Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Battery Charges Against Rush Guitarist Diminished — But He's Not Off The Hook
MTV News ^ | 3.22.2004 | Jon Wiederhorn

Posted on 03/22/2004 9:33:26 PM PST by NYC GOP Chick

A circuit court in Collier County, Florida, has charged Alex Lifeson (a.k.a. Alex Zivojinovich), the guitarist for Canadian power trio Rush, with two third-degree felony counts of battery against a law-enforcement officer.

The charges stem from a New Year's Eve incident in which Lifeson became enraged after security personnel at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel restaurant in Naples, Florida, prevented Lifeson's son Justin from joining the house band onstage to sing to his wife. Police became involved and Lifeson allegedly elbowed one in the face, pushed a female officer down a staircase, and ripped an officer's radio from his uniform (see "Rush Guitarist Considers Suit Alleging Police Brutality").

The third-degree battery charges were knocked down from two first-degree charges of aggravated battery against a law-enforcement officer. Four additional charges against Lifeson were dropped: resisting/obstructing an officer with violence, resisting/obstructing an officer without violence, disorderly intoxication and depriving an officer of the protection of a communication device.

The rocker will appear before a judge of the 20th Judicial Circuit Court in Naples on May 17. If convicted, Lifeson could face a fine of $500 or more and/or jail time. In the New Year's Eve fight, cops allegedly broke Lifeson's nose and zapped him four times with a stun gun to restrain him. The guitarist spent two nights in jail before he was released.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alexlifeson; rush
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-92 next last
To: spodefly
And nobody kicks my fairy ass.

Fair enough. LOL

That's what headphones are for, I guess.

21 posted on 03/22/2004 10:04:51 PM PST by Petronski (Kerry knew...and did nothing. THAT....is weakness.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: NYC GOP Chick
A modern-day warrior
Mean mean stride,
Today's Tom Sawyer
Mean mean pride.

Though his mind is not for rent,
Don't put him down as arrogant.
His reserve, a quiet defense,
Riding out the day's events.
The river

And what you say about his company
Is what you say about society.
Catch the mist, catch the myth
Catch the mystery, catch the drift.
22 posted on 03/22/2004 10:08:10 PM PST by Chad_the_Impaler
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NYC GOP Chick
OK, I take it that you don't like Rush...what are your favorite groups/artists?

Well, I'm busting on Rush pretty hard, so I guess it's only fair that I lay open my musical tastes as well, unsolicited:

The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Allman Brothers Band, [early] Springsteen, King (B.B. and Albert), Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, J. Geils Band (blues and pop), Big Mama Thornton, Elvis Presley, etc.

23 posted on 03/22/2004 10:08:43 PM PST by Petronski (Kerry knew...and did nothing. THAT....is weakness.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Chad_the_Impaler
Nice! Thanks. :)
24 posted on 03/22/2004 10:09:18 PM PST by NYC GOP Chick ("If I could shoot like that, I would still be in the NBA" -- Bill Clinton, circa 1995)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Chad_the_Impaler
I prefer being impaled, thank you very much.




;O)
25 posted on 03/22/2004 10:10:15 PM PST by Petronski (Kerry knew...and did nothing. THAT....is weakness.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: NYC GOP Chick
Oh, I like hundreds of bands and artists. I wouldn't even know where to start.

But, since you asked, I'll say The Beatles, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Marah, Robert Earl Keen, Junior Brown, Flaming Lips, Elvis (both of them), Emmylou Harris, Richard Thompson, Fela Kuti, The Saw Doctors, Son House, Dwight Yoakam, Richard Shindell, Maceo Parker, Greg Brown, The Pogues, Van Morrison, Dramarama, Everclear, They Might Be Giants, Willie Nelson, Habib Koite, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Sargent Garcia, The Four Tops, Taj Mahal, John Hiatt, Nine Inch Nails, Holly Cole, Joe Jackson, Stan Getz...

I'm sure any Rush fan can make fun of at least somebody on that list, but I won't agree with them, and I'm always right. 8-)

26 posted on 03/22/2004 10:10:18 PM PST by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Petronski
The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Allman Brothers Band, [early] Springsteen, King (B.B. and Albert), Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, J. Geils Band (blues and pop), Big Mama Thornton, Elvis Presley, etc.

Except for Springsteen, I can't really find fault with your musical taste.

My absolute favorite group is the Who -- I even got to see them during their last tour, a couple of years ago. And their 2 new songs (first new stuff in 22 years) are quite good. Have you heard them yet? :)

27 posted on 03/22/2004 10:11:08 PM PST by NYC GOP Chick ("If I could shoot like that, I would still be in the NBA" -- Bill Clinton, circa 1995)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: dead
Wow! You got everything but Kajagoogoo and Vanilla Ice!
28 posted on 03/22/2004 10:12:42 PM PST by NYC GOP Chick ("If I could shoot like that, I would still be in the NBA" -- Bill Clinton, circa 1995)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: NYC GOP Chick
I only heard about the new Who album on Saturday, and have had no chance to check it out. Based on your endorsement, I will seek it out.

