Geddy Lee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Geddy Lee
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Lee performing at Wembley Stadium in 2022
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| Birth name | Gary Lee Weinrib |
| Born | July 29, 1953 North York, Ontario, Canada |
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| Years active | 1968–present |
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Geddy Lee Weinrib (born Gary Lee Weinrib, July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician. He is best known as the lead singer, bass player, and keyboard player for the famous rock band Rush. Geddy Lee joined Rush in September 1968. His childhood friend, Alex Lifeson, asked him to join. He took the place of the band's first bass player and singer, Jeff Jones. In 2000, Lee released his own solo album called My Favourite Headache.
Geddy Lee's unique style and skill on the bass guitar have inspired many rock musicians. These include Cliff Burton from Metallica and Steve Harris from Iron Maiden. Along with his Rush bandmates, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart, Lee received a special honor. They were made Officers of the Order of Canada on May 9, 1996. They were the first rock band to get this award. In 2013, Rush was welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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Geddy Lee's Early Life
Geddy Lee was born on July 29, 1953, in North York, a part of Willowdale, Toronto, Canada. His parents, Morris and Mary Weinrib, were Jewish people from Poland. They survived the terrible events of the Holocaust during World War II. They met in a ghetto and were later held in concentration camps like Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. After the war, they married and moved to Canada to start a new life.
Geddy's father passed away when Geddy was young. This meant his mother had to work hard to support her three children. She ran a store that his father used to own. Geddy believes that not having his parents at home as much helped him become a musician. He said losing his father early made him realize how quickly life can change. This inspired him to make the most of his life and music.
He turned his basement into a practice space for a band he started with friends. When the band began earning money from small shows, he decided to leave high school. He wanted to play rock and roll full-time. His mother was very upset, but Geddy felt he had to make his choice worthwhile.
The name Geddy came from his mother's Polish accent when she said his given name, Gary. His school friends started calling him Geddy, and he later made it his official stage name. Later, after Rush became famous, Lee shared his mother's story with the band's drummer and lyricist, Neil Peart. This inspired Peart to write the lyrics for the song "Red Sector A". Lee wrote the music for the song, which appeared on Rush's 1984 album, Grace Under Pressure.
Geddy Lee's Music Career
Starting in Music
Geddy Lee started playing music in school when he was about 10 or 11 years old. He got his first acoustic guitar at age 14. He also tried drums, trumpet, and clarinet. But he found school music lessons boring. He taught himself basic piano. His interest in music grew a lot after he heard popular rock bands of the time. He was influenced by bass players like Jack Bruce of Cream and John Entwistle of The Who. He especially liked early British progressive rock.
In 1969, Rush began playing professionally in small places like coffeehouses and high school dances. By 1971, they were mostly playing their own songs in clubs and bars. Lee called these early years "weekend warriors." They worked regular jobs during the week and played music on weekends. They wanted to escape their boring suburban life, and music was their way to express themselves. At first, they were a "straightforward rock band."
Because they didn't have much money, they started opening concerts for other bands. By 1972, Rush was performing full concerts of their own songs in cities like Toronto and Detroit. As they became more known, they opened for bigger groups like Aerosmith and Kiss.
Geddy Lee's Unique Style
Like the band Cream, Rush was a "power trio". This meant Lee played bass and sang at the same time. Lee's singing was very special, known for its "countertenor" or high-pitched sound. He had a wide vocal range. Lee's bass playing style is famous for its bright, high sound. He played the strings very hard and often used the bass as a lead instrument.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Lee mostly used a Rickenbacker 4001 bass. It had a very distinct, gritty sound. In the mid-1980s, when the band used more synthesizers, Lee switched to Steinberger and later Wal basses. From 1993 onwards, Lee mostly used the Fender Jazz Bass. He returned to his well-known bright, high bass sound.
Becoming Popular
After several early albums, Rush's popularity grew quickly. Over five years, they toured the world and released successful albums. These included 2112 (1976) and Moving Pictures (1981). Lee started adding synthesizers to their music in 1977. This expanded the band's sound and allowed the trio to create more complex progressive rock music. It also let Lee play bass and control the synthesizer at the same time using foot pedals.
By the 1980s, Rush was one of the biggest rock bands in the world. They sold out huge arenas when they toured. Lee was known for his energetic movements on stage. By 1996, their tours were so popular that they didn't need an opening act. Their shows lasted almost three hours. Music writers praised Lee's skill on stage. He could change musical rhythms, play multiple keyboards, use bass pedals, and control other devices, all while singing lead vocals. His playing was the "heartbeat" of the group. It created a "one-man rhythm section" that worked perfectly with guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart.
Many bass players have said Geddy Lee influenced them. These include Cliff Burton of Metallica, Steve Harris of Iron Maiden, and Les Claypool of Primus.
My Favourite Headache Solo Album
My Favourite Headache is Geddy Lee's solo album. It was released on November 14, 2000. This happened when Rush was taking a break after the sad deaths of Neil Peart's daughter and wife. Other musicians who worked on the album included Ben Mink and Matt Cameron from Soundgarden and Pearl Jam.
Other Music Projects
Most of Geddy Lee's music work has been with Rush. However, he has also worked on other projects. He has appeared as a guest musician and produced albums for other artists. In 1981, Lee was a guest on the hit song "Take Off". This was for the comedy album Great White North by Bob and Doug McKenzie. Even though Rush sold many albums, "Take Off" was Lee's highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1993, Lee sang "O Canada", the Canadian national anthem, at a Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He also played bass on the song "Good for Sule" by the Canadian rock band I Mother Earth in 1999. In 2017, Lee played bass for the band Yes at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. He played the song "Roundabout" in place of their late bass player, Chris Squire.
