Imagine if he didn't follow his dream, considering everything Rush has given to the world. But he has always said in later interviews his parents were actually right and he (Alex) was wrong. Food for thought.
all they wanted was for him to finish high school though. not give up on his dreams. high school is not hard to do lol. but whatever... he seems to have made all the right decisions regardless. things worked out... rather well for him :)
@@moldren5263 Think on it like this. Time spent in high school meant time away from his future livelihood. He has mad guitar skills for a reason, and that reason is practice practice practice. Sorry, but 7 or 8 hours of time (including travel) committed 5x per week to learning things that aren't going to be as valuable in the long run versus practicing his instrument. 35-40 hours may not seem like much, but it's 21-24% of a total week, and 31-36% of one's wakeful hours. He definitely made the right choice for himself. Others should probably stay in school though, since talent like Alex's doesn't come around every day.
For anyone who is wondering, this was shot for a Canadian film project about the relationship between teenagers and their parents circa 1971. Rush was an unknown band at the time and nobody could foresee the band even signing in a label, let alone having success. Without cameras on, Alex most likely spoke Serbian with his parents, or rather a mix of English and Serbian, as his parents were Serbian immigrants.
Yes, it was part of a documentary and that actually IS Alex Živojinović (also known as Alex Lifeson). They were speaking English in their home for the sake of the documentary. DUH!
I love that this is the guy who ended up getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and then says "Blah Blah BLah" for a couple minutes. Freaking legend.
Amazing! Alex's parents are so right because they obviously are good people and care for their son, God bless them. However, they could not see the amazing talent that their son had and they can't be blamed for that. Alex made some mistakes early on, but he had the proper upbringing to see his way through that and to work hard to develop his talent as well. if there is one thing (and there are many) that truly defines RUSH it has to be their shared work ethic. Hard work has definitely set this band apart from many other bands. In the end, it speaks volumes about the way these three musicians have been raised. So, to mom and dad Zivojinovic I say congratulations, all of your hard efforts paid off.
In the documentary he watches this scene, and even admits his parents were right. But in the end it was his decision to bet on himself, and he was lucky. It took a few years, but his gamble eventually paid off.
I’d say he is even a better person now than then. For parents it was inconceivable to think he would be in a successful band & they’re right to be concerned esp. Alex being a parent. He looks like he’s at his bottom here.I’m glad he’s successful & for his parents.
There's a special place in heaven for whomever it was to film this, keep it, and then to release it. Truly a piece of rock and roll history, deservedly belongs in the Rock Hall.
I totally agree with you, if I heard correctly Alex was a father at this time, it could not have been an easy time for him or his family. Thankfully things turned out to be good. ✌
There are people who can play music. Countless of them. There are also people who are talented. Not so many of them. When the music is good, when there is strong personality, character, uniqueness and creativity, when people notice you, remember your riffs, solos, playing style and eventually idolize you and become phenomenal, that's because you have it all. Talent and everything. Otherwise, you are just another guy with an instrument who fails to stand out from the rest. Basically Alex has all this. Not only he is a damn good guitarist but the entire band itself is strong, tight and well connected as a unit. They are very dedicated as musicians. That's why today Rush is one of the most important bands in rock history.
@for repeated and serious violations I think the original comment was in regards to the irony of Alex's intuition of his success as a musician, and how he expressed it in this argument with his parents. He was already making a high income while his parents were trying to convince him to take a regular job. The only thing that makes since to some people is sitting in an office cubical, earning an average salary.
That's because people used to have respect for themselves and each other. You can tell today how little self respect someone has by how disrespectful they are to their fellow humans
I remember seeing this in a full length documentary and it was probably the most memorable scene in it for me. How rare is it that we get to see a rock star at the beginning of his career in a conversation like this?
and at the end of the day he's a guitar genius. he couldn't have found this much success in any other profession, and the best part of this is we get to listen to rush! very polite family as well.
Yeah, being gifted with talent makes most of the difference here. Take away the talent, and there is a different outcome... I know, because I'm not that talented. Good for him for seeing his opportunities so clearly. Seems like a great family, very caring, and good at open discussions..... Alex is very fortunate.
For so many dreamers, talented or not, there's something to be said about listening to the parents. The odds of making it big in music, sports or entertainment are against most who try. Think about all those people who won or were in the top 5 of American Idol. Where are they now and how many can you name? In fact many of the actual winners never did much with their career and they were very talented people. For those willing to sacrifice everything to go for it, it seems wise to also have some marketable skills just in case. A good example is Brian May. If Queen hadn't been so successful, he could've used his PHD in Astrophysics and I believe he still does some work with NASA.
@@RKDriver Great guitar players used to be a dime a dozen. Now they are a nickel a dozen. It's timing, talent and promotion that make an act popular. Even a person with not so much talent can make it with one hit song if the marketing is done correctly. If not then it's just another song regardless of how good it is.
You can tell by his expressions, Alex had different plans for himself, but he really did care what his parents thought. He was taking a gamble, one that paid off, but at this time, nobody knew his future.
@@ElMakz Wrong. He knew how to play the guitar better than 99.999999% of the population even at that age. Since you've obviously never had musical talent anywhere close to that, you cannot possibly know anything about his thoughts.
@@basedbear1605 Why the hell do you correlate being good at guitar with knowing stuff about life? El Max is right, when you're 18 you're completely fucking clueless, but you learn more stuff as you get older. Alex just happened to be good enough to make it in the business. Many people think they'll make it, but so many fail, because they don't have what it takes. The fact that you randomly bash El Max for having no musical talent even though you know nothing about him tells me you're pretty insecure about your own abilities.
I think his parents were right to push him to finish grade 12. This is from a 1973 documentary called Come on Children. The producers lucked out by getting a future guitar hero on their show.
Sure his parents were right. You can tell by all the success they’ve had in life, by just loving and supporting and having concern for their son. Through those emotional moments, he tried extra hard to prove them wrong, and he succeeded.
@S Tra I think that it’s not so much like winning a lottery... the chance of him huge like rush yes but the chance of him making a decent living with music not so much so... he said he didn’t want to be rich or famous
Alex had no idea his fame of the future. His parents were in the right asking him to finish grade 12. He's one of the lucky ones (not taking away his guitar skills at all) to get with Ged and succeed. Chances of this happening in garage bands and even better to hit the big time are about a million and one. Good video. Surprised it exists and so glad I'm part of that dinner table. R.I.P Neil Peart. 🙏
@@marcosveron5881 It's more the opposite. For those that don't finish it becomes much more difficult to do anything. Not impossible but the odds are much against them.
@Bray IDK yeah it's great nowadays!! millions of people addicted to antidepressants- xanax etc . Children on Ritalin. Pharmaceutical companies making billions.
Alex, Geddy and Neil won the lottery. There are many, MANY. MANY other musicians that weren't so lucky. I hung out on the Sunset Strip during the hey day of the 1980's. Several bands made it: Motley Crue, Quiet Riot, Ratt, Dokken, Poison, Warrant. But there were hundreds of bands that didn't and are permanently homeless or one step away from it. A great friend of mine, Lizzy Grey was in London with Nikki Sixx. Lizzy gave it is all, but never broke big. He died about two years ago from cancer chasing the dream until the very end.
Wow, It shows the frustration and angst of growing up as a teenager. I can relate to a lot of this. We were a generation of dreamers. I'm glad to see his vision came true. His parents went through some hardships before coming to Canada and were just trying to help and guide him to adulthood. A message to young kids, listen to your parents, take their advice, but never forget who you are and stay true to your vision. Its like going through a series of doors. Some doors may open, some may be locked, but there is more than one entrance to a room! There will be hard times along the way. be strong and plough through, but don't ever step on anyone's toes. Rush a great Canadian band, a legacy and a dream come true.
This is uncanny....same talk I had with my parents in grade 11. I had enough of school and wanted to go to work in the outside world. They allowed me and I've had dozens of jobs that enriched my life, never needing a diploma to do so. Today I'm 61 with a successful business and looking forward to retiring. Oh, I looked A LOT like Alex back then! LOL
What one has to understand is that Lifeson's parents were more or less refugees from Yugoslavia. Canada was a land of opportunity for them and they built a life for themselves there. So, their attitude is understandable, both generational and culturally. In fact, they come accros as quite reasobable here...especially his dad. I dont think my parents would have let me skip grade 12 to pursue music
That's exactly right. Besides hindsight is always 20/20. There are thousands of us, maybe millions who are grateful Alex didn't listen to them, but it's obvious their hearts were in the right place. And yeah, my parents either.
