The son of Polish parents who were survivors of the Nazi concentration camps, it is said (perhaps apocryphally) that the origin of Lee's stage name (and later legal name) "Geddy" was inspired by the heavily-accented pronunciation of his given first name by his grandmother. His solo effort, My Favorite Headache, was released in 2000. In addition to his composing, arranging, and performing duties for Rush, Lee has produced albums for various other bands, including Rocket Science.
Along with his colleagues Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart, Lee was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on May 9, 1996. The trio were the first rock musicians so honoured.