RUSH singer-bassist Geddy Lee will release his autobiography, titled My Effin’ Life, on November 14th of this year via Harper Collins. The title and release date were recently unveiled on his social media accounts, and the book is now available for pre-order via Amazon.
Lee first broke news of his autobiography in a September 2021 Instagram post, saying he was motivated to write begin writing the book during the pandemic and following bandmate Neil Peart’s passing.
“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,” wrote Lee at the time.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer continued, “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!”
Per the Harper Collins website, the book description 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 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.”
Originally, Lee mentioned a Fall 2022 release via Harper Collins, but it now appears he needed a little more time to complete the memoir, with the book coming a year later than expected. The title is a play on fans’ affectionate nickname for the rock legend: Geddy “Effin’” Lee.
Pre-order My Effin’ Life here, and see Consequence‘’s exclusive roundtable discussion of RUSH’s Moving Pictures album below.