And the Springsteen I like is not the 1990s leftist stuff, but rather the 1970s gearhead stuff. Darkness and Born to Run and The River....stuff like that.

29 posted on 03/22/2004 10:14:40 PM PST by Petronski (Kerry knew...and did nothing. THAT....is weakness.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Petronski
J. Geils Band

Dude you should'nt be talking about Rush. You got one seriously lame band on your list.

30 posted on 03/22/2004 10:15:02 PM PST by Dinsdale
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: dead; My Favorite Headache
"They could jump into the Wayback machine and go back to 1980"


Hah! That's 1974 and have been packing the house consistently with every tour. Thats almost been every two years since they come on the scene. And they don't charge like the Stones, sing better and rock the house!

31 posted on 03/22/2004 10:15:07 PM PST by endthematrix (To enter my lane you must use your turn signal!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: dead
Junior Brown is pretty good, but have you ever tried Junior Wells? That man could make a harmonica laugh and cry.
32 posted on 03/22/2004 10:15:29 PM PST by Petronski (Kerry knew...and did nothing. THAT....is weakness.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: spodefly
I guess there's some rock and rollers who could get their asses kicked by fans of Rush.

I'd bet you guys could beat the crap out of... oh I don't know, probably fans of Toto.

Yeah, definitely fans of Toto. And the Alan Parson's Project.

And Boston. Probably. Maybe.

33 posted on 03/22/2004 10:16:18 PM PST by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Petronski
Actually, the "new" album that's coming out is yet *another* greatest hits deal, but with the 2 new songs. Both were available (for $0.99 each) on itunes for a while, but apparently are gone now. They're not in the same vein as "Won't Get Fooled Again," but more like what you might find on the "Who By Numbers" and "Face Dances" albums.

Someday, I'll have to dig out my Roger Daltrey birthday card -- yep, he signed it! ;)

I never liked Springsteen, except when he looked kinda hot for a little while in the mid-80s.

34 posted on 03/22/2004 10:18:06 PM PST by NYC GOP Chick ("If I could shoot like that, I would still be in the NBA" -- Bill Clinton, circa 1995)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Dinsdale
Dude you should'nt be talking about Rush. You got one seriously lame band on your list.

Well, to like them, you gotta like the blues, and you must have been exposed to their live album called 'Full House.'

35 posted on 03/22/2004 10:19:38 PM PST by Petronski (Kerry knew...and did nothing. THAT....is weakness.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: NYC GOP Chick
Kajagoogoo! LOL! Don't forget Men Without Hats and Falco!

I left The Who off my list. They kick ass! I was in the third row center at the Garden last time they were in town. Pete's getting quite a bit slower these days, but Roger hasn't lost a step in thirty-five years.

"Her fella's gonna kill me... oh f#*king will he?!"

36 posted on 03/22/2004 10:22:09 PM PST by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: NYC GOP Chick
Police became involved and Lifeson allegedly elbowed one in the face, pushed a female officer down a staircase, and ripped an officer's radio from his uniform

Awww, I hope the radio wasn't injured. Man, cops have become such pussies these days.

37 posted on 03/22/2004 10:24:10 PM PST by montag813
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NYC GOP Chick
Face Dances was great. It's Hard SUC-ED harder than Pete Townshend on a 10-year...er, never mind.

As for Rush, 2112 is one of the greatest concept albums ever. It was only with Hemispheres in '78 that Rush started to go lame on us.

38 posted on 03/22/2004 10:26:21 PM PST by Clemenza (Repeal the Rockefeller AND Sullivan Laws!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: NYC GOP Chick; dead
We can start a whole thread on the Who. Amazing how their greatest album (Who's Next) was created from the outtakes of a failed rock opera (Lighthouse).

Anyone see Daltrey as the stuffy music teacher on That 70s Show?

39 posted on 03/22/2004 10:28:04 PM PST by Clemenza (Repeal the Rockefeller AND Sullivan Laws!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: NYC GOP Chick
They're not in the same vein as "Won't Get Fooled Again," but more like what you might find on the "Who By Numbers" and "Face Dances" albums.

Well, that helps me understand where they're coming from, but hey, although "Fooled Again" is the gold standard, the others aren't chopped liver. I don't mean to imply you meant that, but I believe I like it all...for differing reasons.

40 posted on 03/22/2004 10:28:15 PM PST by Petronski (Kerry knew...and did nothing. THAT....is weakness.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-92 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson