Summary of My Effin' Life by Geddy Lee

By Willie M. Joseph

DISCLAIMER

 

This book does not in any capacity mean to replace the original book but to serve as a vast summary of the original book.

Summary of My Effin' Life by Geddy Lee

IN THIS SUMMARIZED BOOK, YOU WILL GET:

• Chapter astute outline of the main contents.
• Fast & simple understanding of the content analysis.
• Exceptionally summarized content that you may skip in the original book

Michael Chabon admires Geddy Lee for his improbable, absurd, and heartbreaking true stories, as well as his warmth, care, artfulness, wisdom, and gently skewed humor. Chabon's book demonstrates why Lee has been a man's hero for so long.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Willie M. Joseph
• Release date: Nov 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223463320

Willie M. Joseph

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Prologue

Geddy Lee, born Gershon Eliezer Weinrib, was named after his murdered maternal grandfather. His family spoke both Yiddish and Polish, and their Yiddish names were sometimes spelled unrecognizably. The author's father's full Yiddish name was Moshe Meir ben Aharon Ha Levi, but in an old passport, it was spelled out as Moszek Wajnryb and its anglicized translation, Morris Weinrib.

Upon arriving in Halifax, Canada, the author's parents registered with customs and immigration, and when they were born, they were given Jewish names and their English equivalents. Geddy's middle name is Eliezer, but from kindergarten through the end of public school, he answered at roll call as Gary Lorne Weinrib. When he turned sixteen, he found himself listed as Gary Lee Weinrib, which confused his mother.

The author's cousin Gary Rubinstein was actually the actual recipient of the middle name Lorne. The best explanation for the mix-up is that his mother would have been speaking English for only a few years by the time he was born, and the anglicized take on Eliezer was for her just an afterthought.

When Geddy turned pro, the musicians' union application form asked for a professional, stage or band name. In desperation to assimilate into a less ethnic world, he combined his nickname and rediscovered middle name to create a professional moniker for himself. A few years later, he changed his first name legally to Geddy, and by then, even his siblings were calling him Geddy or Ged.

In summary, Geddy Lee had two identities right from birth: Gershon Eliezer and Gary Lorne.

Chapter 1

The author grew up in a house rich in music, but music was in little evidence in their childhood home. The radio was always on in the car, but the author didn't recall Dad speaking about music or mentioning any artists he liked. Years after his death, when the author was playing a show in Detroit and reconnected with the family of his only surviving brother, Sam, his aunt Charlotte revealed that his father played balalaika at parties, bar mitzvahs, and weddings. This revelation led the author to question whether his father was truly a player and if his mother had never mentioned it.

The author's mother, who was embarrassed by this revelation, recounted that her parents lived in Germany after their liberation and moved to Canada. When they were ready to leave, the author's dad declared that he was packing his balalaika, but his mom refused to allow him to schlep dat feedel across the ocean with them. This decision was a heartfelt confession and revealed the author's inherent musical aptitude.

The author's parents bought a piano for their sister, Susie, two years older than them, and they thought this was what well-raised Canadian schoolchildren did. After Susie's success in music, the author would hop on the piano stool and pick out the melodies she had been learning. This story was enhanced over time, and the author can assure you that they were no Glenn Gould.

In 1948, Moishe and Manya arrived in Canada with their family, including their sister Rose (Ruchla), who had left Poland for Toronto before the war. Morris and Mary, anglicized personae for an anglicized world, sought a fresh start in a dominion unscarred by war and genocide. Morris' father was a loving but strict father with an explosive temper, but they cared deeply for each other.

Both parents worked hard to build a new life and raise a family, holding down factory jobs on Spadina Avenue, the hub of Toronto's shmatte industry. After their mother's death, they stopped working, and it was up to their dad to hustle a living and pay the bills. They received reparations from the German government, but they were a working-class family without much spare cash or time for frivolous hobbies like music.

On Sundays, they picnicked with their family and cousins on Toronto Island or in High Park, drinking Red Cap Ale and Carling Black Label. Dad was hired by a distant cousin to work in his shoddy mill, but quit after being unfairly treated by his own cousin. He found a partner and started a business, Lakeview Felt, but faced betrayal from his former boss. After being unemployed for a lengthy period, he decided to look for a small retail business instead, eventually finding a variety store called Times Square Discount in Newmarket, Ontario. He ran the store well, the locals liked him, and there was even an article in the local newspaper reporting on him as a boon to the community.

