Powerhouse rock trio Rush will be named this year's Legend of Live at the 2010 Billboard Touring Awards in New York on Nov. 4.
The Legend of Live honors groups or individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to live music and the touring business, and acknowledges the recipients' commitment to the art of performing live and reaching fans through the concert experience.
Previous award recipients include Rolling Stones promoter Michael Cohl (2004), Cellar Door Concerts founder Jack Boyle (2005), Sir Elton John (2006), pioneering agent Frank Barsalona (2007), the Allman Brothers Band (2008) and Ozzy Osbourne (2009). The Billboard Touring Awards wraps the 7th annual Billboard Touring Conference, which takes place Nov 3-4 at the Sheraton NY.
Rush - Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee and Neil Peart - have moved millions of concert tickets in their current lineup in place since 1974. The band's 2010 Time Machine tour played 45 shows in the U.S., Canada, and South America to sold out houses. Still a huge global concert draw, Rush have sold more than 2 million tickets in the past five years.
Classic Rush albums include 1976's 2112, 1981's Moving Pictures (played in its entirety on their '10 tour), 1996's Test for Echo, 2002's Vapor Trails and the latest studio album "Snakes & Arrows," which debuted in the #3 spot on the Billboard 200 upon its initial release in 2007, Rush's highest chart debut since 1993. This summer saw the release of "Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage", a documentary on the band's 40 year career, and the band's 20th studio album "Clockwork Angels" is due next year.
"With a remarkable body of live work over the years, altering the course of rock music and raising the bar as to what can be done onstage, along with the band's continued commitment to playing live, we think Rush are uniquely deserving of this award," says Ray Waddell, Billboard's executive director of content and programming, touring and live entertainment. "From the early days in the bars and clubs of Toronto to stadiums, amphitheaters and arenas around the world, Rush have epitomized professionalism and the spirit of live rock 'n roll, and they boast some of the most passionate and loyal fans in rock."