Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
More
  • Bridge Over Troubled Water
  • World in Motion
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • The genius of Clive Davis
  1. Artists
  2. Guitarists

Interview: Geddy Lee's 5 favourite bassists of all time

News
By Roger Newell
Published 1 January 2013

The players who've inspired him

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Interview: Geddy Lee's 5 favourite bassists of all time

Interview: Geddy Lee's 5 favourite bassists of all time

BASS EXPO We aim to please here at MusicRadar, and it doesn't get much better than sitting down with legendary Rush frontman Geddy Lee to talk bass.

In no particular order, what follows is a list of Geddy Lee's five favourite bassists of all time, and words from the man himself that explain his inclusions. Read on!

Page 1 of 6
Page 1 of 6
Jack Casady

Jack Casady

"Back in the early days, Jack Casady. I thought he was probably one of the most inventive players I’d ever heard and was really the reason I fell in love with Jefferson Airplane."

Page 2 of 6
Page 2 of 6
Jack Bruce

Jack Bruce

"Jack Bruce of course was my hero when I first started playing. Just him coming out with that bluesy, jazzy style on bass and he brought a kind of aggressive tone to the Cream."

Page 3 of 6
Page 3 of 6
Chris Squire

Chris Squire

"Chris Squire is incredibly inventive and imaginative writer of bass melodies. He’ll always be a pinnacle of great bass players."

Page 4 of 6
Page 4 of 6
Jeff Berlin

Jeff Berlin

"He's more of a jazz bass player now but he used to play kind of fusion, rock and jazz with Bill Bruford on Bill’s solo records. Bruford was a fantastic band and Jeff is still among the top bass players out there, different calibre, he’s just off the planet."

Page 5 of 6
Page 5 of 6
Les Claypool

Les Claypool

"We must not forget Les Claypool from Primus. A true style-seeking venture on bass, really original, an incredible player and he’s influenced me with his attitude towards bass playing."

Page 6 of 6
Page 6 of 6
CATEGORIES
Guitars
Roger Newell
Read more
Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee of Rush rock double-necks during a 2026 reunion show in LA.
Artists Rush’s Geddy Lee, Paul Gilbert and John Petrucci on the guitar genius of Alex Lifeson
 
 
Rush in 1976, the year the Canadian prog trio's fortunes changed as 2112 was released
Artists “It was the record that changed our lives”: Rush frontman Geddy Lee on the band's classic 2112
 
 
Joe Perry and Jeff Beck
Artists “Of course I was intimidated. He’s a genius. He’s Mozart!”: Joe Perry salutes his guitar heroes Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck
 
 
American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery (1923-1968) performs with a Gibson L-5 semi acoustic guitar in a television studio during a recording for the television series 'Tempo' in 1965
Artists “When I heard Wes, it killed me”: Nile Rodgers’ favourite guitar track of all time
 
 
Sean Hurley plays the Fender 75th Anniversary Precision Bass Collection
Bass Guitars Geezer Butler, Tal Wilkenfeld and Nate Mendel hail the legacy of the P Bass, as Fender celebrates its 75th anniversary
 
 
Ian Anderson in the 1970s
Artists “I gave up guitar when I heard Clapton, the way people are put off tennis when they watch Federer”
 
 
Latest in Guitarists
Nene Royal' performing on AGT
Guitars How a Thai teenager blew away America's Got Talent audience covering a '90s rock classic
 
 
The Edge and Brian Eno composite picture
Guitarists "He knows very little about an awful lot": The Edge on Eno and how he influenced his "limited" guitar style
 
 
Carlos Santana
Artists Carlos Santana on Miles and McLaughlin, Hendrix and SRV, and his quest for eternal melody
 
 
Courtney Barnett and Flea perform during People Have the Power: A Celebration of Patti Smith presented by Michael Dorf at Carnegie Hall on March 26, 2025 in New York City
Singles And Albums Courtney Barnett pays tribute to "incredible" musicianship of Chili Pepper collaborator
 
 
Artists “I spent hours in the studio on this one song. I probably spent $10,000 trying to get it to work”
 
 
Dokken
Artists “Metallica are killing us!”: How a hair metal band’s dream gig turned into a nightmare
 
 
Latest in News
nopia
Tech We got an exclusive look at Nopia, the viral synth and "harmony machine" that broke the internet
 
 
David Byrne, lead singer and guitarist for the Talking Heads, works with record producer Brian Eno in a recording studio in Mexico.
Studios Talking Heads frontman David Byrne discusses treating the studio "like a playground" with Brian Eno
 
 
fl studio
Tech You can now control FL Studio with an agentic AI chatbot from inside the DAW
 
 
Sir Anthony Hopkins attends the Closing Night red carpet at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2025 on December 11, 2025
Singles And Albums "Music was my first desire": Film titan Anthony Hopkins to release album of original compositions
 
 
DX10000CL headphones
Headphones "A flagship audiophile product": Final unveils new DX10000 CL headphone at jaw-dropping price
 
 
Korg NTS-4
Tech Korg’s DIY NTS-4 looks like the budget-friendly desktop mixer we always wanted the Volca Mix to be
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...