Geddy Lee Reveals New Memoir

Geddy Lee

When Rush called it a day in 2018, bass legend Geddy Lee took up collecting basses and eventually wrote Geddy Lee’s Big, Beautiful Book of Bass. With even more time on his hands during the pandemic, he took to writing a memoir. Lee revealed on Instagram that his next book will be launching in 2022.

The period marked his longest time at home in Toronto since he was 19 years old, he explained. He spent the time teaching his son baseball, watching mystery shows with his wife, and caring for his dogs. It was also a time that he was coping with the death of drummer Neil Peart, who passed in January of 2020.

“My friend and collaborator on the ‘Big Beautiful Book of Bass’, Daniel Richler, saw how I was struggling in the aftermath of Neil’s passing, and tried coaxing me out of my blues with some funny tales from his youth, daring me to share my own in return,” Lee wrote. “So I did — reluctantly at first, but then remembering, oh yeah, I like wrestling with words. It’s a less physical version of arguing with musical notes, without a Ricky doubleneck breaking my back! And soon my baby-step stories were becoming grownup chapters. Being the nuclear obsessive that I am, I’d write and re-write them, reassessing perspectives in the narrative not just by scouring my memory banks but my diaries and piles of photo albums too. I was piecing together a mystery of a different kind.”

Lee says his writings are an “epic-length” account of his life covering his childhood, family, travels, and more. The memoir, which is still untitled, is scheduled to be published by HarperCollins in Fall of 2022.

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  1. Scott

    Those three (Geddy,Alex, and Neil,) are like,dare I say, the Holy Trinity. They (Rush)were the first band I ever saw in concert and never looked back. The more I learn of them the more admirable I am of them. I have read some of Neils books and cannot wait for Geddys book to be published. They were,and still are such an impact on my life. The loss of life with Neil is still weighing heavy on my heart. I can’t imagine how it was and is still for Geddy and Alex. I will always hold a place in my heart for them . These three who have made such an impression in my life and I’m sure millions of others in this world, will continue to Bless us with what God has put them on this earth for. You be the judge of what that is.

  2. Richard Chadwick

    I grew up listening to my older brother playing Rush albums , I was a spotty 12 year old kid my brother was a dedicated guitar boy he was at art college and carried his 12string guitar everywhere and I remember him improving and improving then he managed to get hold of a real Gibson Les Paul and he never stopped practicing even on bus rides he’d be practicing. And he basically nailed everything Alex was doing note for note and I never really appreciated how clever how good, creative and just brilliant Rush were and I started to mature and listened more and more and decided I want a bit of that and that’s when I discovered the complexity of the Geddy bass thing. I’m 55 now and still play along when I can but to lose that champion drummer for you boys I’m completely in a void. How the fuck can you carry on. I get tears in my eyes when I play Tom sawyer and the emotions when I play every album just tears of joy, you’ve certainly changed my world and many many more people feel the same. Just a massive thank you for being you ??