Geddy Lee

Born: July 29, 1953, Willowdale, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geddy Lee plays bass, keyboards, and sings in progressive rock band Rush. Born in Toronto, Ontario, Lee grew up as the son of Polish Jewish refugees who had both been survivors of Nazi concentration camps Dachau and Bergen-Belsen. Lee's stage name (and later legal name) "Geddy" was inspired by the heavily-accented pronunciation of his given first name "Gary" by his grandmother. An award-winning musician, Lee's style, technique, and skill on the bass guitar have proven very influential in the rock and heavy metal genres, inspiring such players as Steve Harris of Iron Maiden, John Myung of Dream Theater, Les Claypool of Primus, and Metallica's Cliff Burton among others. In addition to his composing, arranging, and performing duties for Rush, Lee has produced albums for various other bands, including Rocket Science. Lee's first solo effort, "My Favorite Headache", was released in 2000. Along with his colleagues Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart, Lee was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on May 9, 1996. The trio were the first rock musicians so honored.