In an extensive interview with The Washington Post, Rush singer/bassist, Geddy Lee, discusses a number of topics, including his upcoming My Effin' Life memoir, and reuniting with his Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson for last year's Taylor Hawkins tribute shows. The following is an expert from the feature...
He thought he had said goodbye to Rush. But then, last year, Rush fanboy Dave Grohl called with a request. He was putting on a pair of star-studded tribute concerts, one in London, one in L.A., to pay tribute to his late Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, who had died that March. Would Lee and Lifeson perform?
They had hesitations. How could they play without (late Rush drummer Neil) Peart? Would fans assume that Rush was reuniting without him? And who, literally, could handle the gig? Rush songs are hard. But they finally enlisted a few ringers — Tool’s Danny Carey, Omar Hakim, Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Grohl himself on a section of “2112,” a classic Rush epic from 1976, clocking in at 20 minutes.
It felt good to hang out with musicians and remember how much Rush was loved, and even better to stretch out with Lifeson on three of their signature songs. At the after-party, Paul McCartney congratulated them and urged them to get back on the road.
“It had been a taboo subject, and playing those songs again with a third person was the elephant in the room, and that kind of disappeared,” Lee said. “It was nice to know that if we decide to go out, Alex and I, whether we went out as part of a new thing, or whether we just wanted to go out and play Rush as Rush, we could do that now.”
Read more at The Washington Post.
Christie’s and Hunt Auctions are pleased to present a historic offering of baseball memorabilia in a December 6 live auction entitled "Selections From The Geddy Lee Collection And Important Baseball Memorabilia."
Geddy Lee is universally known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the iconic rock and roll band Rush. Lee also enjoys a deep passion for the game of baseball. During the late 1970s, while on tour with Rush in the United States, Geddy’s pursuit to collect artifacts from the National Pastime was ignited and continued for over 40 years. The Geddy Lee Collection contains hundreds of autographed and historic milestone baseballs, spanning over three centuries of Major League Baseball and American history.
Highlights of Lee’s collection include a 1965 baseball signed by The Beatles during their Shea Stadium appearance. Geddy’s interest in history fused with his passion for baseball most notably found within a stunning collection of U.S. Presidential autographed baseballs, including examples ceremonial first pitch balls signed by John F. Kennedy, Harry Truman, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson.
The Geddy Lee Collection is complemented by other small collections, including The Gladstone Collection of Baseball Art, which features first-class baseball related artwork and memorabilia. Bill Gladstone was the Chairman/Principal Owner of the Tri-City ValleyCats, and was elected to the board of directors for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 1991. Further highlights include trophies from the Personal Collection of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, and a Hank Aaron 1968 Atlanta Braves professional model home jersey, worn in his 500th home run.
For further details and auction times, head to christies.com.
Find out how Geddy Lee became an unlikely archivist of America’s pastime in a feature by Chad Jennings at theathletic.com.
Geddy Lee recently announced North American dates for My Effin’ Life In Conversation. The tour will see the Rush singer/bassist bring to life his forthcoming memoir My Effin’ Life, due for release on November 14 on Harper Collins.
RushCon is hosting a gathering for Rush fans before Geddy's book tour stops in New York City, Boston, Chicago, and Toronto. You won't want to miss it.
"Join us for a memorable evening, where you can reconnect with familiar faces and forge new friendships among fellow Rush devotees. As we come together, we'll groove to our favourite Rush tunes, savour delightful drinks and snacks, play games, win prizes, and revel in the spirit of everything Rush!"
Your ticket includes:
- A selection of delectable light snacks and appetizers
- Trivia game with fantastic prizes up for grabs
- A cash bar serving up libations
Get tickets here.
Produced by Live Nation, Lee's 14-city tour kicks off on November 13 at The Beacon Theatre in New York, making stops across North America in Boston, San Francisco, Chicago and more before wrapping up in Toronto at Massey Hall on December 7.
The evening promises to be a once-in-a-life-time event. After the curtain rises, Geddy Lee will give his fans a peek into the very fabric of his life: from a deep reflection of his family and childhood, to a dive into the history of Rush; from the determined pursuit of music, to the personal memories with his life-long friends and band-mates, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart. Joined on stage by a special guest interviewer, Geddy Lee will be reading key passages from his forthcoming book My Effin’ Life; he will then share thoughts and stories taken from his experience. Furthermore, fans will then have the chance to participate in a special Q&A, with Geddy Lee answering their questions directly.
“Writing this book has meant spending so much time living in the past”. Lee continues: “I’ve never lived my life looking anywhere but forward, which is why I resisted doing this kind of thing for so long. Being in a band all those years was reassuring because it was an ongoing thing. It felt like it was forever. There was always unfinished business: the next record, the next set design, the next tour. It’s been the theme of my life. But you need a lot more determination to proceed in the world of music without the comfort of your bandmates, and I can only hope that finishing this book will release me to return to what I do and love best”.
Get tickets at Ticketmaster.com. Every ticket purchased includes a copy of Geddy Lee My Effin’ Life which will be provided to ticket holder upon entry into the venue. There is a 4 ticket limit per person.
$1 per ticket is going to the Neil Peart Memorial At Lakeside Park fund. The project and its timelines are contingent on the task force raising the $1 million fundraising goal established for the project. Donations of any size can be made towards the memorial project online at www.stcatharines.ca/neilpeart. The sooner the task force can achieve its fundraising objectives through the generosity of Peart’s fans, the sooner the community and his fans will be able to see the results.
Dates:
November
13 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
15 - Philadelphia, PA - The Met Philadelphia
17 - National Harbor, MD - The Theater at MGM National Harbor
18 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre presented by Citizens
19 - Cleveland, OH - State Theatre at Playhouse Square
21 - Montréal, QC - Théâtre Maisonneuve
23 - Vancouver, BC - The Centre in Vancouver
24 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre
26 - San Francisco, CA - The Masonic
28 - Los Angeles, CA - Orpheum Theatre
30 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
December
3 - Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre
4 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore Detroit
7 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
Lee previously announced the UK leg of the tour. Dates are below and tickets will be available here.
Dates:
December
10 - Wolverhampton, UK - The Civic at The Halls
13 - Sheffield, UK - City Hall
14 - Glasgow, UK - Royal Concert Hall
17 - Portsmouth, UK - Guildhall
18 - London, UK - Barbican
Geddy Lee's My Effin' Life memoir will be released on November 14. Pre-order here.
Description:
The long-awaited memoir, generously illustrated with never-before-seen photos, from the iconic Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Rush bassist, and bestselling author of Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass.
Geddy Lee is one of rock and roll's most respected bassists. For nearly five decades, his playing and work as co-writer, vocalist and keyboardist has been an essential part of the success story of Canadian progressive rock trio Rush. Here for the first time is his account of life inside and outside the band.
Long before Rush accumulated more consecutive gold and platinum records than any rock band after the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, before the seven Grammy nominations or the countless electrifying live performances across the globe, Geddy Lee was Gershon Eliezer Weinrib, after his grandfather murdered in the Holocaust.
As he recounts the transformation, Lee looks back on his family, in particular his loving parents and their horrific experiences as teenagers during World War II.
He talks candidly about his childhood and the pursuit of music that led him to drop out of high school.
He tracks the history of Rush which, after early struggles, exploded into one of the most beloved bands of all time.
He shares intimate stories of his lifelong friendships with bandmates Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart—deeply mourning Peart’s recent passing—and reveals his obsessions in music and beyond.
This rich brew of honesty, humor, and loss makes for a uniquely poignant memoir.
(Photo - Andrew MacNaughtan)
