Rush bassist Geddy Lee has unveiled the long-awaited details of his autobiography. Out on November 14th, 2023 via Harper Collins, the book will arrive on shelves and online retailers as My Effin’ Life.
First announced back in September 2021, Lee started work on his autobiography when the pandemic hit following the death of Rush drummer Neil Peart in 2020. Lee’s friend and collaborator Daniel Richler, who worked with Geddy on his 2018 Big Beautiful Book of Bass, coaxed him out of a funk by sharing tales from his childhood and encouraged the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer to do the same.
“So I did—reluctantly at first, but then remembering, oh yeah, I like wrestling with words,” Lee wrote on Instagram at the time. “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.”
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Those rewrites must have taken some time, as Lee blew past the original November 2022 publishing date. The book will also include previously unpublished photos from Geddy’s lifelong collection. A description of the autobiography from Harper Collins reads:
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 [was] 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.
The Geddy Lee autobiography My Effin’ Life is available here for pre-order from the publisher.
