Gary McCracken obit

Gary McCracken, Dead at 75

 

He was not on the list.

Gary McCracken was the drummer for Max Webster from 1976 to 1981. It's his voice you hear singing lead on "A Million Vacations".

In the late 1970s, Rush spent hundreds of nights on the road with fellow Canadian rockers Max Webster, forging a friendship between the two bands that would last for decades.

Now, singer and bassist Geddy Lee is mourning the death of Max Webster drummer Gary McCracken, who died on Sept. 15 at age 75.

“Just heard the very sad news that my old friend, drummer, Gary ‘Stixie’ McCracken has passed away,” Lee wrote on Instagram.

Lee recalled how close the musicians became while Max Webster toured with Rush around the world in the late ’70s. One particularly memorable adventure came when a Rush show in Paris was canceled, but Lee, McCracken and Rush assistant Sam Charters decided to make the trip anyway.

The three spent what Lee remembered as “3 crazy days of pommes frites, beer and berets.”

“RIP Stixie,” Lee wrote, adding, “Oh, what memories we made.”

McCracken joined Max Webster in 1976, replacing drummer Paul Kersey after the band had toured Canada opening for Rush. He made his recording debut with the group on 1977’s High Class in Borrowed Shoes and remained with Max Webster until the band dissolved in 1981.

The two Canadian bands became especially close during those years. Max Webster supported Rush more than 200 times, including extensive touring outside Canada, and their friendship eventually made its way into the recording studio.

All three members of Rush—Lee, Alex Lifeson and the late Neil Peart—performed with Max Webster on “Battle Scar,” from the band’s 1980 album Universal Juveniles. The song was recorded live in the studio with Rush and Max Webster playing together.

McCracken was more than the band’s drummer. He also co-wrote and sang lead on “A Million Vacations,” the title track from Max Webster’s 1979 album. The song became a Canadian hit, while the album reached No. 13 in Canada and was certified platinum.

McCracken later played with artists including Triumph, Wrabit and Klaatu and released his solo album Audioscapes in 2000. He also taught music in his hometown of Sarnia, Ontario.

His death comes months after Max Webster keyboardist Terry Watkinson died on Feb. 28 at age 85. One person responding to Lee’s tribute noted the painful year for fans of the band, writing, “Two Max Webster losses in one year!”

Max Webster founder Kim Mitchell also remembered his former bandmate, writing on Facebook, “Rest in peace Gary McCracken .. my brother in RAWK !”

McCracken was present when Max Webster received one of its biggest honors in 2023. The band was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame at a ceremony at Toronto’s Massey Hall, with the longtime members reuniting for the occasion.