It's true. A lot of immigrants from Yugoslavia, especially Serbs were tough on their children. Heard stories from my mom about her parents (her dad especially) and about my great grandparents.
@@rickleblanc8900 Right, all the abusive, neglectful, pedophilic, and murderous parents "always care". All-or-nothing thinking is RARELY healthy or accurate.
Classic discussion. It is nice to see that the parents are so engaged and involved in Alex's future. It is natural for parents to be concerned and worried for their children's decisions. This is what all parents should do.
What all parents should do is what Alex said: to really listen to their kids and not assume that they already know what is or what is not good for them. TRULY listen means to have empathy, which is something that most parents does not have. They are worried with other things, such as what their families would think, what their dreams as a parents are, etc.
These "bouncy chairs" sort of exacerbate his nervousness of being put on the spot and being grilled about his future plans. Great video. Lots of respect for one another around this table.
As talented as Alex is,he lucked out. Many young musicians have gone nowhere. The parents only wanted him to finish High School so it wasn’t a crazy idea. He’s just a kid here but man if anything he bet on himself and won.
I know what you mean by the “luck” factor, as there have been many talented people who never made it in the music business. But I do think his work ethic had at least something to do with the success. Rush was one of the hardest working bands. They toured like mad for years on end - living on the road for almost a decade before they saw any big money come in. Not every great musician has that kind of dedication, but all three members of Rush did. Most people would not have wanted to go through what Alex went through to get where he is. So a little bit of luck, a great deal of talent, and A LOT of work.
@@patrickwoods2213 yes ! He had the talent but imagine having Geddy Lee by your side and then coming across the greatest drummer of his generation in Neil Peart. As you put it. There’s a lot of talented musicians in bands that have gone nowhere.
The one kid in a million who took the risk, quit school, worked his butt off, lived his dream, and proved them wrong! Of all the kids who had this same conflict with his parents, THIS is the one who actually made it! (And, married “her” and is still with her!)
Yes, that is for sure, but all along money wasn't his motivation he just wanted to be happy with the decisions he made for his own life and learn from his own mistakes and successes instead of learning from a university. He chose well.
Its not his fault he made millions off great music... his music made him famous.. all 3 guys in RUSH are masters of the craft... the perfect storm at the perfect time!!!
I feel like every parent who gives even the most slightest / smallest shit about their children would have the exact same conversation with their kid in this situation. Can’t blame them but thank you to Alex’s parents for letting Alex chase his dreams...and becoming one of the most complex and innovative guitarists the human race has ever and will ever see
What's crazy is that I grew up listening to Rush, I love Rush, Alex Lifeson to me as a guitarist myself is top 5 greatest guitarists all time and he stands tall with the likes of Hendrix, Page, and Clapton. Yet, I totally understand his parents here because I am older and have children too. And to be honest as much as I respect and love Lifeson for his second-to-none career in music, here he does sound foolish to me and naïve and if this was some random 70's home video and I didn't know that this was Alex Lifeson....I would agree with the parents. I guess that goes to show that you should never underestimate your children--It's just like underestimating yourself. My kids are still pretty young now but when they come of age, if they have an off the wall passion (imagine how insane joining a rock band sounded to Alex's refugee father) they truly love and want to pursue, I'll support who they are and what they love as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else. I've learned in my short time parenting and being a child that you can certainly raise, teach, and guide your children but you can never truly control them or stifle their free will, especially if they have a bold personality. Those that try are just bad parents.
And, as I've always taught my students, the stars that we admire in sports, the arts, etc... aren't necessarily the best at their craft. They're simply the ones that never gave up.
@WilshirecityBlues Yup...I'm a musician myself. Never achieved financial success...but still loving it and still at it 30 years later. Check out my album on my channel.
Alex's parents instilled some awesome values, allowing him to question. Thankfully he was a good listener. These good ethics of self discipline are behind his success I believe. Alex never gave up. IMO greatest guitarist ever!
I saw this on the Rush documentary DVD and always wondered what prompted them to film this family gathering and conversation at the time. What a crucial piece of band history this turned out to be in retrospect.
@@coxscorner THANK YOU! I was wondering who knew Alex enough at such a young age to be at his home filming this. I take it those are his siblings. Its also interesting how none of THEM jump into the conversation.
How amazing that this was captured, no matter the context. I bet this dialogue happens continuously day in and day out all around the world in every language and culture. Parents generally do know best, this was obviously quite the glaring exception lol. Rush are not just artists, but true craftsman and they blazed an unrepeatable trail 50 years long. For what it's worth, I don't think Alex’s parents were unreasonable. I'd love to hear his commentary on this all these years later.
WOW......I did not know he had a child when he was in High School. At least as he was talking to his parents he had respect for them. He did not yell, cuss or get angry. He was a good boy.
Relax, parents. You have created a musical genius. He's going to be set for life, whether he wants it, or not! I met his mom a few years after this, she was my nurse in the hospital. She asked if I'd ever heard of her son, I told her I had a poster of him on my wall!
They did not create a musical genius. They created a child. That child grew up, and despite his mother calling his music "a racket" and his father telling him he could never earn a living, he followed his passion and became a master of his craft. He did that DESPITE their disapproval, lack of faith in him, and trying to persuade him otherwise.
@ALJ Studios You need to work on your reading comprehension. lol Calling me "ignorant"...when it is YOU who misunderstood. Cut and past the comment where I said you stop worrying about your children. OOPS, YOU CAN'T...because I never typed that.
His parents were obbiously very loving and protective of Alex. Like any good patent, they only want thrir children to be happy and whats best for them. Kudos to the Zivojinovic family for not screaming at each other and making everything overdramatic. His parents were very very proud of his impending accomplishments.
A father worried about his son's future... that's a rare thing these days.. Kudos to his dad for worrying about what happens to his son in the future. There are so many fathers that could care less what happens to their kids... I'm just glad that somebody still does
They knew he was talented but they were concerned that if his musical dreams didn't materialize, he'd have no plan B to fall back on. And back then, parents didn't see security or value in trying to make it big in the music business. Alex pulled it off, we are grateful for the awesome music and his parents must have been so proud of him.
This conversation takes place with almost every artist and their parents. To have this footage and where Alex ended up is gold. This should be the video bible for all musicians. Alex had one thing many artists don't - an absolute firm belief in his talents and the talent to back it up. Hooray for the guy who made it. Way to go Alex! I wonder how many times he'd like to show this to his family?
Fame is probably 95% luck and 5% talent. There are a shit ton of VERY talented guitarists on youtube who will never even sniff fame or Lifeson type money.
I can't say I totally agree with that. Great songwriters will get noticed eventually, because they're a genuinely rare commodity. A skilled guitar player however, is ultimately a dime a dozen. Alex made it because he was in a great band.
Love the communication going on here, a lot of love and respect in that room, it's wonderful. No yelling no swearing just people talking and listening, trying to understand one another, it appears to me everything worked out fine, RUSH one of the greatest loved bands of all time. God Bless Alex's parents, you can see they loved their son
Alex's parents we from Serbia, and they probably hadn't had access to a decent education. Even so, every kid who marches to an alternative drum catches it from their parents. Its clear they loved him. I hope they lived to see their son's success and know how RUSH touched hearts all over the world. RIP dear Professor...✌️💚🤟
Equally amazing, that Lerxt married Charlene and remains married today.. Odds of pursuing musical dreams and being one of the world's top guitarists in one of the world's greatest bands, while also staying with high school girlfriend who got pregnant.....pretty small. Its almost like God's hands were directy in Geddy, Alex and Neil's lives, to create such a group that elevated so many of us above the Norm...... all of the twists of fate in their personal lives and factors that could have prevented RUSH from forming.. amazing
Alex knew in his gut what he wanted to do in life, he didn't choose music.. instead music chose him He followed his true passion, something many of us are too afraid to do We never know what the future holds, but if you don't at least give yourself a chance to follow your gut passion, you'll live to regret it..
Being a RUSH fan, AND a 51 year old parent of 5, I feel for his parents, considering they escaped holocaust Europe and fled to Canada to have a better life for themselves and their future children. His parents came from THAT, and they were trying to explain to him that life can be unpredictable and cruel. I can't imagine how hard that had to be for them, coming from what they did.
This is an "argument?" All parties are so civil and polite. Especially Alex, while he's being ganged upon and video taped. If this was my house, there would be flying dishes, overturned furniture....you name it.
Well James, sounds like you were raised by a pack of wolves. I feel sorry for your kids who have to witness that bullshit and think that is normal behavior.
The irony in this is that this kids have no clue how much his parents actually DID negotiate and speak and he was better for it. Sitting around talking like this.... Motivation and love that you can't deny... it was a blessing. I know he knows it now. He wanted them to support him and they did. Just not in the way he wanted them to at the time. Beautiful to watch. A family that isn't afraid to live one another and speak their minds. Really.
4:22 You go Dad! "I want you to be free..." People have to appreciate the point of view of his parents especially as Serbian immigrants. That was a war torn country with very little opportunity. You can't help but be shaped by that. They just wanted the best for him.
His parents did a great job. If they were bitter about everything they experienced when *they* were teenagers, Alex would surely have turned out to be a very different person.
I’m very happy Alex took the path in life that we have come to know as Rush. I can look back in my own life and see where Rush has been a positive example. But for every Alex Lifeson or Kobe Bryant there has been hundreds if not thousands of artists who wanted the same thing. Perhaps they wanted it just as much or even more. But for some unlucky turn of events in life they were ultimately rejected. Remember, Rush consists of three equally talented musicians who’s lives were joined together in life and location. None of them died along the way in some accident. The chances that Rush made it to the finish line like they did are astronomical. But they made it in style!! I own every album they ever sold….many on Vinyl, many more on 8 track or cassette tape, but today I own most every song via MP3. I bought Geddy’s Book of Bass….the deluxe version! I’ve walked in reverence thru the abandoned (now, sadly, completely gone) Le Studio in Morin Heights, Quebec Canada. Yes, Alex made it big….but I’m glad it was him who took the risk, and not me!
It’s just like when John Lennon’s Aunt Mimi told him: “ John, the guitars are great but, you’ll ever make a living at it.” But, no one obviously knows the end result of someone’s pursuits. We do have prescience as an innate quality which helps us to be logical for safeguarding ourselves and Alex’ parents did the best they could to encourage him. Truthfully, not many people ever reach the level of success which Alex has achieved but, this video is a lesson to all. No guarantees in life. I admire his courage though and it paid off. Thanks Alex for the great music and believing in yourself!
But I think now it is harder to make music a living with all the streaming, you gotta make rap, pop, know about music business and try to know what people wanna hear. I wanted to make music a living and I realised that it's a lot of pressure (but if someone really wanna do it, I'll still respect his/her opinion)
His parents did not realize that a musical genius was about to be releast, some of the greatest music in history. Thank God Alex was driven with his heart and gave us his music, some of the best guitar riffs and leads of all time.
Granted but the story doesn't always end successful , more unsuccessful than successful , can't blame parents for they're concearn , he got lucky , 9 out of 10 other teens that talk this way end up nowhere , and parent's know that !!!
Alex was not destined to greatness. He made it happen with his natural talent, hard working ethic and confidence in his ability. Thank god he sticked to his plan. Very interesting footage.
One thing I will say about this clip is that while Alex Lifeson would end up getting tremendous success, a big component of that success is the fact that everyone in the band by 1975 wanted that same success. Had he been in a less driven and motivated band, I don't believe he would have had the same success. There are a lot of musicians (myself included) who write music alone because every band I've joined just wanted to play half an hour and smoke pot the next two. Alex Lifeson might smoke pot, but he spent a lot of time writing and practicing his parts and ideas. After the show is done, do what you will. But when the show (and recordings) are being done is the time to think and songwrite.
I was in a lot of LA bands back in the day. Not many so-called musicians took it very seriously. Being in a band was just a lame excuse to get laid, drink and smoke dope. There were a few that took it extremely seriously, but that was not the norm.
This is why Alex was so successful along with Rush because his parents encouraged table talk and mindfulness. I love the smoke filled room it reminds me of all my family table talks.
This is like footage of someone winning the lottery ticket. It’s so rare to see people actually turn out to be a rockstar. I don’t blame his parents for their concern.
Perfect description. It's like a literally a one in a million shot. At least to get as big as Rush did. It's crazy that we have this footage when he's just some random guy with a dream
Not every aspiring musician is Alex Lifeson either. You are watching a young musical genius trying to make people believe in him. He knew then, later we all knew.
They were absolutely correct and these parents went through horrible times in Yugoslavia during WWII and they were worried for his well-being. God Bless them.
I had the same battle with my parents but I lost. Congradulations Alex! I remember back in the early 80's anything was up for grabbs in music, just put some flowerpots on your head, bounce around on stage, call yourselves DEVO and they'll love you. Back then as I was getting out of high school, my band was aproached by an agent who wanted to book us on tour. At the same time my old man was harping on me about what I was going to do with my futrue. He said "get a trade under your belt" then you can do whatever you want. Then you will have something to fall back on. To get the old man off my back I became an electrician just like him. After I finished my 4 year apprenticship things had changed in my life, I found a girlfriend and moved out of my parents house, had bills to pay. When I contacted the agent 4 years later, he explained the buisness had changed and were looking in different areas. Now I have a degree in electronics, have a position with a good company, a waterfront house with a high performance boat, a wife, children, soon to become a grandfather and soon to retire. I have the top of the line TAMA STAR drumset in my basement studio and I occasionally have friends over to jam (mostly to Rush songs). I guess I'll never know what it would have been like to disobey the old man and jump on the tour bus but this isn't so bad either.
Man this is so dead on, especially for me. My journey was from a background where I had Christian parents who were very strict about what me and my siblings could listen to. The rule was "Christian Only" music. That was hard. especially in my teen years. And while I am also a sincere and dedicated Chritian myself, I never could understand why we could not listen to secular music as well. So I did what most teenage boys from my era did...I listened to it anyways. I had to keep it hidden, but when a friend from School loaned me his new cassette of "Rush: Moving Pictures", I put it in my portable cassette player and said I was "Going for a walk". I put the tape in, A side first and literally even before Geddy started singing, I was already hooked, and I mean but good." I walked my neighborhood in the Pittsburgh for almost 3 hours and never got to the next song. I am now 58 and, to this day, "Tom Sawyer" remains my single most favorite song from any genre for my entire life. Of course I became a huge fan and couldn't get enough of them. They were (are) so great and amazing. And I really feel like those guys have been with me on this journey of mine that we call life. And although Neil Peart is gone, and I will never meet those guys in real life, I still feel a kinship with them. That is how much their music has meant to me. I will be forever grateful for my friend Rob giving me that tape towards the end of my high school sophomore year in 1981.
Just like Geddy, a son of immigrants. Maybe that's a reason for them getting along so well, like blood brothers. His Serbian surname is Živojinović, which means 'son of life', inspiring his stagename Lifeson. I'd like to nickname him Alexandar the Great.
Amazing! It's like he knew he was going to be famous so he made a 'Making of Alex' documentary ( his dad was very wise ). Wish I made the movie when my parents gave me the same serious talk about the 'real world' when I decided to drop out of music college in Toronto in the 1980's.
This is a clip from a movie that Alex was in called Come On Children (1973). A group of kids from different walks were put in the same house for a few weeks and filmed to how they would react.
While Alex certainly made good on his goals and dreams, his parents were NOT wrong. They didn't have a crystal ball and couldn't have seen what he would become...
When I was young I told my parents I wanted to make a living as a rock musician, they said I was wasting my time. Look at me now - I've released no records, have no money and live in a trailer park. Parents, what do they know?
Many, many successful musicians will tell you they were just lucky. They happened to be in the right place at the right time and that was it. Elvis Presley said as much and more than a few others I've heard talk about it. JJ Cale said it was basically a miracle he made any money as a musician. Eric Clapton heard one of his songs, "After Midnight" I think it was, and when JJ heard it on the AM radio one day he was astonished. His first thought was "Now I can buy a new car!"
I had the same dream, and I was a decent player by many standards. But my father was a 30 year Navy Vet Hardass that told me I went to pot as soon as I quit HS band playing the French Horn, and then started playing electric "geetar" as he called it, with all of the other long haired potsmoking shits. According to him, that's when I became the scum of the earth. We eventually found some peace, many years later. But yeah man, I know the feeling well, got talent, and no parents to support it. I am broke like you. If I knew then what I know now.................Hey, I still love playing music now I am54 ! Some things never die
This is so so fascinating. Love Rush and Alex and watching this in 2023 is truly traveling in time. What is really teaches us is that if you are really committed to something, whether music or any other artistic endeavor, work as hard as you can to make it happen. It may or may not... but if you are really, deep in your soul, serious about it, you have to try. Alex was, and did. And was one of the blessed ones who succeeded beyond his wildest dreams by doing what he really loved. It's a tale as old as time itself.
