UPDATE - 1/26@12:31PM: The Toronto Star interview garnered a lot of attention for Cunningham, including a follow-up interview with Noisey which you can check out here. The Noisey interview goes into a lot more detail about how he got the gig and the Big Money video shoot.

If you ever wondered who portrayed the boy on Rush's iconic cover for 1985's Power Windows album, his name is Neill Cunningham, the current owner of Pandemonium Records in Toronto where he now sells reissues of the album on which he appears (the Power Windows reissue released earlier this month). The Toronto Star recently caught up with Neill to chat with him about the cover and how he got the gig:

... Originally, Cunningham became involved with the project by happenstance. His friend Marcus Pearson was working for photographer Dimo Safari, who was crafting the cover for Rush's upcoming record - a transitional, pop-leaning album awash in chilled synths - and was seeking a "skinny blond" punk for the cover.

Cunningham happened to be skinny and blond ("still am") and leapt at the opportunity.

"Dimo had been working with Madonna, so I was all excited at the idea I could be on a Madonna cover," he recalled. "When he said Rush, I was like, 'yeah, oh, all right. Not bad either.'"

The shoot was conducted over two arduous nights in Cabbagetown, with the March wind snapping through the open window. Once captured, the photo was painted over by Hugh Syme. ...

Neill also ended up being recruited for the band's music video for The Big Money. You can check out the complete article/interview at this location (thanks Drew H) and purchase the Power Windows reissue here.