the local prog/psych scene he grew up in.
What JR Flood Was
JR Flood was a St. Catharines–based progressive/psych rock band active around 1969–1970.
The lineup included:
Bob Morrison — organ
Paul Dickinson — guitar
Wally Tomczuk — bass
Gary Luciani — vocals & lyrics
Neil Peart — drums & lyrics
Peart described the group as pivotal to his early musical development, praising each member’s influence on his discipline, creativity, and grounding as a young musician.
JR Flood was an early, short‑lived late‑60s/early‑70s Southern Ontario band best known today because a 17‑year‑old Neil Peart played drums (and even contributed lyrics) before joining Rush. Their surviving recordings and stories give a fascinating snapshot of Peart’s formative years and the local prog/psych scene he grew up in.
What JR Flood Was
JR Flood was a St. Catharines–based progressive/psych rock band active around 1969–1970.
The lineup included:
Bob Morrison — organ
Paul Dickinson — guitar
Wally Tomczuk — bass
Gary Luciani — vocals & lyrics
Neil Peart — drums & lyrics
Peart described the group as pivotal to his early musical development, praising each member’s influence on his discipline, creativity, and grounding as a young musician.