Alex had just turned 17 a few months prior to the filming of this documentary. It was filmed over a 10 week period in the winter of 1970-71. Rush first album was released over 3 years later in March of 1974.
Imagine if he listened to his parents, finished grade twelve, went to college, got the degree, got the job, got the kids, got the life his parents wanted him. And at age 60, he's sitting in his corner office listening to a band playing just the music he wanted to make, quietly shedding his mind of the youth he lost with regrets into a crystal glass half full of whiskey straight. Knowing full well that this is the point in time where he *should* be looking backwards into a life of mad tours, bad hotels, good dope and even crazier women, not staring at the void he left aborted at 17. No, i don't have any regrets dad, i'm perfectly happy with the life you gave me.
Kids and having someone you love is richer than being a rockstar. Alex, well all of them really, seem very humble and know what's truly important....but yeah, glad he decided to follow his dreams bc he made our lives richer.
"good dope and even crazier women" Um, you seem to have this band confused with KISS. All of the band members were married young and none of them ever got into hard drugs.
@@harveywallbanger3123 True, but just to clarify, dope back then just meant cannabis. Heroin was usually referred to as smack, and other "hard drugs" had there own designations.
@@torianholt2752 Sorry. I'm used to hearing "dope", "junk", "shit" and "heroin" all meaning the same thing. Cannabis is just "weed". I imagine Rush smoked tons of weed, but they definitely never got into heroin. Also RIP Neal Peart. :-(
This is an incredibly mature conversations by all parties. I wish more families would have these conversations today. I think we all can agree Alex has made good life choices! True musicians are no different than other artists, writers actors who are incredibly driven.
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Imagine if Alex hadn't decided to follow his dream. The world would be a worse place in the absence of Rush.
Absolutely
Imagine if he didn't follow his dream, considering everything Rush has given to the world. But he has always said in later interviews his parents were actually right and he (Alex) was wrong. Food for thought.
Damn right
all they wanted was for him to finish high school though. not give up on his dreams. high school is not hard to do lol. but whatever... he seems to have made all the right decisions regardless. things worked out... rather well for him :)
@@moldren5263 Think on it like this. Time spent in high school meant time away from his future livelihood. He has mad guitar skills for a reason, and that reason is practice practice practice. Sorry, but 7 or 8 hours of time (including travel) committed 5x per week to learning things that aren't going to be as valuable in the long run versus practicing his instrument. 35-40 hours may not seem like much, but it's 21-24% of a total week, and 31-36% of one's wakeful hours. He definitely made the right choice for himself. Others should probably stay in school though, since talent like Alex's doesn't come around every day.
For anyone who is wondering, this was shot for a Canadian film project about the relationship between teenagers and their parents circa 1971. Rush was an unknown band at the time and nobody could foresee the band even signing in a label, let alone having success. Without cameras on, Alex most likely spoke Serbian with his parents, or rather a mix of English and Serbian, as his parents were Serbian immigrants.
The fact this was recorded and how beautiful it is, I would love to watch the original film it was apart of.
Yes, it was part of a documentary and that actually IS Alex Živojinović (also known as Alex Lifeson). They were speaking English in their home for the sake of the documentary. DUH!
@@Sparky71870 the documentary was filmed on location, not in his home and there were many other people there who did not speak Serbian
@@seanfarley9235 it's on RUclips, the title is "Come on Children"
Wow
I love that this is the guy who ended up getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and then says "Blah Blah BLah" for a couple minutes.
Freaking legend.
Não vou dar 👍 pra não tirar do
33
And I love how you knew what Alex was saying during that speech by his facial expressions and body language. Absolute brilliance.
Amazing! Alex's parents are so right because they obviously are good people and care for their son, God bless them. However, they could not see the amazing talent that their son had and they can't be blamed for that. Alex made some mistakes early on, but he had the proper upbringing to see his way through that and to work hard to develop his talent as well. if there is one thing (and there are many) that truly defines RUSH it has to be their shared work ethic. Hard work has definitely set this band apart from many other bands. In the end, it speaks volumes about the way these three musicians have been raised. So, to mom and dad Zivojinovic I say congratulations, all of your hard efforts paid off.
In the documentary he watches this scene, and even admits his parents were right. But in the end it was his decision to bet on himself, and he was lucky. It took a few years, but his gamble eventually paid off.
100% if they hadn’t been real with him he wouldn’t have had the drive too achieve what he said. His parents where his rudder.
I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose free will.
YASSSSS!!!!
Queue awesome guitar solo
Well done
Neil wrote that.
@@TheMaxKids Yes we know.
Proof that Alex Lifeson was a nice guy from day zero and all the money and fame never changed him. Great to see the nice guy win once in a while.
Yes! This comment really makes me happy 😁
There’s another video of him watching this.
@@bennythepooh4905 Where he admitted his parents were right to be worried....in the end Alex turned out OK.
His parents kept telling him not to rush but he did it anyways.
I’d say he is even a better person now than then. For parents it was inconceivable to think he would be in a successful band & they’re right to be concerned esp. Alex being a parent. He looks like he’s at his bottom here.I’m glad he’s successful & for his parents.
There's a special place in heaven for whomever it was to film this, keep it, and then to release it. Truly a piece of rock and roll history, deservedly belongs in the Rock Hall.
Their son touched more lives than they could've ever imagined.
His parents seem like loving people who were sincerely concerned about Alex’s life decisions.
I totally agree with you, if I heard correctly Alex was a father at this time, it could not have been an easy time for him or his family. Thankfully things turned out to be good. ✌
There are people who can play music. Countless of them. There are also people who are talented. Not so many of them. When the music is good, when there is strong personality, character, uniqueness and creativity, when people notice you, remember your riffs, solos, playing style and eventually idolize you and become phenomenal, that's because you have it all. Talent and everything. Otherwise, you are just another guy with an instrument who fails to stand out from the rest. Basically Alex has all this. Not only he is a damn good guitarist but the entire band itself is strong, tight and well connected as a unit. They are very dedicated as musicians. That's why today Rush is one of the most important bands in rock history.
as well as he obviously did for himself he really didnt sell it here imo. i would be concerned if i was his parents too.
Not many make it in the industry. Its like winning the lottery. Talent only get you so far. It seems like he had an intuition here.
@for repeated and serious violations I think the original comment was in regards to the irony of Alex's intuition of his success as a musician, and how he expressed it in this argument with his parents. He was already making a high income while his parents were trying to convince him to take a regular job. The only thing that makes since to some people is sitting in an office cubical, earning an average salary.
I was moved by how they debated without really yelling and an over load of emotion . All were very respectful of each other . I love that .
That's because people used to have respect for themselves and each other. You can tell today how little self respect someone has by how disrespectful they are to their fellow humans
@@samfosdick9874 They're Canadian. By and large they are much more polite than their neighbors to the south.
@@icin4d true...they will give you all the money in their leg if you need it.
They were being recorded.
@@OMGWTFLOLSMH yea that makes sense too.
I remember seeing this in a full length documentary and it was probably the most memorable scene in it for me. How rare is it that we get to see a rock star at the beginning of his career in a conversation like this?
The whole things is so interesting : D.
What’s the name of the documentary
I believe the documentary is “Time Stands Still” from 2006
"Come on children" @@Anna-vz5jl
Never before
Alex Lifeson is hands down one of the most genuine, humble and overall nicest musicians of all time.
He's quite the scrapper too.
I just hope this troubled young man listened to his parents and got a stable, respectable career as a chartered accountant.
And then committed suicide at 36, leaving behind a big house, a Volvo wagon and a poor old cocker spaniel :)
You made my pizza & drink shoot out my nose. Stop it dude. I nearly chocked to death. Lmao 😂😁
@@tazz7830 Hehehehehe I'm honoured :)
kepstein8888 You’re thinking of Robert Plant...tee hee...
I'll bet Alex is super responsible with his money.
Alex was WRONG. He made WAY more than $80 per night .
They actually struggled early on...
Hundreds and thousands a concert probably
@@micahtcook__8817 ;ater one yeah, not in the beginning though
Denyse Milliken exactly.
80 millions per night hahaha
and at the end of the day he's a guitar genius. he couldn't have found this much success in any other profession, and the best part of this is we get to listen to rush! very polite family as well.