After the war, Toronto's immigrant population moved north, with Jews and Italians being the first to move in. They wanted a New World house with a new kitchen, two-car garage, and a backyard, as different from the crowded, battered buildings they had left behind in Europe. The family moved to 53 Vinci Crescent, a small bungalow in the North Toronto suburb of Downsview.

The suburbs were bland, with unimaginative and repetitive architecture, garages jutting out in front of houses, and treeless neighborhoods. The author's parents, who survived the war, had other priorities, like building a new life. They didn't have time or inclination for helicoptering, and their children were sent on hazardous missions. One day, the author climbed up a drainpipe to retrieve tennis balls from other kids, only to realize how high it would be to descend.

At Faywood Public School, the author was a loner, rarely getting into trouble, and did their schoolwork in an unnoticeable manner. They were an underachiever, neither bad enough to fail nor good enough to excel. In grade five, the author sang in the school choir and attended practices for the Leonard Bernstein musical On the Town as an alternate. A teacher asked the author what they were up to, and he asked them to help out on the stage.

The author loved being part of the crew, and their first taste of show business was thanks to Mr. Geggie, who made them feel useful and valued. The author's childhood experiences highlight the importance of adaptability and the importance of personal growth in a new environment.

In the author's public school days, he was in the same class with Rick Moranis, who became one of the McKenzie Brothers in the Great White North sketches on SCTV. In 1981, he asked him to sing the lead on a song called Take Off! for their comedy album, The Great White North. As a nerd, he started collecting stamps around grade four or five, which he considered his first art collection.

In 1964, the author's parents moved to Willowdale, a suburb of Toronto, to live closer to a store and to escape the daily commute. They found a new house in Willowdale, which was more suburban than Downsview, and they dreamed of moving downtown where everything was happening and where hippies were and musicians hung out.

Willowdale was more of a mosaic than an idealized Canadian melting pot of cultural influences. The neighborhood was made up mainly of Jewish families, and antisemitism was still rife in those days. The author was a particularly easy target due to his shyness and self-consciousness about his outstanding nose. The author was bussed to the nearest junior high school, R. J. Lang Elementary and Middle School, and on arrival, they had to walk the gauntlet across the yard to the main entrance.

The author's life in comedy began with the song Take Off!, which became his biggest hit single of the career. His experiences in Willowdale have resonated with many individuals who realized they were not alone in their struggles.

The author discusses the experiences of working-class immigrants during the Holocaust, describing how they were singled out for special treatment and subjected to harassment by Jewish people. They recall instances of being shoved into lockers, pushed by farm boys, and harassed at bus stops. Despite these experiences, the author remained a fan of DC comics and wished for the power to become invisible to walk among assholes without fear.

Working-class immigrants faced similar challenges, such as not knowing how to skate or baseball. They learned to play on their own, spending many cold Sunday afternoons on the ice. Baseball was deeply ingrained in the author's childhood, with the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers playing in Toronto's Triple-A International League. The author recalls watching the Maple Leafs in Maple Leaf Stadium, a typical minor-league ballpark of the time, and spending hours pretending to be a pitcher.

The author also recalls trying out for his neighborhood baseball team but failed. He spent most of his childhood playing sports in the school playground, collecting baseball cards and playing games like Close-ies and Lean-sies. The author reflects on the pain of seeing those cards today, which could be worth hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.

The author recalls their childhood, where they watched hockey and wrestling with their father, who was not much of a baseball fan. They enjoyed watching TV on Saturdays, which brought the world into their living room, including the Beatles' first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The author's sister was affected by rock and roll music, and they began to assimilate into their new environment.

On October 8, 1965, the author's father died in his sleep due to the flu. He had come down with the flu and was supposed to stay home with the author. The author woke up to screams and a pandemonium, with neighbors filling the house and police calling. The author's sister and the author sat side by side in silence, stunned by their father's lifeless body.

The author fell into a fever dream and was roused from sleep by their uncles to get dressed for his father's funeral. The funeral was a manic affair, with people arguing about dressing up and saying the Kaddish. The author was taken to a neighbor's house for the duration of the madness.

Morris Weinrib passed away at the age of forty-five, and the author was twelve years old at the time. Despite surviving the horrors of the Holocaust seemingly unscathed, his heart was damaged by six years of slave labor in the camps. He lost