In 2018, Lee released a book called Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass. It shows his collection of over 250 bass guitars. It also includes interviews with famous bass players and technicians. In 2020, Lee sang guest vocals on an all-star Canadian version of the song "Lean on Me". This was for a TV special to help Food Banks Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2023, Lee published his autobiography titled My Effin' Life.
Geddy Lee's Collections
Geddy Lee is a big collector. He collects baseball items, old bass guitars, and wines. He has a collection of 5,000 wine bottles! As a child, he collected stamps and vinyl records. He also collects first edition books and watches.
Baseball Fan
Lee is a huge baseball fan. His favorite team growing up was the Detroit Tigers. Later, he became a fan of the Toronto Blue Jays. He collects baseball memorabilia. He even donated some of his collection to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. He often sits behind home plate at the Toronto Blue Jays stadium, Rogers Centre, keeping score.
Guitars and Basses
Lee also collects guitars and basses. He owns over 250 vintage bass guitars. This includes a 1961 Fender Precision Bass that used to belong to John Entwistle of The Who. He also has two rare 1964 Fender Jazz Basses.
In 2019, Lee sent several of his guitars to an auction. These included a 1959 Les Paul Standard and a 1960 Gibson ES-345.
Equipment Used by Geddy Lee
Geddy Lee has changed his musical equipment many times throughout his career.
Basses
In 1998, Fender released the Geddy Lee Jazz Bass. This special model is a copy of Lee's favorite bass, a 1972 Fender Jazz. He bought it in a pawn shop in 1978. In 2015, Fender released a new USA model of his signature bass.
In Rush's early days, Lee mainly used a Fender Precision Bass. He used it on the band's first album in 1974. He later switched to a changed Rickenbacker 4001. This bass first appeared on the album Fly by Night (1975). He used his Fender Jazz Bass along with the Rickenbacker on albums like Permanent Waves (1980) and Moving Pictures (1981). From 1993 onwards, he used the Fender Jazz Bass almost all the time.
Keyboards and Synthesizers
Over the years, Lee has used many different synthesizers. These include models from Oberheim, PPG, Roland, Moog, and Yamaha. Lee started using sequencers early on. He continued to use new electronic tools as they were developed. He also used digital samplers. These electronic devices created many memorable keyboard sounds. For example, the "growl" in "Tom Sawyer" and the rhythmic tune in "The Spirit of Radio."
After the 1987 album Hold Your Fire, Rush slowly used fewer keyboard and synthesizer sounds in their songs. The 2002 album Vapor Trails was their first album since 1975 not to have any keyboards or synthesizers. On Snakes & Arrows (2007), Lee added a Mellotron and bass pedals only a little. On Clockwork Angels (2012), keyboards were used again to make some songs sound better.
Live Performances: Special Equipment
Recreating Sounds Live
Newer synthesizer and sampler technology lets Lee store sounds from his old synthesizers. He can combine them with new sounds in modern machines. For live shows, Lee and his keyboard technician use these machines. They can create almost all of Rush's keyboard sounds. They can also make complex sound parts that used to need many machines.
When playing live, Lee and his bandmates try to make their songs sound as accurate as possible. They use digital samplers to do this. With these samplers, the band can create sounds of unusual instruments, background music, and vocal harmonies. These are all sounds fans know from Rush's albums.
To make these sounds happen during a live show, Lee uses MIDI controllers. These are placed near his microphone stands on stage. Lee uses two types of MIDI controllers. One looks like a regular keyboard on a stand. The other is a large foot-pedal keyboard on the floor. These allow Lee to use his hands and feet to trigger sounds from electronic equipment off-stage. This technology helps Rush play their complex songs live without needing extra band members or pre-recorded tracks.
Unique Stage Equipment
In 1996, Lee stopped using traditional bass amplifiers on stage. He sent his bass guitar sound directly to the sound board. This gave him better control over the sound. Instead of big amplifier cabinets, Lee started decorating his side of the stage with unusual items.
For the 1996–1997 Test for Echo Tour, Lee had an old-fashioned refrigerator on stage. For the 2002 Vapor Trails tour, Lee put three coin-operated Maytag dryers on his side of the stage. These were "miked" by the sound crew for visual effects. The dryers were filled with special Rush T-shirts. At the end of each show, Lee and Lifeson threw these T-shirts to the audience.
For the Snakes & Arrows Tour, Lee had three rotisserie chicken ovens on stage. There was even a person in a chef's hat to "tend" the chickens during the show. For the 2010–2011 Time Machine Tour, Lee's side of the stage had a unique "Time Machine and Sausage Maker." During the 2012–2013 Clockwork Angels Tour, Lee used a different steampunk device called a "Geddison." This included a giant old-style phonograph horn and a working popcorn popper.
Awards and Honors
- 1990: The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada named Asteroid (12272) Geddylee after him.
- 1994: With Rush, he was inducted into the Juno Hall of Fame.
- 1996: He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, along with his bandmates Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart.
- 2010: With Rush, he received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 2013: With Rush, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- 2021: He received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his charity work at the Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ) gala.
Geddy Lee's Personal Life
Geddy Lee married Nancy Young in 1976. They have a son and a daughter. He enjoys taking trips to France every year, where he loves to try different cheeses and wines. In 2011, a charity he supports, Grapes for Humanity, created the Geddy Lee Scholarship. This scholarship helps students who want to learn about winemaking. Lee has said he considers himself a "Jewish atheist." He means he identifies as Jewish by background but does not follow a religion.
Images for kids
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Geddy Lee's signature