Yeah, being gifted with talent makes most of the difference here. Take away the talent, and there is a different outcome... I know, because I'm not that talented. Good for him for seeing his opportunities so clearly. Seems like a great family, very caring, and good at open discussions..... Alex is very fortunate.
I'm so thankful that Alex made the decision to do things the way he did. One of the greatest to ever pick up a guitar.
As a 61 year old physical chemist and Rush fan, that comment about 5 mgs of mercury and pressure really makes me reassess my choices in life.
I was impressed. ..I still have a mercury gauge for testing gas on my plumbing truck
"Chemistry'
@@guytitanic Electricity? Biology? Seems to me it's Chemistry.....
Such a great song.
Yeah, it turned out that the only chemistry he needed was with two other guys.
@@willwires8348 Neil wrote those lyrics not Alex. It has nothing to do with this documentary
God Bless his poor parents they were just worried about his future. Alex was right in the long run but so were his parents.
For so many dreamers, talented or not, there's something to be said about listening to the parents. The odds of making it big in music, sports or entertainment are against most who try. Think about all those people who won or were in the top 5 of American Idol. Where are they now and how many can you name? In fact many of the actual winners never did much with their career and they were very talented people. For those willing to sacrifice everything to go for it, it seems wise to also have some marketable skills just in case. A good example is Brian May. If Queen hadn't been so successful, he could've used his PHD in Astrophysics and I believe he still does some work with NASA.
God bless Alex for rising above the fears of the societal norms so early on!
@@RKDriver Great guitar players used to be a dime a dozen. Now they are a nickel a dozen. It's timing, talent and promotion that make an act popular. Even a person with not so much talent can make it with one hit song if the marketing is done correctly. If not then it's just another song regardless of how good it is.
There is, or was, a video of Alex watching this on a laptop and he laughed and said after, "they were right." : )
@@RKDriver Very true. We only see the Alex videos, not the 10,000 other kids who did the same thing and are now flipping burgers.
I love this. Loving, concerned parents. Focused, driven son. Compromise. Beautiful. And we know how this story ends.
“It’s great to be optimistic when you have security behind you.” Realist truth ever.
You can tell by his expressions, Alex had different plans for himself, but he really did care what his parents thought. He was taking a gamble, one that paid off, but at this time, nobody knew his future.
He was not even 18, he was a rebelious kid with a dream like everyone and think you are so wise and knowledgeble, you dont know shit at that age.
Agreed, Prince Valiant
He may have been determined to prove them wrong and that drove him to really excel and suceed by becoming a master at his craft.
@@ElMakz Wrong. He knew how to play the guitar better than 99.999999% of the population even at that age. Since you've obviously never had musical talent anywhere close to that, you cannot possibly know anything about his thoughts.
@@basedbear1605 Why the hell do you correlate being good at guitar with knowing stuff about life? El Max is right, when you're 18 you're completely fucking clueless, but you learn more stuff as you get older. Alex just happened to be good enough to make it in the business. Many people think they'll make it, but so many fail, because they don't have what it takes.
The fact that you randomly bash El Max for having no musical talent even though you know nothing about him tells me you're pretty insecure about your own abilities.
I think his parents were right to push him to finish grade 12. This is from a 1973 documentary called Come on Children. The producers lucked out by getting a future guitar hero on their show.
That may be the most questionable name for a documentary I’ve ever heard
@@wolfcappyhockeycards8370 LMAO
Sure his parents were right. You can tell by all the success they’ve had in life, by just loving and supporting and having concern for their son. Through those emotional moments, he tried extra hard to prove them wrong, and he succeeded.
Wow, I was wondering where this footage came from when I saw the Rush film years ago. Awesome. Thx for the info.
@S Tra I think that it’s not so much like winning a lottery... the chance of him huge like rush yes but the chance of him making a decent living with music not so much so... he said he didn’t want to be rich or famous
Alex had no idea his fame of the future. His parents were in the right asking him to finish grade 12. He's one of the lucky ones (not taking away his guitar skills at all) to get with Ged and succeed. Chances of this happening in garage bands and even better to hit the big time are about a million and one. Good video. Surprised it exists and so glad I'm part of that dinner table. R.I.P Neil Peart. 🙏
you gotta play to win i tried and failed but i still love to play and record music as an adult
@@ElijahMendiola you are so totally right. The love of music and to be able to play a part of it is the best feeling. You're very lucky.
Once you get your grade 12 you can do anything
@@marcosveron5881 It's more the opposite. For those that don't finish it becomes much more difficult to do anything. Not impossible but the odds are much against them.
@@MasterMalrubius It was a trailer park boys reference. Cause alex lifeson was on a few episodes of the show
This is Alex telling his parents, “I will choose free will”
That girl beside Alex is chain smoking up a storm to help with her stress. She and Alex both rocking constantly. This was a tense scene!
She probably have a voice that sounds like a bullfrog now.
Today’s kids: “you don’t own me bigot!!!”
Rocking before Rocking!
@Bray IDK yeah it's great nowadays!! millions of people addicted to antidepressants- xanax etc . Children on Ritalin. Pharmaceutical companies making billions.
Alex, Geddy and Neil won the lottery. There are many, MANY. MANY other musicians that weren't so lucky. I hung out on the Sunset Strip during the hey day of the 1980's. Several bands made it: Motley Crue, Quiet Riot, Ratt, Dokken, Poison, Warrant. But there were hundreds of bands that didn't and are permanently homeless or one step away from it. A great friend of mine, Lizzy Grey was in London with Nikki Sixx. Lizzy gave it is all, but never broke big. He died about two years ago from cancer chasing the dream until the very end.
He loved his parent's....but knew his calling....❤
Wow, It shows the frustration and angst of growing up as a teenager. I can relate to a lot of this. We were a generation of dreamers. I'm glad to see his vision came true. His parents went through some hardships before coming to Canada and were just trying to help and guide him to adulthood. A message to young kids, listen to your parents, take their advice, but never forget who you are and stay true to your vision. Its like going through a series of doors. Some doors may open, some may be locked, but there is more than one entrance to a room! There will be hard times along the way. be strong and plough through, but don't ever step on anyone's toes. Rush a great Canadian band, a legacy and a dream come true.
This is uncanny....same talk I had with my parents in grade 11. I had enough of school and wanted to go to work in the outside world. They allowed me and I've had dozens of jobs that enriched my life, never needing a diploma to do so. Today I'm 61 with a successful business and looking forward to retiring. Oh, I looked A LOT like Alex back then! LOL
I let my parents talk me into staying in school and going to college, which I wasn't ready for. Who knows, I could've been a great musician if only...
@@markcooke4866 You're parents were probably right. I was a bit of a rebel and grew up later in life....which will always be "what if?"
What one has to understand is that Lifeson's parents were more or less refugees from Yugoslavia. Canada was a land of opportunity for them and they built a life for themselves there. So, their attitude is understandable, both generational and culturally. In fact, they come accros as quite reasobable here...especially his dad. I dont think my parents would have let me skip grade 12 to pursue music
That's exactly right. Besides hindsight is always 20/20. There are thousands of us, maybe millions who are grateful Alex didn't listen to them, but it's obvious their hearts were in the right place. And yeah, my parents either.
My dad would’ve beat me and then kicked me out of the house
@@collinz126 Question is: Would you have forgiven him once you got famous and rich?
@Dave Green I’m gonna say being rich would definitely make it easier to forgive
It's true. A lot of immigrants from Yugoslavia, especially Serbs were tough on their children. Heard stories from my mom about her parents (her dad especially) and about my great grandparents.
5:25 Alex's Mother says: "Where are you going to find a place, make such a Racket"?
Thanks Alex for such a Racket!
@Prince Valiant Parents being parents. Parents worry and it's all good, they always care.
Rick Rocker Graham so funny right?😂
Well you see mum, there are these places called arenas...
@@rickleblanc8900 Right, all the abusive, neglectful, pedophilic, and murderous parents "always care".
All-or-nothing thinking is RARELY healthy or accurate.
I liked it when he was making a racket. After Moving Pictures his guitar became a subdued introvert.
A civilised discussion between family members is unfortunately a very rare occurrence nowadays.
Classic discussion. It is nice to see that the parents are so engaged and involved in Alex's future. It is natural for parents to be concerned and worried for their children's decisions. This is what all parents should do.
What all parents should do is what Alex said: to really listen to their kids and not assume that they already know what is or what is not good for them. TRULY listen means to have empathy, which is something that most parents does not have. They are worried with other things, such as what their families would think, what their dreams as a parents are, etc.
