Biography
Geddy Lee ranks among the most impactful bassists in hard rock through his longstanding position in Rush. Gary Weinrib came into the world on July 29, 1953, in Toronto after his parents had moved from Europe to Canada, and his mother’s accented rendering of his given name produced the lasting nickname Geddy. As a teenager he took up the bass, drawing inspiration from the Who’s John Entwistle, Cream’s Jack Bruce, and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones. He soon teamed with guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer John Rutsey to launch the hard-driving trio Rush, in which he also handled lead vocals. Although the group would later attain prominence in progressive hard rock, its early work mirrored blues rock and Led Zeppelin, a trait made plain on the self-titled 1974 debut.
Neal Peart’s arrival in place of Rutsey the next year triggered an abrupt change in the band’s sound and artistic course. Extended Zeppelin-style jams vanished, replaced by technically rigorous hard rock and lyrics of substance supplied by Peart, while Lee’s high, Robert Plant-like delivery stayed intact. After sharpening their approach across several albums, the trio reaped major rewards from constant touring and the 1976 science-fiction concept album 2112. Later releases, including such prog metal benchmarks as A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, and Permanent Waves, each outsold the one before it, so that by Moving Pictures in 1981 Rush stood among the planet’s foremost rock acts. Throughout the eighties the band pursued contemporary textures with new-wave inflections, yet its vast audience held steady and Lee’s vocals grew more measured.
The nineties brought continued stability as Rush returned to its earlier organic hard-rock style on albums such as 1993’s Counterparts, issued further successful records, and played sold-out arena dates worldwide until the group entered an indefinite hiatus in 1997. Lee filled the pause by releasing his first solo album, My Favorite Headache, in 2000, recruiting ex-Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron and ex-FM guitarist and violinist Ben Mink. Bassists spanning a wide spectrum, among them Primus’ Les Claypool, Dream Theater’s John Myung, and Metallica’s Cliff Burton, carry audible traces of Lee’s influence on rock bass.
Neal Peart’s arrival in place of Rutsey the next year triggered an abrupt change in the band’s sound and artistic course. Extended Zeppelin-style jams vanished, replaced by technically rigorous hard rock and lyrics of substance supplied by Peart, while Lee’s high, Robert Plant-like delivery stayed intact. After sharpening their approach across several albums, the trio reaped major rewards from constant touring and the 1976 science-fiction concept album 2112. Later releases, including such prog metal benchmarks as A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, and Permanent Waves, each outsold the one before it, so that by Moving Pictures in 1981 Rush stood among the planet’s foremost rock acts. Throughout the eighties the band pursued contemporary textures with new-wave inflections, yet its vast audience held steady and Lee’s vocals grew more measured.
The nineties brought continued stability as Rush returned to its earlier organic hard-rock style on albums such as 1993’s Counterparts, issued further successful records, and played sold-out arena dates worldwide until the group entered an indefinite hiatus in 1997. Lee filled the pause by releasing his first solo album, My Favorite Headache, in 2000, recruiting ex-Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron and ex-FM guitarist and violinist Ben Mink. Bassists spanning a wide spectrum, among them Primus’ Les Claypool, Dream Theater’s John Myung, and Metallica’s Cliff Burton, carry audible traces of Lee’s influence on rock bass.
Albums
Singles
