Why Geddy Lee Switched From Guitar to Bass + How He Joined Rush

As bassist and keyboardist/vocalist for Rush, Geddy Lee is one of the most cherished musicians in all of progressive rock. So when he talks about joining a band or settling down to his main instrument, like AXS TV’s Dan Rather, it’s always fascinating.

In a lengthy 2017 chat, Lee talked about growing up in Toronto, switching from guitar to bass, and eventually getting to know guitarist Alex Lifeson, whose real name is Alexander Zivojinovic. .

He started by revealing how he got into making music in the first place. [my mom] I think I had a little more freedom than your average kid.As rock music lovers, it was my first time playing music and I was hooked pretty early on. “

He continued:

I bought my first acoustic guitar. I asked her mother to lend me some money to buy an acoustic guitar from a man who lived next door. He had a beautiful acoustic guitar with palm trees on it, so I had to get one. . I think we called ourselves Dusty Coconuts back then. We met at a friend’s house.

I was playing guitar at the time, but the mother of the kid who was supposed to be playing bass said he was no longer in the band. They voted and said I would be the new bassist. So I went back to my mom and asked her to lend me some money to buy me a bass guitar… I bought my first electric bass guitar and never looked back.

About meeting Lifeson:

I was in junior high school at the time. Around the same time, there was a fellow named Alexander Zivozinovich in my class, and we were sitting in the back of the class. He was really funny and we kind of connected. Little did I know then that I would end up spending the rest of my life with this crazy Serb.

He was actually in a band called Rush. I wasn’t. . . a founding member. I was just a buddy. They were scheduled to play a show at a local drop-in center in the basement of the church. Their bass player was unable to attend for some reason and Al called me in a panic. I said, “Of course.” I got off and learned the song that afternoon. Anyway, I think I only knew about 4 songs. …we went to the local deli after our gig and asked for fries and gravy. This was the tradition. That’s how my career with Al started.

The rest, as they say, is history.

So what do you think of Lee’s story? Which Rush album is your favorite? Let us know!

Also, be sure to watch the full clip below.

Why Geddy Lee Switched From Guitar To Bass + How He Joined Rush