"I don't need to know how much atmospheric pressure is on 5mg of mercury" Grace Under Pressure was on Mercury records ... mind blown
Now that's damn funny! Gold star for you!
😂 Brilliant!
Rho * g * h
xD
Hahaha, nice!!
They cut out the part where Chris Farley comes out and yells at him. Your gonna end up living in a van down by the river!!!
Ironically, there's guys over the last 40 years who live in vans down by the river....listening to Rush.
Underrated comment
you're
@@Dreamboat988 *yer
Keep it simple.
"i hear yer taking yer kid to weaselman's pond for some fishin' this weekend."
@@herculesbrofister265 im more of the "if you know the correct way why do it wrong" type. to each their own i suppose
These "bouncy chairs" sort of exacerbate his nervousness of being put on the spot and being grilled about his future plans.
Great video. Lots of respect for one another around this table.
As talented as Alex is,he lucked out. Many young musicians have gone nowhere. The parents only wanted him to finish High School so it wasn’t a crazy idea. He’s just a kid here but man if anything he bet on himself and won.
thats not luck , that heart , determination and god given talent , you can see it in his eyes
i is always a good bet
I know what you mean by the “luck” factor, as there have been many talented people who never made it in the music business.
But I do think his work ethic had at least something to do with the success.
Rush was one of the hardest working bands. They toured like mad for years on end - living on the road for almost a decade before they saw any big money come in.
Not every great musician has that kind of dedication, but all three members of Rush did.
Most people would not have wanted to go through what Alex went through to get where he is. So a little bit of luck, a great deal of talent, and A LOT of work.
@@patrickwoods2213 yeah thats about right , i cant keep a band together. its hard to find people that are dedicated
@@patrickwoods2213 yes ! He had the talent but imagine having Geddy Lee by your side and then coming across the greatest drummer of his generation in Neil Peart. As you put it. There’s a lot of talented musicians in bands that have gone nowhere.
The one kid in a million who took the risk, quit school, worked his butt off, lived his dream, and proved them wrong! Of all the kids who had this same conflict with his parents, THIS is the one who actually made it! (And, married “her” and is still with her!)
@ALJ Studios she Didn't say that he was the only one or that dreams only happen in studios, dude.
Well now it’s “hey there goes Alex, he’s loaded with money”
More like hey there goes Alex hey Alex play limelight or something lol
I always say "Hey, there goes Alex he's loaded with guitar talent."
Sure why not lol
Yes, that is for sure, but all along money wasn't his motivation he just wanted to be happy with the decisions he made for his own life and learn from his own mistakes and successes instead of learning from a university. He chose well.
yeah i know right? he really set himself up great eh?
Love it years later when Alex said''My parents were right''
EXACTLY!
"I don't want people to go: there goes Alex, he's loaded with money"
Proceeds to sell 40 million records
My thoughts exactly hahhahahahahah
Its not his fault he made millions off great music... his music made him famous.. all 3 guys in RUSH are masters of the craft... the perfect storm at the perfect time!!!
“ There goes Alex, he’s on welfare!”.... The alternative could have been worse.
Yeah but he got rich the right way. Money was just a byproduct of his love for music.
And 1 of the top touring acts for decades.
I feel like every parent who gives even the most slightest / smallest shit about their children would have the exact same conversation with their kid in this situation. Can’t blame them but thank you to Alex’s parents for letting Alex chase his dreams...and becoming one of the most complex and innovative guitarists the human race has ever and will ever see
We know we're all getting older when we (on this thread) totally understand where the parents were coming from.
@@torydz Oh so true!!!
Haven't you heard.. There ain't no manual for parenting!.. Feel free for being the parent you are!..
They were never trying to hold him back,
Turned out to be one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time. A legend. Why are they all rocking?
What's crazy is that I grew up listening to Rush, I love Rush, Alex Lifeson to me as a guitarist myself is top 5 greatest guitarists all time and he stands tall with the likes of Hendrix, Page, and Clapton. Yet, I totally understand his parents here because I am older and have children too. And to be honest as much as I respect and love Lifeson for his second-to-none career in music, here he does sound foolish to me and naïve and if this was some random 70's home video and I didn't know that this was Alex Lifeson....I would agree with the parents. I guess that goes to show that you should never underestimate your children--It's just like underestimating yourself.
My kids are still pretty young now but when they come of age, if they have an off the wall passion (imagine how insane joining a rock band sounded to Alex's refugee father) they truly love and want to pursue, I'll support who they are and what they love as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else. I've learned in my short time parenting and being a child that you can certainly raise, teach, and guide your children but you can never truly control them or stifle their free will, especially if they have a bold personality. Those that try are just bad parents.
If all children listened to their parents there would be no rock & roll.
You could not be more correct.
And, as I've always taught my students, the stars that we admire in sports, the arts, etc... aren't necessarily the best at their craft. They're simply the ones that never gave up.
For every situation like this that ended up with success, like for Alex, 50,000 turn out in failure.
And that’s ok too actually. Do what you love. Live. Learn. Move on if it doesn’t work out. No regrets.
@@halifaxhiker True. As long as they don't end up bitter and angry at life. (some music store staff...lol)
@@halifaxhiker Then just ask the government to take care of you after it didn't work out.
@WilshirecityBlues Yup...I'm a musician myself. Never achieved financial success...but still loving it and still at it 30 years later. Check out my album on my channel.
Alex's parents instilled some awesome values, allowing him to question. Thankfully he was a good listener.
These good ethics of self discipline are behind his success I believe. Alex never gave up. IMO greatest guitarist ever!
Alex was always right!!!!His parents were his first challenge in life.
One of the greatest guitarists ever sits before them.
Innovative progressive guitarist at that.
Agreed.
I saw this on the Rush documentary DVD and always wondered what prompted them to film this family gathering and conversation at the time. What a crucial piece of band history this turned out to be in retrospect.
This is part of a film called "Come on Children" which follows the lives of 10 teenagers that he took part in. It's available on You Tube
@@coxscorner Thanks, I found that out later! : D
It's kind of like watching a video of Albert Einstein's parents telling him, "No, play piano, Albert! You're no good at this math and science stuff!"
@@torydz Einstein was a violinist.
@@coxscorner THANK YOU! I was wondering who knew Alex enough at such a young age to be at his home filming this. I take it those are his siblings. Its also interesting how none of THEM jump into the conversation.
How amazing that this was captured, no matter the context. I bet this dialogue happens continuously day in and day out all around the world in every language and culture. Parents generally do know best, this was obviously quite the glaring exception lol. Rush are not just artists, but true craftsman and they blazed an unrepeatable trail 50 years long. For what it's worth, I don't think Alex’s parents were unreasonable. I'd love to hear his commentary on this all these years later.
They way Alex is trying to express himself but trying to be respectful at the same time. Love it.
And the parents are being respectful to Alex by letting him say his feelings
@@squamishfish Exactly. This is how it should be.
WOW......I did not know he had a child when he was in High School. At least as he was talking to his parents he had respect for them. He did not yell, cuss or get angry. He was a good boy.
Relax, parents. You have created a musical genius. He's going to be set for life, whether he wants it, or not! I met his mom a few years after this, she was my nurse in the hospital. She asked if I'd ever heard of her son, I told her I had a poster of him on my wall!
They did not create a musical genius. They created a child. That child grew up, and despite his mother calling his music "a racket" and his father telling him he could never earn a living, he followed his passion and became a master of his craft.
He did that DESPITE their disapproval, lack of faith in him, and trying to persuade him otherwise.
@ALJ Studios You need to work on your reading comprehension. lol
Calling me "ignorant"...when it is YOU who misunderstood.
Cut and past the comment where I said you stop worrying about your children. OOPS, YOU CAN'T...because I never typed that.
To me he's a genius, to you he's a genius, but to a genius he's no genius.
"Kugel, bring up that piece of crap from the basement!
"Yes Papa"
me too...i had pneomonia in branson hospital and she was my nurse.
@@muddshshshark last time i did that, i had to get married lmao
You can hear the honest, loving concern in his parent's voices and see the concern on their faces.
Yes but at least they talked with him with out being tyrant like,
You can really see Love in Alexis's
Parents, himself and his family....
what footage. 🎸💚
This is the most serious I've ever seen him!
Not all teenagers turn out to be Alex Lifeson
It’s just parents caring for the best for their children
His parents were obbiously very loving and protective of Alex.
Like any good patent, they only want thrir children to be happy and whats best for them.
Kudos to the Zivojinovic family for not screaming at each other and making everything overdramatic.
