During our latest travels, we ended up in Quebec City at the Geddy Lee book tour during Festival dete de Quebec. His book “My Effin’ Life: From Holocaust Roots to Rock and Roll Stardom” is a memoir that chronicles his life from his time before being in the band Rush, a rock trio, as well as his time as a band member. His musical talents have been a staple for Rush for five decades and have earned him the title of one of rock & rolls’ best bassists.
Geddy Lee Weinrib is a Canadian multi-talented musician, best known as the vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the rock group Rush. In September of 1968, Lee joined his childhood friend Alex Lifeson to form Rush as we know it today. Rush was the first band to earn more consecutive gold and platinum records after the legendary Beatles and Rolling Stones. The band has taken its rightful place in rock history as one of the most accomplished groups.
On Saturday, July 13, Lee did two separate meetings of his In Conversation Book Tour at the Grand Theatre De Quebec. Each session had a different professional interview. My interview session was led by Genevieve Borne. Lee began his tour by telling the audience about his early life as the son of Jewish Holocaust survivors. At just twelve years old, Lee’s father passed away, having a significant impact on his young adulthood. As part of the Jewish mourning process, Lee attended synagogue for eleven months and was not allowed to listen to music or participate in any fun teenage activities. Once the mourning period was over, Lee found himself obsessed with music and bought a guitar, teaching himself how to play.
Lee recounted the time Lifeson and himself met Neil Peart when he auditioned to be the drummer for Rush. Lee laughed at remembering how Peart arrived in a beat-up old Ford Pinto with his drums stored in trash cans. The trio had become very close friends over the years they performed together. Peart retired from the band in 2015 due to health concerns, subsequently disbanding the group. In August of 2016, Peart was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer called glioblastoma. He swore his closest friends and family to secrecy on his illness, which Lee and Lifeson agreed upon.
Much of the book tour was Lee recounting his last days and months with Peart as he and Lifeson tried to make his last days comfortable and full of laughter. In one of his last conversations, all Peart wanted to talk about was the music that the trio made together. Close friends would drive Peart around in his fancy cars, playing Rush albums on the stereo. Lee remembers one of the last conversations he had with Peart where he expressed to him how proud he was of their rhythm section. Another story that Lee shared was about a Rush song that Peart wrote that Lee thought was just remarkable to have written in the era that it was. Even though he was so sick, he was still very with it mentally and had his wits about him.
As the last standing members, Lee and Lifeson still have a passion for music, continuing to have jam sessions together. They don’t have any official plans to play together again, but Lee said he wouldn’t be surprised if it happened. Lee mentioned the possibility of another version of Rush that might form in the future, but thinking of the future of music with Lifeson is difficult. They still remain best friends and they are trying to learn Rush songs again. Alex Lifeson has arthritis, which has left him weary of his ability to ever tour again, even with the help of a giant pile of pot, according to Lee. We can all hope that these two will get the urge to hit the road and bring the music back to life for their millions of fans across the globe.
In 2022, Lifeson and Lee got together on the stage once again to play for the Taylor Hawkins Tribute, a remembrance concert for the drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters. The pair performed alongside musicians Dave Grohl, Danny Carey, and Chad Smith. Despite the uncertainty of Rush’s future, Geddy Lee showed the audience at his book tour that his love for the music he got to make with Peart will never dwindle and that hardships are a way to bring people together. To end the tour, Lee told the crowd how he is one of the luckiest people to have been a part of such a great band with great musicians.
After the interview Geddy read a few excerpts from the book and also answered pre-selected questions from the audience. One of questions was from an aspiring musician about advice for a career in the music business and Geddy told him to always stay true to playing music that he loved no matter what anyone told him.
You can find Geddy’s memoir here and check-up on the Rush website for any up and coming book tour dates.