Music: Quincy woman gets a Rush from new animated video
Excuse Quincy’s Donna Halper if appearing in a new animated video set to the classic “The Spirit of Radio” gave her a rush.
The project, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the beloved Rush hit, was created by Fantoons, an L.A.-based animation company known for its rock tribute videos.
The song reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S. in 1980 and No. 3 in Canada.
“They made me look better in the cartoon than I do in real life,” Halper said, joking.
Halper – an associate professor of communication at Lesley University – is credited with discovering the Canadian rock trio when she was a disc jockey in Cleveland in the 1970s. She said once Fantoons explained the concept to her she jumped on board.
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The video delivers a dose of nostalgia, featuring many moments from the band’s history. Halper is shown at work as a disc jockey, wearing big headphones, speaking into a mic while holding a Rush album. Her animated alter-ego appears at about the two-minute mark.
“I was a little nervous,” Halper said. “I've never been in a cartoon before, but when I saw the image they came up with, I was really happy.”
Halper was the music director at WMMS in Cleveland in 1974, when she took notice of the Canada rockers. She also helped the boys land a recording contract. They in turn dedicated their first two albums to her.
Halper and the band – Geddy Lee, the late Neal Peart, and Alex Lifeson - have remained close friends ever since. She was instrumental in getting Rush a coveted star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010 and helped the band gain entry into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
Halper said it was a “privilege” to be included in the video. “People still love Rush, and they still love radio, so it's a win-win,” she said.
Halper is also seen in a 2010 documentary about Rush, titled “Beyond the Lighted Stage.”
Dana Barbuto may be reached at dbarbuto@patriotledger.com or follow her on Twitter @dbarbuto_Ledger.