His parents were very very proud of his impending accomplishments.
A father worried about his son's future... that's a rare thing these days..
Kudos to his dad for worrying about what happens to his son in the future.
There are so many fathers that could care less what happens to their kids... I'm just glad that somebody still does
Fascinating. I’ve gotta wonder if anyone in the room really knew just how talented he was.
They knew he was talented but they were concerned that if his musical dreams didn't materialize, he'd have no plan B to fall back on. And back then, parents didn't see security or value in trying to make it big in the music business. Alex pulled it off, we are grateful for the awesome music and his parents must have been so proud of him.
Probably not yet his full talent was not realized Until a few years later
Alex did.
Being friends with Geddy was his ticket.
@@ericstewart9742 I think I remember him (or Ged) saying that his parents thought Geddy was a bad influence. Good ol' bad influence Geddy! 😆
"So to all you kids across the land; There's no need to argue. Parents just don't understand." - Alex Lifeson
Neil was a high school drop out too, they all did just fine thankfully
This conversation takes place with almost every artist and their parents. To have this footage and where Alex ended up is gold. This should be the video bible for all musicians. Alex had one thing many artists don't - an absolute firm belief in his talents and the talent to back it up. Hooray for the guy who made it. Way to go Alex! I wonder how many times he'd like to show this to his family?
50% talent, 50% pure luck that they made it big. Lots of ultra talented people never meet the "right" people/person.
Fame is probably 95% luck and 5% talent. There are a shit ton of VERY talented guitarists on youtube who will never even sniff fame or Lifeson type money.
A lot of talented musicians just dont have what it takes to put out the goods in song writing .
Think of all the untalented with fame
I can't say I totally agree with that. Great songwriters will get noticed eventually, because they're a genuinely rare commodity. A skilled guitar player however, is ultimately a dime a dozen. Alex made it because he was in a great band.
@@valensinclair6750 Many of those "shit ton" of guitarists can't write a song to save their life. That's why they're stuck on RUclips.
Love the communication going on here, a lot of love and respect in that room, it's wonderful. No yelling no swearing just people talking and listening, trying to understand one another, it appears to me everything worked out fine, RUSH one of the greatest loved bands of all time. God Bless Alex's parents, you can see they loved their son
It’s because they’re Canadian😂
@@pjs777s.8 Serbian
Alex's parents we from Serbia, and they probably hadn't had access to a decent education. Even so, every kid who marches to an alternative drum catches it from their parents. Its clear they loved him. I hope they lived to see their son's success and know how RUSH touched hearts all over the world. RIP dear Professor...✌️💚🤟
They lived long enough to experience his big time succes
Wow. He is a real person. One tends to forget that when all one has seen is the big rock star Alex. Cool vid. Thanks for sharing.
I f*king love his conviction here. Cant believe this was captured on film. The family seems very evolved and mature.
Equally amazing, that Lerxt married Charlene and remains married today.. Odds of pursuing musical dreams and being one of the world's top guitarists in one of the world's greatest bands, while also staying with high school girlfriend who got pregnant.....pretty small. Its almost like God's hands were directy in Geddy, Alex and Neil's lives, to create such a group that elevated so many of us above the Norm...... all of the twists of fate in their personal lives and factors that could have prevented RUSH from forming.. amazing
Very well said! So many factors could have kept Rush from becoming the force it is today!
It was John as the drummer at this moment in time.
I think Neil might have wished god wasn’t guiding their destiny. His tragic life doesn’t seem fair..
A little bit of Ghost of a Chance, inspiring your post? 🤔😉
Alex knew in his gut what he wanted to do in life, he didn't choose music.. instead music chose him
He followed his true passion, something many of us are too afraid to do
We never know what the future holds, but if you don't at least give yourself a chance to follow your gut passion, you'll live to regret it..
Being a RUSH fan, AND a 51 year old parent of 5, I feel for his parents, considering they escaped holocaust Europe and fled to Canada to have a better life for themselves and their future children. His parents came from THAT, and they were trying to explain to him that life can be unpredictable and cruel. I can't imagine how hard that had to be for them, coming from what they did.
You are thinking of Geddy's family!
Alex's parents were from Serbia.
What a ton of bs, They are serbian and not jewish at all.
This is an "argument?" All parties are so civil and polite. Especially Alex, while he's being ganged upon and video taped. If this was my house, there would be flying dishes, overturned furniture....you name it.
Canadian argument. and proud of it.
Quite respectful and dignified, all parties.
Well James, sounds like you were raised by a pack of wolves. I feel sorry for your kids who have to witness that bullshit and think that is normal behavior.
Same. I could NEVER EVER EVER have a conversation like this with my parents.
argument: doesn't only mean 'verbal fight'. it also can mean an exchange of fact. www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/argument
The irony in this is that this kids have no clue how much his parents actually DID negotiate and speak and he was better for it. Sitting around talking like this.... Motivation and love that you can't deny... it was a blessing. I know he knows it now. He wanted them to support him and they did. Just not in the way he wanted them to at the time. Beautiful to watch. A family that isn't afraid to live one another and speak their minds. Really.
4:22 You go Dad! "I want you to be free..." People have to appreciate the point of view of his parents especially as Serbian immigrants. That was a war torn country with very little opportunity. You can't help but be shaped by that. They just wanted the best for him.
His parents did a great job. If they were bitter about everything they experienced when *they* were teenagers, Alex would surely have turned out to be a very different person.
I’m very happy Alex took the path in life that we have come to know as Rush. I can look back in my own life and see where Rush has been a positive example. But for every Alex Lifeson or Kobe Bryant there has been hundreds if not thousands of artists who wanted the same thing. Perhaps they wanted it just as much or even more. But for some unlucky turn of events in life they were ultimately rejected. Remember, Rush consists of three equally talented musicians who’s lives were joined together in life and location. None of them died along the way in some accident. The chances that Rush made it to the finish line like they did are astronomical. But they made it in style!! I own every album they ever sold….many on Vinyl, many more on 8 track or cassette tape, but today I own most every song via MP3. I bought Geddy’s Book of Bass….the deluxe version! I’ve walked in reverence thru the abandoned (now, sadly, completely gone) Le Studio in Morin Heights, Quebec Canada. Yes, Alex made it big….but I’m glad it was him who took the risk, and not me!
So your point after all of that is that you're glad you didn't take the risk?
That's a bit of a letdown.
Imagine if you had.
That's the thickest Canadian accent I've ever heard, Alex. He could have been the third Mackenzie Brother, fer sure.
He never knew that was a back up plan did he? Geddy sure knew, but Alex didnt...
Take off, eh?!
You stay oot of this until you know what you're talking aboot eh!
His parents emigrated from Serbia (Yugoslavia) after the WW2 so they were probably speaking Serbian back at home.
Sounds perfectly normal to me!
It’s just like when John Lennon’s Aunt Mimi told him: “ John, the guitars are great but, you’ll ever make a living at it.” But, no one obviously knows the end result of someone’s pursuits. We do have prescience as an innate quality which helps us to be logical for safeguarding ourselves and Alex’ parents did the best they could to encourage him. Truthfully, not many people ever reach the level of success which Alex has achieved but, this video is a lesson to all. No guarantees in life. I admire his courage though and it paid off. Thanks Alex for the great music and believing in yourself!
But I think now it is harder to make music a living with all the streaming, you gotta make rap, pop, know about music business and try to know what people wanna hear.
I wanted to make music a living and I realised that it's a lot of pressure (but if someone really wanna do it, I'll still respect his/her opinion)
His parents did not realize that a musical genius was about to be releast, some of the greatest music in history. Thank God Alex was driven with his heart and gave us his music, some of the best guitar riffs and leads of all time.
Granted but the story doesn't always end successful , more unsuccessful than successful , can't blame parents for they're concearn , he got lucky , 9 out of 10 other teens that talk this way end up nowhere , and parent's know that !!!
They sure were proud of him when Rush was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame! He's still doing great to this very day!
Alex was not destined to greatness. He made it happen with his natural talent, hard working ethic and confidence in his ability. Thank god he sticked to his plan. Very interesting footage.
One thing I will say about this clip is that while Alex Lifeson would end up getting tremendous success, a big component of that success is the fact that everyone in the band by 1975 wanted that same success. Had he been in a less driven and motivated band, I don't believe he would have had the same success.
There are a lot of musicians (myself included) who write music alone because every band I've joined just wanted to play half an hour and smoke pot the next two.
Alex Lifeson might smoke pot, but he spent a lot of time writing and practicing his parts and ideas. After the show is done, do what you will. But when the show (and recordings) are being done is the time to think and songwrite.
I was in a lot of LA bands back in the day. Not many so-called musicians took it very seriously. Being in a band was just a lame excuse to get laid, drink and smoke dope. There were a few that took it extremely seriously, but that was not the norm.
And I didn't even realize, until I saw the video about the making of YYZ, that Alex also piloted the band's airplane !
Exactly...most of the guys I played in bands with had other reasons for playing music other that the love of music itself.
His parents don’t put his dreams down but they come from a place of love when they give him advice
This is why Alex was so successful along with Rush because his parents encouraged table talk and mindfulness. I love the smoke filled room it reminds me of all my family table talks.
This is like footage of someone winning the lottery ticket. It’s so rare to see people actually turn out to be a rockstar. I don’t blame his parents for their concern.
Dont blame them but parents should more supportive of their kids talents/ dreams.
Perfect description. It's like a literally a one in a million shot. At least to get as big as Rush did. It's crazy that we have this footage when he's just some random guy with a dream
Assuming the goal is to be a rockstar, instead of just playing rock, is also part of that problem.
Not every aspiring musician is Alex Lifeson either. You are watching a young musical genius trying to make people believe in him. He knew then, later we all knew.
They were absolutely correct and these parents went through horrible times in Yugoslavia during WWII and they were worried for his well-being.
God Bless them.
I had the same battle with my parents but I lost. Congradulations Alex! I remember back in the early 80's anything was up for grabbs in music, just put some flowerpots on your head, bounce around on stage, call yourselves DEVO and they'll love you. Back then as I was getting out of high school, my band was aproached by an agent who wanted to book us on tour. At the same time my old man was harping on me about what I was going to do with my futrue. He said "get a trade under your belt" then you can do whatever you want. Then you will have something to fall back on. To get the old man off my back I became an electrician just like him. After I finished my 4 year apprenticship things had changed in my life, I found a girlfriend and moved out of my parents house, had bills to pay. When I contacted the agent 4 years later, he explained the buisness had changed and were looking in different areas. Now I have a degree in electronics, have a position with a good company, a waterfront house with a high performance boat, a wife, children, soon to become a grandfather and soon to retire. I have the top of the line TAMA STAR drumset in my basement studio and I occasionally have friends over to jam (mostly to Rush songs). I guess I'll never know what it would have been like to disobey the old man and jump on the tour bus but this isn't so bad either.
Man this is so dead on, especially for me. My journey was from a background where I had Christian parents who were very strict about what me and my siblings could listen to. The rule was "Christian Only" music. That was hard. especially in my teen years. And while I am also a sincere and dedicated Chritian myself, I never could understand why we could not listen to secular music as well. So I did what most teenage boys from my era did...I listened to it anyways. I had to keep it hidden, but when a friend from School loaned me his new cassette of "Rush: Moving Pictures", I put it in my portable cassette player and said I was "Going for a walk". I put the tape in, A side first and literally even before Geddy started singing, I was already hooked, and I mean but good." I walked my neighborhood in the Pittsburgh for almost 3 hours and never got to the next song.
I am now 58 and, to this day, "Tom Sawyer" remains my single most favorite song from any genre for my entire life. Of course I became a huge fan and couldn't get enough of them. They were (are) so great and amazing. And I really feel like those guys have been with me on this journey of mine that we call life. And although Neil Peart is gone, and I will never meet those guys in real life, I still feel a kinship with them. That is how much their music has meant to me. I will be forever grateful for my friend Rob giving me that tape towards the end of my high school sophomore year in 1981.
This is from a 1973 Canadian documentary called Come On Children. 3 or 4 years later his parents TOTALLY changed their tune!
Alex is awesome because he had amazing parents
Just like Geddy, a son of immigrants. Maybe that's a reason for them getting along so well, like blood brothers. His Serbian surname is Živojinović, which means 'son of life', inspiring his stagename Lifeson. I'd like to nickname him Alexandar the Great.
Amazing! It's like he knew he was going to be famous so he made a 'Making of Alex' documentary ( his dad was very wise ). Wish I made the movie when my parents gave me the same serious talk about the 'real world' when I decided to drop out of music college in Toronto in the 1980's.
This is a clip from a movie that Alex was in called Come On Children (1973). A group of kids from different walks were put in the same house for a few weeks and filmed to how they would react.
@@brasco96wired67 Ah ok, I think I've seen parts of that film.
Yeah man but how could you know you weren’t Alex Lifeson unless you tried?
Yeah, but there are a million more moments like this where the kid became nothing.
@@brasco96wired67 I thought this was too professionally done to be a home movie... I've never seen it before...Great clip.
Thank Christ Alex followed his path. What an incredible unique sound he produced
Mom and Dad and many other family helping to guide him. Wonderful Family. ❤
While Alex certainly made good on his goals and dreams, his parents were NOT wrong. They didn't have a crystal ball and couldn't have seen what he would become...
When I was young I told my parents I wanted to make a living as a rock musician, they said I was wasting my time. Look at me now - I've released no records, have no money and live in a trailer park. Parents, what do they know?
It's a matter of how good one is as a musician and as a band
Failure is Always an Option
Many, many successful musicians will tell you they were just lucky. They happened to be in the right place at the right time and that was it. Elvis Presley said as much and more than a few others I've heard talk about it.
JJ Cale said it was basically a miracle he made any money as a musician. Eric Clapton heard one of his songs, "After Midnight" I think it was, and when JJ heard it on the AM radio one day he was astonished. His first thought was "Now I can buy a new car!"
I had the same dream, and I was a decent player by many standards. But my father was a 30 year Navy Vet Hardass that told me I went to pot as soon as I quit HS band playing the French Horn, and then started playing electric "geetar" as he called it, with all of the other long haired potsmoking shits. According to him, that's when I became the scum of the earth. We eventually found some peace, many years later. But yeah man, I know the feeling well, got talent, and no parents to support it. I am broke like you. If I knew then what I know now.................Hey, I still love playing music now I am54 ! Some things never die
@@rbagel55 Never stop playing!! Keep the dream alive friend 💪🏻❤️
This is so so fascinating. Love Rush and Alex and watching this in 2023 is truly traveling in time. What is really teaches us is that if you are really committed to something, whether music or any other artistic endeavor, work as hard as you can to make it happen. It may or may not... but if you are really, deep in your soul, serious about it, you have to try. Alex was, and did. And was one of the blessed ones who succeeded beyond his wildest dreams by doing what he really loved. It's a tale as old as time itself.
Alex had just turned 17 a few months prior to the filming of this documentary. It was filmed over a 10 week period in the winter of 1970-71. Rush first album was released over 3 years later in March of 1974.
Wow, A family that actually sat around & discussed important decisions in life. Just wow ; I never had that experience
Me neither. I'm jealous.
Takeout on the couch in front of the TV instead?
Imagine if he listened to his parents, finished grade twelve, went to college, got the degree, got the job, got the kids, got the life his parents wanted him. And at age 60, he's sitting in his corner office listening to a band playing just the music he wanted to make, quietly shedding his mind of the youth he lost with regrets into a crystal glass half full of whiskey straight. Knowing full well that this is the point in time where he *should* be looking backwards into a life of mad tours, bad hotels, good dope and even crazier women, not staring at the void he left aborted at 17.
No, i don't have any regrets dad, i'm perfectly happy with the life you gave me.
Kids and having someone you love is richer than being a rockstar. Alex, well all of them really, seem very humble and know what's truly important....but yeah, glad he decided to follow his dreams bc he made our lives richer.
But Alex admitted that his parents were right. A true sign of maturity since he's still alive and well.
"good dope and even crazier women"
Um, you seem to have this band confused with KISS. All of the band members were married young and none of them ever got into hard drugs.
@@harveywallbanger3123 True, but just to clarify, dope back then just meant cannabis. Heroin was usually referred to as smack, and other "hard drugs" had there own designations.
@@torianholt2752 Sorry. I'm used to hearing "dope", "junk", "shit" and "heroin" all meaning the same thing. Cannabis is just
"weed". I imagine Rush smoked tons of weed, but they definitely never got into heroin. Also RIP Neal Peart. :-(
This is an incredibly mature conversations by all parties. I wish more families would have these conversations today. I think we all can agree Alex has made good life choices! True musicians are no different than other artists, writers actors who are incredibly driven.
He speaks of his vision and desire, his parents speak of wisdom and concern. In the middle there was Rush.